trivia as the crow flies vs rail

[norbitonflyer]

Exmouth to Starcross?

 

[DelW]

Or if you are happy below ground, you could always go one way on the Northern Line and come back on the Victoria! Non-stop on both routes! Strangely, you be going southbound on both legs of your journey.

Yes, I should have specified National Rail route

 

[racyrich]

If you start from Euston instead, Kings Cross is about 10 minutes walk, but the shortest National Rail route I can see is via Nuneaton, Leicester and Peterborough.

(Edited to specify National Rail not tube).

Or further down the City Road - Kings Cross to Marylebone. I guess that's Peterboro, Brum and back.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

If you start from Euston instead, Kings Cross is about 10 minutes walk, but the shortest National Rail route I can see is via Nuneaton, Leicester and Peterborough.

I thought this discussion was about the shortest route a theoretical charter train could take, so I think it'd go as per railmiles puts it.

Distance:​

4mi 15ch

Route:​

London Euston, Camden South Jn, Camden Jn, Primrose Hill, Camden Road Jn Signal 1202, Camden Road Jn, Camden Road, Camden Rd. E. Jn., Belle Isle, London Kings Cross

 

[DelW]

I thought this discussion was about the shortest route a theoretical charter train could take, so I think it'd go as per railmiles puts it.

Distance:​

4mi 15ch

Route:​

London Euston, Camden South Jn, Camden Jn, Primrose Hill, Camden Road Jn Signal 1202, Camden Road Jn, Camden Road, Camden Rd. E. Jn., Belle Isle, London Kings Cross

Fair point! I was disregarding the connections through Camden Road (and the Harringay curve) since they're shown as freight only lines, but they probably are maintained to be usable by charters.

The OP didn't actually specify they had to be passenger routes either, though their first paragraph was referencing passenger services.

 

[ian1944]

The Burscough stations, connected by rail via Liverpool or via Wigan and Preston.

 

[DerekC]

Or further down the City Road - Kings Cross to Marylebone. I guess that's Peterboro, Brum and back.

As long as our charter train doesn't mind reversals - Marylebone - Neasden South - (reverse)- curve to Neasden Junction - (reverse) - Dudding Hill Line - West Hampstead - Gospel Oak - Harringay curve - (reverse) - Kings Cross.

Or maybe shorter - after West Hampstead - St Pancras International (Thameslink) - (reverse) - Belle Isle Junction - (reverse) - Kings Cross.

I think our charter may be a bit of a headache to the planners, though! I fancied a bubble car to make the reversals easy, but I don't think it would be allowed, sadly.

 

[nw1]

Weymouth to Cherbourg might be a good one if international is allowed.

Around 60 miles as the crow flies IIRC, but via rail a lengthy journey via the Channel Tunnel (and in practice, via London and probably Paris) would be necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Aug 2024 ==

Whyteleafe to Upper Warlingham might win this prize if one was looking at multipliers. Less than 10 mins on foot, about an hour by train.

That must be surely faster than that if the connections are favourable?

 

[Ayrshire Roy]

Using Railmiles, Tamworth High Level to Tamworth Low Level is a few vertical feet but 19 miles 4ch by rail.
Tamworth, Elford, Wichnor Jn, Alrewas L.C., Lichfield T.V. Jn., Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth

 

[Rescars]

Whyteleafe to Upper Warlingham might win this prize if one was looking at multipliers. Less than 10 mins on foot, about an hour by train.

in the same part of the world it takes 25 mins to walk from Tattenham Corner to Epsom Downs. By rail you go via Purley (attaching to the Caterham line portion, which will have stopped at Whyteleafe - to pick up Cricketer8for9??), then on to East Croydon and Norwood Junction. Change here for West Croydon, then Sutton before Epsom Downs at last. This appears to take 1 hour 27 minutes if you go later today. I did do this circuit once in my youth. I thought it might be fun, but in EPBs and 4-SUBs it did turn out to be a bit of a marathon. I also did it the other way round and discovered its all uphill walking from Epsom Downs towards Tattenham Corner!