Trivia: Longest GB Rail Journey?

[Jan Mayen]

With the demise of the Aberdeen -Penzance service at the next timetable change, I was wondering what the longest passenger journey on a single train will be?

I think a few different categories are allowed. Daytime, sleeper, longest by route, longest by time, diverted due to engineering work.

Any offers?

 

[MerlinRail 804]

With the demise of the Aberdeen -Penzance service at the next timetable change, I was wondering what the longest passenger journey on a single train will be.
I think a few different caterorgories are allowed. Daytime, sleeper, longest by route, longest by time, diverted due to engineering work.
Any offers?

Surely the official title is either gonna fall on the LNER London - Aberdeen/Inverness services, or maybe the Highlander sleeper?

 

[liamf656]

It's the Highland Sleeper now, is it not?

 

[Goldfish62]

It's the Highland Sleeper now, is it not?

That's certainly what's being quoted.

 

[Roast Veg]

Specifically the Fort William portion.

 

[zwk500]

Surely the official title is either gonna fall on the LNER London - Aberdeen/Inverness services, or maybe the Highlander sleeper?

It's the Highland Sleeper now, is it not?

Euston - Edinburgh: 400 miles (Railwaycodes.com)
King's Cross - Edinburgh - 393 miles (Railwaycodes.com)
Edinburgh to Fort William: 166 miles (RTT, Sleeper Schedule)
Edinburgh to Aberdeen: 130.5 miles (Railwaycodes.com, direct via Tay Bridge)
Edinburgh to Inverness: 175 miles (Railwaycodes.com, direct via Ladybank Jn)

So the Edinburgh Portion of the Highland Sleeper is apparently the longest by 8 miles. Anybody is welcome to check my maths.

Highland Sleeper would be 407miles from Euston to Edinburgh then 166miles from Edinburgh to Fort William. (distances from RTT)
The LNER London-Aberdeen Service is 393miles (Data from Railwaycodes.com) from London King's Cross then 130.5

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Euston - Edinburgh: 400 miles (Railwaycodes.com)
King's Cross - Edinburgh - 393 miles (Railwaycodes.com)
Edinburgh to Fort William: 166 miles (RTT, Sleeper Schedule)
Edinburgh to Aberdeen: 130.5 miles (Railwaycodes.com, direct via Tay Bridge)
Edinburgh to Inverness: 175 miles (Railwaycodes.com, direct via Ladybank Jn)

So the Edinburgh Portion of the Highland Sleeper is apparently the longest by 8 miles. Anybody is welcome to check my maths.

Highland Sleeper would be 407miles from Euston to Edinburgh then 166miles from Edinburgh to Fort William. (distances from RTT)
The LNER London-Aberdeen Service is 393miles (Data from Railwaycodes.com) from London King's Cross then 130.5

The TRUST schedule for the Euston - Inverness sleeper shows 588 miles end-to-end.
WCML to Edinburgh and then via Stirling to Perth.

 

[zwk500]

The TRUST schedule for the Euston - Inverness sleeper shows 588 miles end-to-end.
WCML to Edinburgh and then via Stirling to Perth.

So via Stirling adds 13 miles vice the shortest route? Sounds about right. Thanks for confirming the TRUST distance.
Dos the TRUST schedule(s) for the Fort William portion tally up to the 566 miles my totals come to?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

So via Stirling adds 13 miles vice the shortest route? Sounds about right. Thanks for confirming the TRUST distance.
Dos the TRUST schedule(s) for the Fort William portion tally up to the 566 miles my totals come to?

401+167. 568.

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

How does this compare with Aberdeen to Plymouth, which will still run?

 

[A S Leib]

How does this compare with Aberdeen to Plymouth, which will still run?

~694 miles. Timewise Aberdeen to Penzance is 13:11, Aberdeen to Plymouth terminating will be 11:27 and Euston to Fort William is 12:45.

 

[xotGD]

Euston to Inverness via the ECML must be a little bit further?

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Hire your own train, and you can do over 2000 miles non stop, without reversing and without crossing your path.

If you start at Penzance and go via Weston-Super-Mare, Cardiff, Rhoose, the Swansea avoider to Ammanford, Shrewsbury, Chester Derby, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, Manchester V, Wigan NW, Barrow, Carlisle, Kilmarnock, Paisley GS, Ibrox Jc, High Street, Partick, Possilpark, Alloa, Cardenden, Alnmouth, Ashington Jc, Seaton Delaval, Newcastle, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Leeds, Wakefield Kirkgate, Knottingley, Lincoln, Peterborough, Ipswich, Stratford, Richmond, Weybridge, Wivelsfield, Southampton and Salisbury to Exeter Central that's over 2000 miles without reversal.

Other routes may be available. And this was quite fun to work out!

 

[cadder toad]

Hire your own train, and you can do over 2000 miles non stop, without reversing and without crossing your path.

If you start at Penzance and go via Weston-Super-Mare, Cardiff, Rhoose, the Swansea avoider to Ammanford, Shrewsbury, Chester Derby, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, Manchester V, Wigan NW, Barrow, Carlisle, Kilmarnock, Paisley GS, Ibrox Jc, High Street

Would you not need to reverse at Barassie when going between Kilmarnock and Paisley? Alternatively go via Barrhead but that would need a reversal at Paisley itself. Kilmarnock, Polmadie, Mossend, Sunnyside Junction, High St? But that would avoid Paisley

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Would you not need to reverse at Barassie when going between Kilmarnock and Paisley? Alternatively go via Barrhead but that would need a reversal at Paisley itself. Kilmarnock, Polmadie, Mossend, Sunnyside Junction, High St? But that would avoid Paisley

You're right. For some reason best known to myself I'd forgotten where Paisley was, i.e. not between Kilmarnock and Glasgow!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

You're right. For some reason best known to myself I'd forgotten where Paisley was, i.e. not between Kilmarnock and Glasgow!

You could also greatly extend the route by avoiding Chester and instead going from Wrexham General to Bidston, James Street, Merseyrail Stock transfer link to Liverpool Central, South Parkway, Warrington, Manchester P, and Stockport on your way to Crewe...

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Suppose the longest single northern route is the 15:19 Carlisle to Nottingham via Leeds service arriving into Notts at 19:59

 

[A S Leib]

Suppose the longest single northern route is the 15:19 Carlisle to Nottingham via Leeds service arriving into Notts at 19:59

195 miles and 4:40. The 13:54 Carlisle to Whitby takes 4:32 to do 144 miles, and the 19:09 Saturday Carlisle to Preston via Barrow is 4:01 and 142 miles, so I'd be surprised if there's any longer Northern routes.

 

[WesternLancer]

How long is Liverpool to Norwich?

It’s not fast after all. So may not be as far as I think it probably seems.

 

[duffield]

How long is Liverpool to Norwich?

It’s not fast after all. So may not be as far as I think it probably seems.

Probably around 185 to 186 miles, 4h56mins minimum time. RTT doesn't show mileage for this route and the rail mileage engine chooses the wrong route, but some random websites seem to roughly agree.
It must be EMR's longest route at present (presumably it would have been London to Leeds/York/Scarborough when those extensions used to run).

Edit: not 186, that's "as the crow flies" - see below.

 

[WesternLancer]

Probably around 185 to 186 miles, 4h56mins minimum time. RTT doesn't show mileage for this route and the rail mileage engine chooses the wrong route, but some random websites seem to roughly agree.
It must be EMR's longest route at present (presumably it would have been London to Leeds/York/Scarborough when those extensions used to run).

Thanks. Interesting. Far off the longest uk train service then of course.

 

[hexagon789]

How long is Liverpool to Norwich?

It’s not fast after all. So may not be as far as I think it probably seems.

Probably around 185 to 186 miles, 4h56mins minimum time. RTT doesn't show mileage for this route and the rail mileage engine chooses the wrong route, but some random websites seem to roughly agree.
It must be EMR's longest route at present (presumably it would have been London to Leeds/York/Scarborough when those extensions used to run).

I make it 246mi, 44ch

 

[duffield]

Thanks. Interesting. Far off the longest uk train service then of course.

Actually I've just checked and those websites are talking rubbish, they've given the distance as the crow flies even though they say "by rail".

Breaking the route down and using the rail miles engine it comes at a more reasonable sounding 254 miles! I should have know that first figure was far too short!

 

[WesternLancer]

Actually I've just checked and those websites are talking rubbish, they've given the distance as the crow flies even though they say "by rail".

Breaking the route down and using the rail miles engine it comes at a more reasonable sounding 254 miles! I should have know that first figure was far too short!

Thanks for update.