50mph = Slowest Intercity journey? - guess where...

[Waverley125]

the Leeds-Huddersfield section is fairly good, the problem being the climb to Morley and the speed restriction through Morley tunnel. Once west of Dewsbury speed is generally good, and it's here I reckon upgrades could easily take line speed up to 100 (if it isn't already). East of Dewsbury EMUs would help on the climb, but I've no idea what the reason for the tunnel restriction is.

West of huddersfield you've a similar restriction through Standedge, curves & climbs make it harder though 60/70 should be doable. West of Stalybridge via AuL 100 should again, not be a problem.

 

[90019]

Edinburgh to Stirling is 36.5 miles and takes 52 minutes, so averages about 42mph.

 

[northwichcat]

I'd agree with you there.

For example, Liverpool and Chester are both cities, but I wouldn't call the Merseyrail 507/508 an Intercity service!

That's true but in the case of Manchester-Leeds the Hull services only call at Huddersfield in between and while Huddersfield isn't officially a city it's inclusion it's more necessary than Stockport's on Manchester-London services.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

which is why it would make sense to divert at least some the TPE trains via Victoria

This is what the Ordsall Chord project is all about on those routes, when operational.

 

[exile]

A few journeys were actually quicker in 1911- Manchester to Blackpool, Manchester to Southport, Manchester to Liverpool, Liverpool to Chester, Liverpool to Southport - usually because the fastest services in those days had few stops, and there were competitive routes (usually LNWR and L and Y)

 

[mralexn]

For main line intercity routes to London the Plymouth to Exeter line must rank one of the slowest at 52 miles in about I hour average speed a mere 52 mph even on todays HSTs.Little change since the "warship" and "Western" days of the 1960s.

i know this isnt between 2 citys, but HST's do run this route in the summer, but Newquay to Par takes 1 hour 10 mins and its just over 20 miles!!

 

[GarethW]

Portsmouth to Southampton is about 19 miles yet the quickest journey is 45 minutes - thats about 25mph average speed! That makes Manchester to Leeds look positively supersonic!!

The local urban myth is that the service is slower now than it was back in Queen Victorias time.

 

[VideozVideoz]

3 hours 30mins Edinburgh - Inverness. 157 miles. 44mph. Slow.

 

[LE Greys]

Edinburgh-Dundee is pretty slow as well. 59 miles in 78 minutes, 45 mph. Geography doesn't help there, with the two Forths and a very difficult Fife Coast Line to negotiate. Still, I would have thought that it would have been possible for the North British to build a more direct route, certainly a faster one.
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The local urban myth is that the service is slower now than it was back in Queen Victorias time.

It was certainly quicker in King George's time. :/

 

[class26]

i know this isnt between 2 citys, but HST's do run this route in the summer, but Newquay to Par takes 1 hour 10 mins and its just over 20 miles!!

Can`t quiet beat that but how about Boston to Skegneess with the summer only HST`s which are currently restricted to (I think) 30 mph east of Boston due to track condition. The timetable allows approx 1 hour for the c.25 miles.

Incidentally although a fair portion of the track has now been replaced the speed restrictions for HSTs, loco hauled stock do not seem to have been raised over these portions. Does anyone know why ? It seems sloppy to say the least that the speed can`t go up on the sections of track replaced with with ex ECML track . It is rumolured that once complete the speed along this section (Boston - Firsby Junct) will be raised to 75 mph. I just hope its not victim to spending cuts.

 

[northwichcat]

The local urban myth is that the service is slower now than it was back in Queen Victorias time.

For Chester-Altrincham-Manchester it actually is! The diversion around Stockport due to Metrolink conversion of the Sale line combined with recovery time means the 142/150/156 service now is slower than steam train operation was.

 

[cslusarc]

For Chester-Altrincham-Manchester it actually is! The diversion around Stockport due to Metrolink conversion of the Sale line combined with recovery time means the 142/150/156 service now is slower than steam train operation was.

I guess that the fact that some services are slower today is because it was decided that a lot of track was redundant, making some journeys longer and additional recovery time is required because that particular line through Stockport is now operating at or above capacity.

 

[northwichcat]

I guess that the fact that some services are slower today is because it was decided that a lot of track was redundant, making some journeys longer and additional recovery time is required because that particular line through Stockport is now operating at or above capacity.

It was actually First North Western who added in the extra recovery time a number of years back due to their abysmal punctuality figures. Northern have since added in a couple of extra minutes but they are only using 75mph stock on the line now - FNW used some 158s and occasionally 175s which had more chance of making up time on the faster sections.

 

[swt_passenger]

Portsmouth to Southampton is about 19 miles yet the quickest journey is 45 minutes - thats about 25mph average speed! That makes Manchester to Leeds look positively supersonic!!

It's really about 26 miles by rail though - so about 35 mph...

 

[ab]

It's really about 26 miles by rail though - so about 35 mph...

Very quick then! I wonder how many other people used Google maps to calculate the difference and thus got wrong speeds like me!?

 

[swt_passenger]

Very quick then! I wonder how many other people used Google maps to calculate the difference and thus got wrong speeds like me!?

I worked it out from Quail maps, there's about 3 or 4 changes of mileage necessary on the different sections of line (St Denys Jn, Fareham, Farlington) but I think it's about right to within a mile or so.