Most changes advised by National Rail Enquiries web

[Waddon]

Hi,

Just curious - what is the most number of changes for any route across the UK advised by National Rail Enquiries website (without setting a routing?) I typed in Berney Arms to Hope (flintshire) leaving around 8am and it recommended a route with 8 changes - Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Ely, Nuneaton, Stafford, Crewe, Chester and Wrexham General. - total journey 7hr 44min

(p.s. note I'm not actually planning to do this journey, its just a bit of bored fun)

is there any more than this possible?

 

[EM2]

I'm sure there's more possible, but what tickles me is the convoluted ideas it comes up for some short journeys. For St. Pancras to Wanstead Park (normally Victoria Line to Blackhorse Road, then London Overground), it once suggested five changes, going via Fenchurch Street and Southend!

 

[asylumxl]

It's offered me stupid routes to Norwich from Bedford before.

Bedford - St pancras - Kings Cross - Stevenage - Cambridge - Norwich.

Personally I'd just take a bus from Luton or St Albans to Stevenage then do the Cambridge changeover.

 

[dave4jackie]

It's offered me stupid routes to Norwich from Bedford before.

Bedford - St pancras - Kings Cross - Stevenage - Cambridge - Norwich.

Personally I'd just take a bus from Luton or St Albans to Stevenage then do the Cambridge changeover.

how else would you do it,as it gave you what you asked for,it gives train info not bus info

 

[mrcheek]

Wasnt there a thread on here months ago, about a 2 stop journey in Scotland, where the website recommended a journey with about 15 changes, lasting about 15 hours? Something like Dalwhinnie to Blair Atholl, only on a sunday when there are no direct services, something like that.
anyone remember?

 

[philjo]

Although not necessarily a large number of changes, I have been offered some roundabout routes before - often they were the quickest on that day due to engineering works elsewhere - but definitely not a permitted route:

e.g. route offered for Letchworth to church stretton leaving on a sunday morning:

change at stevenage, doncaster, Stockport.
(WCML was closed & diversions for the Peterborough-Birmingham trains)
I actually went via Paddington & Newport.

Oxenholme-Letchworth.
engineering works south of rugby.
1 route offered was to change at Edinburgh & Stevenage !!!


you can get some odd ones for late night services or on sunday mornings when the direct/faster services either are not running or do not connect with other trains you are using as they are not as frequent.

 

[asylumxl]

how else would you do it,as it gave you what you asked for,it gives train info not bus info

AcTUALLY, it does give bus info for several services as some tickets are valid on them, such as the Hatfield to St Albans bus. Take a look, you'll be pleasently suprised, and might learn something new .

 

[jopsuk]

how else would you do it,as it gave you what you asked for,it gives train info not bus info

Unless the route was given because of engineering works, Bedford-St Pancras- Liverpool Street - Norwich would seem more sensible.

Not sure why Stevenage would be mentioned either, the half hourly fast Cambridge services don't call there (or, in fact, anywhere between London and Cambridge)

 

[asylumxl]

Unless the route was given because of engineering works, Bedford-St Pancras- Liverpool Street - Norwich would seem more sensible.

Not sure why Stevenage would be mentioned either, the half hourly fast Cambridge services don't call there (or, in fact, anywhere between London and Cambridge)

Not what NRE says. It shows several direct trains e.g. the 19:36 as of right now.

 

[class377man]

I don't think a train with 15 calling points between Kings Cross and Cambridge counts as fast.

 

[asylumxl]

That wasn't the point. What's the title of this thread? It was the changes that were important. It's still a direct train from Stevenage to Cambridge.

 

[class377man]

jopsuk specifically mentioned the fast services, although looking back I'm not sure why he did.

For what it's worth Bedford > X5 coach to Cambridge > train to Norwich would be the quickest way I think, why on earth would you want to go down to Luton or St Albans just to go back up to Cambridge?

 

[Big Chris]

That wasn't the point. What's the title of this thread? It was the changes that were important. It's still a direct train from Stevenage to Cambridge.

not wanting to be too critical but I would say that a direct train from a-b is unlikely to represent the most changes possible for a uk rail journey.

I'm impressed at 8 changes the best I could find was 7. Acle-Kyle of Lochalsh
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've found Sudbury to Waterbeach is three changes for two places (as the crow flies) less than 35 miles apart. Can anyone beat that?

 

[EM2]

I've found Sudbury to Waterbeach is three changes for two places (as the crow flies) less than 35 miles apart. Can anyone beat that?

There's alot in London that will beat that if you only uses mainline services. In fact a lot of them are almost impossible without either using a tube, bus or walking part of the way.

 

[jopsuk]

jopsuk specifically mentioned the fast services, although looking back I'm not sure why he did.

I'd assumed the mention of Stevenage meant that the itinery (which hadn't been provided in full) had suggested a change at Stevenage. I was pointing out that there's no good reason to be stopping there, let alone changing...

As it is, looking at NRE it gives the simplest route anyway- Bedford-Faringdon-Liverpool Street-Norwich

 

[MCR247]

I've got 8from Shanklin to Kyle

 

[Big Chris]

Something I've just come across, according to national rail enquiries the fastest possible journey between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog is 7 hours and 35 mins. is there any journey which is the shortest route by rail between the two points that takes longer than this for points which as the crow flies are closer together. they are 10 miles apart as the crow flies which averages out at a mile every 45 and a half minutes. You can walk it quicker. I imagine there may well be some which are very close I seem to think Yeovil has two stations close together that are miles apart by rail but I may be wrong

 

[jopsuk]

I put in Glasgow Central to Glasgow Queen Street, and the first Option it gave me was "Walk".

Does also suggest going via Partick, mind.

For Yeovil-Yeovil, it gives:

Leg 1 of 1 Transfer

Tue 29 Sep
Yeovil Junction (YVJ) to Yeovil Pen Mill (YVP)
Journey Summary Details - Option 1
Departs Arrives Duration
15:10 16:00 0:50

 

[Oswyntail]

I just got a 6 changes as one of my options from Ilkley to Kings Cross. Admittedly it did choose to send me overnight via nottingham.

 

[Capybara]

Something I've just come across, according to national rail enquiries the fastest possible journey between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog is 7 hours and 35 mins. is there any journey which is the shortest route by rail between the two points that takes longer than this for points which as the crow flies are closer together. they are 10 miles apart as the crow flies which averages out at a mile every 45 and a half minutes. You can walk it quicker. I imagine there may well be some which are very close I seem to think Yeovil has two stations close together that are miles apart by rail but I may be wrong

Whitby to Scarborough using only Northern services might be quite fun.

 

[1D53]

That would be changes at Doncaster, Leeds, Carlisle, Newcastle/Hartlepool and Middblesbrough. Actually its impossible to do in one day (starting at SCA) anyway!