Reading to London

[RJ]

The shortest route has a specific definition in the context of railway ticketing. It excludes certain types of foot transfer, which includes the walk between the Windsor stations. This gives rise to loopholes of this nature.

If you know your interchanges/transfers, you can find routes that are shorter than than what the railways call the shortest route. This gives rise to a different type of loophole. Which people, such as the bloke behind St Albansgate exploit, accidentally or otherwise.

 

[infobleep]

Why are certain types of foot transfer excluded and I assume others are not? If there a definitive list?

 

[RJ]

Why are certain types of foot transfer excluded and I assume others are not? If there a definitive list?

I'm not aware of there being a list published on this specifically.

 

[Paul Kelly]

My site brtimes.com will show you, for each station, all the "fixed link" transfers (including walking) that are defined from each station. While this isn't official, it is from the same data that National Rail Enquiries uses, so it will give you a good idea of what is likely to show up there.

 

[RJ]

My site brtimes.com will show you, for each station, all the "fixed link" transfers (including walking) that are defined from each station. While this isn't official, it is from the same data that National Rail Enquiries uses, so it will give you a good idea of what is likely to show up there.

I wasn't previously aware of this site. There's a host of useful information on there, thanks for sharing

 

[infobleep]

Thanks for the Web Site Indigo2. Just found out that for transfer from a first great Western to a first great Western service at Guildford, you only need to allow 4 minutes. Otherwise it's 5. Not sure of any services timed to leave 4 minutes after the previous one. If any do, you'd be heading back on yourself.

 

[greatkingrat]

I suspect that is for the benefit of people doing journeys like Gatwick - Shalford and doubling back at Guildford.

 

[infobleep]

I suspect that is for the benefit of people doing journeys like Gatwick - Shalford and doubling back at Guildford.

However I don't believe there is a 4 minute gap between such services. There is an 42 minute arrival from Gatwick and a 48 minute departure to Shalford.

What I'd rather see is a shorter connection time at Aldershot so passengers don't officially have to wait for 33 minutes when going from Guildford to Farnham. In this case they even share the same platform island, which isn't always the case with the FGW services through Guildford.

However I think the connection times need looking at across the country. Some are too short and others too long. It also depends on whether it's peak rush hour or not as to whether they are realistic, yet some connection times take no notice of peak rush hour slowing things down.