Running between stations: good pairs

[greaterangrier]

Hello,

I'm interested to know if there are any good pairs of stations to race a train between by running.

My guidelines for the run are as follows, but I welcome many other potential examples:
1. You must race against the same train (so changes of train service e.g Sutton Loop are okay, reversals are okay)
2. It must be along the fastest route between these two stations as racing a train the wrong way round the Hounslow loop isn't the idea


To start this off, I'm aware of City Thameslink to Blackfriars (c. 400 metres and 2 minutes)

 

[LancasterRed]

That's a hard one. There's a few you can do on the Tube but racing a train would be a different beast. I was thinking short sprints but also some longer ones where trains have to take a more roundabout way but can't think of any of the latter.

Deansgate-Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road/Piccadilly-Manchester Victoria (might be too much)
Haymarket-Edinburgh Waverley
Wrexham General-Wrexham Central

 

[IanM]

South Cape to Minorca on the Manx Electric Railway, but be warned, they're both 300+ feet above sea level and the bridge in the village you need to cross is only about 10 feet above sea level.

 

[xotGD]

That's a hard one. There's a few you can do on the Tube but racing a train would be a different beast. I was thinking short sprints but also some longer ones where trains have to take a more roundabout way but can't think of any of the latter.

Deansgate-Manchester Oxford Road
Manchester Oxford Road/Piccadilly-Manchester Victoria (might be too much)
Haymarket-Edinburgh Waverley
Wrexham General-Wrexham Central

Sometimes you can walk from Man Vic to Man Pic faster than the train.

 

[HUY2ROB]

Liverpool James Street To Central , according to Google Maps, is 7 minutes by train and 11 minutes walking.
It might also be worth getting off an inbound train a trying to catch the same train outbound using stairs only.

 

[xotGD]

Wakefield Westgate to Kirkgate.

Actually, you might have a better chance the other way if the train has to wait for a path into Westgate.

 

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[43010]

Exeter Central - Exeter St Thomas? (Racing Exmouth - Paignton trains) 10-11 minutes by train and 17 minutes walking, much easier in this direction as mostly downhill.

 

[Farigiraf]

Over on the continent there are a number of bog-standard regional lines where endless 'temporary' speed restrictions have made the train slower than a brisk walker. You'll find many of them in central/eastern Europe, don't even have to go that far away from the big cities.

Back in GB, Liskeard to Coombe Junction Halt? Seems possible to outrun the train, particularly downhill. Only 4 attempts possible per day though.

 

[A S Leib]

Askam to Dalton-in-Furness? Around twenty-five minutes by train and three miles' / 5 km run.

 

[The exile]

Ipswich to Derby Road?
Depending on future service pairings, Pill to Portway Park & Ride might be possible (requires a through Portishead - Avonmouth service)

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Ash Vale to Ash (Sundays only)
Train is booked to take 19 minutes (reverses at Aldershot), and it's 1.9 miles walking distance, so might just be doable for an experienced runner.
The other direction is 17 minutes by train and you'll be on the far side of each station, so would be a bit more of a challenge.

On a heritage line, if you want a straight head-to-head, Chasewater Heaths station to Chasetown (Church St) station on the Chasewater railway. Approx 0.3 miles, so you might well be able to beat the train from a standing start.

 

[Brightonboy]

Brighton to London Road, Brighton (or vice-versa)?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Most station pairs in the Greater Manchester area this afternoon?

 

[greaterangrier]

Most station pairs in the Greater Manchester area this afternoon?

Making my way up as we speak! Oh wait...

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far.

For my own reference, I've identified the following:
- Norbiton to North Sheen
- Purley to Reedham/Couldston Town
- Sutton Common to Carshalton
- Tulse Hill to West Norwood

 

[Acathater]

Morecambe to Lancaster might just be possible.
I used to work with a lady who could easily beat traffic between the two towns - and proved it
With trains between the two averaging 14 minutes and by running along the old electric LNWR route it might just be achievable, especially if the train was held at the junction signals

 

[Starmill]

Morecambe to Lancaster might just be possible.
I used to work with a lady who could easily beat traffic between the two towns - and proved it
With trains between the two averaging 14 minutes and by running along the old electric LNWR route it might just be achievable, especially if the train was held at the junction signals

Almost four miles in 14 minutes is quite impressive.

 

[xotGD]

Cycling rather than running would open up many more opportunities to beat the train.

 

[Acathater]

Almost four miles in 14 minutes is quite impressive.

She was quite an athlete - elite fell runner

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Across the water, what about Belfast Grand Central to Botanic? Goggle maps gives walking distance between the two as 0.6 miles while the train takes a longer route via City Hospital and takes 6 minutes. 0.6 miles in six minutes ought to be do-able (not by me, though...)

 

[Peter0124]

Theoretically you could probably alight a train at Argyle Street and run towards Glasgow Central to board the same one, as some have decent dwell times there.

 

[dastocks]

Brighton to London Road, Brighton (or vice-versa)?

I really don't think that would work departing from Brighton. You might do it in the other direction if the train was delayed getting a platform at Brighton.

I think Monument <=> Liverpool Street may be possible, which means Cannon Strret <=> Moorgate and Mansion House <=> Barbican will be easier. I'm pretty certain I've seen a video of someone doing one of these train to train i.e alighting at one station and rejoining the same train later on.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

I think Monument <=> Liverpool Street may be possible, which means Cannon Strret <=> Moorgate and Mansion House <=> Barbican will be easier. I'm pretty certain I've seen a video of someone doing one of these train to train i.e alighting at one station and rejoining the same train later on.

If it's the same one I saw, I think it was Mansion House to Cannon Street.

Another one that's might be theoretically possible is Ninian Park to Cathays (Cardiff).
18 min by train or 1.6 miles on foot, but you'd have to be a good runner and very lucky with timing the road crossings.

Danescourt to Llandaf on the same route might be considered cheating.

 

[zwk500]

Brighton to London Road, Brighton (or vice-versa)?

If you're a strong fell runner, maybe! The climb from Preston Circus up to London Road station is pretty steep, IIRC. And that's with the fairly sharp descent down from Brighton station to manage.

 

[Brightonboy]

If you're a strong fell runner, maybe! The climb from Preston Circus up to London Road station is pretty steep, IIRC. And that's with the fairly sharp descent down from Brighton station to manage.

You are correct, of course. The train has the advantage of the London Road viaduct but that speed restriction the curve and Montpelier Jcn are constraints. It would be interesting to see how a fell runner coped, the start/end points for the runner might be critical as might definition of the train journey - brakes off to dead stop, brakes applied?

 

[vlad]

You might be able to do something with trains that have to reverse.

I'm thinking about Dinting to/from Hadfield, where the train detours via Glossop but there's a footpath along the direct route. Trains take about 12 minutes and Google Maps says it can be walked in 22 so it depends how fast you run.