Trivia: Direct train is slower

[greaterwest]

Although all those are direct trains so don't really count for this thread.

I didn't think it was an issue as I've seen one or two posts similar to mine

Southampton to London Victoria is a lot quicker going via SWT to Clapham and changing to a Victoria service, rather than going on the direct Southern service

Especially when there's a strike on!!!!

 

[infobleep]

Although it may officially be slower, I'd argue, getting the Northern line to Euston and then a fast train to Harrow would be faster than the direct Bakerloo line from Waterloo to Harrow.

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[causton]

Does this count?

Edit: You can take the 15:13 to Clapham Junction and still make that 16:38 train from CLJ to ECR if you wish!

 

[BigCj34]

The 1659 Stranraer - Glasgow direct is 25 minutes slower than changing in Ayr and getting the 1825 service.

 

[Deepgreen]

A fairly regular journey of mine is Clapham Junction to Canada Water, which is served by direct LO trains. However, even if there is an LO train about to leave CJ's pfm 1, it's still significantly quicker to cross the long footbridge from pfm 1 to 10 there, wait for a SWT train to Waterloo, make the fairly long interchange to the LU Jubilee line and travel to Canada Water that way! LO is excruciatingly slow on this and many other of its routes.

Of course there are probably many journeys where the infrequency of direct trains means that a faster train that misses one's destination station, followed by a return hop, is quicker than waiting for the next direct train - another of my regular journeys is Dorking to Betchworth, when it is often quicker to go via Reigate on a Gatwick (semi-fast) train and travel back than wait for the two-hourly off-peak train. Searches on National Rail site bring up this journey option too.

 

[cuccir]

12:53 Kings Cross to Sunderland arr 16:38 - it's marginally quicker taking the 13:00 to Newcastle arr 15:50 and then the metro to Sunderland (journey planner suggests a 16:33 arrival).

 

[quarella]

The 0556 Shrewsbury to Cardiff Central via the Heart of Wales line arrives at 11.06, but waiting until 8.40 you can catch the 0730 Machester Piccadilly to Carmarthen via Hereford and arrive Cardiff Central at 1039.

The trains will pass each other going in opposite directions somewhere around Miskin.

No longer available but there was the Cheltenham Spa - Shrewsbury service via the Heart of Wales some years ago. I think it was approximately 0700 - 1300. Change at Birmingham New St takes approximately 2 and a quarter hours.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Cross Country 0710 Gloucester - Stansted Airport arriving 1140.
GWR 0745 Gloucester - Paddington arriving 0940 then 1040 Liverpool St to Stansted airport arriving 1127.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I take it, it's still faster even in the evening when the train never runs fast between Sutton and Clapham Junction?

On weekdays - no, because after the 17.04 the patterns are completely different due to the peak, then when they settle down again the xx.04 is not present.

On weekends... even the 22.14 is fast and followed by a 22.19 stopper these days... At least according to RTT for this Saturday.

 

[infobleep]

On weekdays - no, because after the 17.04 the patterns are completely different due to the peak, then when they settle down again the xx.04 is not present.

On weekends... even the 22.14 is fast and followed by a 22.19 stopper these days... At least according to RTT for this Saturday.

Wonder why they don't run the xx.04 in the evenings. I'm sure it's not the only line to have a service taken out after the evening peak. Probably to cover for other trains not stopping at those additional stations.

The service runs in the opposite direction from 8.03 in the morning until 16.08 and then doesn't run fast. Incidentally it is mostly timed to take 20 minutes, although the 16.08 is timed for 19 minutes. The stopping service via that route stops at 5 additional stations and is takes to take between 23-25 minutes. So that's 1 minute or less per additional station. Just goes to show that although quicker, the non stop service isn't so fast.

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[Islandexpress]

I'll sometimes complete a Shipley - Alfreton return every couple of months or so. The return journey departs Alfreton direct for Leeds at x:44, arriving into Leeds 1h31-34 minutes later. This follows the Barnsley & Wakefield Kirkgate route from Sheffield to Leeds. However, if you leave the direct train at Chesterfield after only 11 minutes and wait 8 on the same platform for an xc service, this will arrive in Leeds some 10-15 minutes earlier than the direct service.

 

[Crossover]

Every hour up in the North, you can catch the direct train from Cottingley/Morley/Batley at xx:02/xx:06/xx:11 and arrive in Huddersfield at xx:35

Change at Dewsbury onto the TPE behind and you'll arrive at Huddersfield at xx:28* and be on the right platform to leave the station without needing to use the subway

*in theory - TPE rarely actually run to their timetable