Trivia: Shortest journey that includes all operators?

[birchesgreen]

I thought Yorkie had helpfully added a list of TOCS.

Here's the one from Wikipedia


Assuming no walking and no double-backs is allowed:

Start at Dumbarton
Caledonian Sleeper to Dalmuir
Scotrail to Glasgow Central
TPE to Lockerbie
VTWC to Carlisle
Northern to Newcastle
XC to Durham
VTEC to Northallerton
Grand Central to York
Northern (again) to Selby
Hull Trains to Doncaster
Northern to Sheffield
EMT to Hunts Cross
Mersyrail to Liverpool South Parkway
LM to Wolverhampton
ATW to Smethwick Galton Bridge
Chiltern to Banbury
GWR to Reading
RailAir to Heathrow T5
Heathrow Express to Heathrow T123
Heathrow Connect to Ealing
London Underground to Shepherds Bush
London Overground to Olympia
Southern to Clapham Junction
SWT to Vauxhaull
Underground (Victoria) to Victoria
SET to Herne Hill
Thameslink to Elephant and Castle
London Underground (Northern) to Bank
DLR to Limehouse
C2C to West Ham
Underground (Jubilee) to Stratford
TFL Rail to Liverpool Street
Greater Anglia to Tottenham Hale
London Underground to Finsbury Park
Great Northern to Moorgate
London Underground to St Pancras
Eurostar to Calais

I think that's it (and a fair few subbrands too)

Think you missed out the Island Line

 

[miami]

Think you missed out the Island Line

I was under the impression it was a brand of SWT, and wasn't mentioned on the list of TOCs I got from wikipedia (lacking any other list), it's in the same category as "Gatwick Express" or "Stansted Express"

you are going to have to do a sleeper to scotland to cover them all............

No you don't, CS run day trains

 

[MadCommuter]

Think you missed out the Island Line

OP stated mainland Britain.

 

[cuccir]

TPE to Lockerbie
VTWC to Carlisle
Northern to Newcastle
XC to Durham
VTEC to Northallerton
Grand Central to York
Northern (again) to Selby
Hull Trains to Doncaster
Northern to Sheffield
EMT to Hunts Cross
Mersyrail to Liverpool South Parkway

Impressive, but I bet we can reduce the distance covered in the north.eg

...
VTWC to Lancaster
Northern to Skipton
VTEC to Leeds
Northern to Selby
Hull Trains to Doncaster
Grand Central to Mirfield
Northern to Manchester Piccadilly
EMT to Hunts Cross
...

 

[johnnychips]

Have you missed XC?

 

[miami]

Impressive, but I bet we can reduce the distance covered in the north

I don't doubt it

Have you missed XC?

XC can be fitted in down near Banbury

I don't have access to a track milage table I'm afraid. I suspect an accurate answer would be something to handle as a comp-sci 1st year degree project, but proving the answer would seem pretty impossible (I always glazed over at the theory)

 

[cuccir]

I don't have access to a track milage table I'm afraid. I suspect an accurate answer would be something to handle as a comp-sci 1st year degree project, but proving the answer would seem pretty impossible (I always glazed over at the theory)

Certainly, to prove we've got the correct answer would be very difficult/impossible.

However, a few principles:

* You have to go to both Scotland and Merseyside

* Arriva Trains Wales is best dealt with in the North-West of England or the West Midlands.

* As Grand Central run non-stop from Doncaster/York to Kings Cross AND you have to do Hull Trains somewhere, you have to go to Yorkshire

* Northern/TPE/XC can be covered while travelling down from the North in a vareity of ways

For other TOCs you should try to cover as many while travleling south towards London as possible; once you reach London, stick as close to the capital as possible.

Another thought for the start of the suggested journey, which starts further south:

Scotrail Carluke to Carstairs
Caledonian Sleeper Carstairs to Carlilse
TPE to Oxenholme
VTWC to Lancaster

Added to my suggestions before that continues

Northern to Skipton
VTEC to Leeds
Northern to Selby
Hull Trains to Doncaster
Grand Central to Mirfield
Northern to Manchester Piccadilly
EMT to Hunts Cross
Mersyrail to Liverpool South Parkway

Have not checked for improvements further south, so it's:

LM to Wolverhampton
ATW to Smethwick Galton Bridge
Chiltern to Banbury
GWR to Oxford
XC to Reading
RailAir to Heathrow T5
Heathrow Express to Heathrow T123
Heathrow Connect to Ealing
London Underground to Shepherds Bush
London Overground to Olympia
Southern to Clapham Junction
SWT to Vauxhaull
Underground (Victoria) to Victoria
SET to Herne Hill
Thameslink to Elephant and Castle
London Underground (Northern) to Bank
DLR to Limehouse
C2C to West Ham
Underground (Jubilee) to Stratford
TFL Rail to Liverpool Street
Greater Anglia to Tottenham Hale
London Underground to Finsbury Park
Great Northern to Moorgate
London Underground to St Pancras
Eurostar to Calais

 

[steve wilson]

How about Wrexham General To Wrexham Central by Arriva Trains Wales. I think it's a journey of about 300 metres?

 

[Chris M]

Question for the original poster - are reverse journeys permitted as part of your rules? For example, if I wanted to tick off the six TOCs above by making three journeys between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport in each direction would this be acceptable or prohibited?

No restriction on that.

Several people are forgetting the no walking between separate stations with the same name though, e.g. Elephant and Castle LO/LU, Shepherds's Bush NR/LU, Stratfor International DLR/NR and Fenchurch Street to Bank/Canon Street/Tower Hill, all involve walking on public roads.

Also, Heathrow Express isn't needed (doesn't run between two NR stations, at least until Crossrail opens) but T&W Metro is (due to Heworth to Sunderland).