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If you travel from Bristol to Birmingham, between Stapleton Road and Bournville you pass through 17 stations (18 once Charfield opens), all of which (in their current iterations) opened on different dates. Any advance on 17 anywhere?
Come to think of it, if you’re quick you can probably extend the run by going. Via Camp Hill but that option’s about to disappear!
The Great Western Mainline has two options that are 18:
Paddington 1854 (current station)
Acton Main Line 1868
Ealing Broadway Apr 1838
West Ealing Mar 1871
Hanwell Dec 1838
Southall May 1839
Hayes and Harlington unknown date in 1860s
west drayton Aug 1884 (current site)
iver 1924
Langley 1845
Slough Sep 1884 (current site)
Burnham 1919 (having previously existed from 1899)
Taplow 1872 (current site)
Maidenhead Nov 1871 (current site)
Twyford Jul 1839
Reading Mar 1840
If we're basing it on when they opened to what we now call National rail services, surely we should continue to Bond St (24 October 2022), Tottenham Court Road (24 May 2022), Farringdon (Thameslink May 1988), London Liverpool Street (2 October 1874), Whitechapel (27 April 2010 ELR re-opened), Stratford (20 June 1839), totalling to 27, and then you've got multiple options from there.
Maryland and Manor Park opened on the same day, so that line ends at 29. Tottenham Hale and Ponders End opened on the same day, so that ends at 31.
Then going via Woodgrange Park (9 July 1894), and Barking (13 April 1854) takes us to 29.
Rainham and Purfleet both just say "1854" so I'm going to assume they are the same and that line ends at 31.
Upminster (1 May 1885) takes us to 30,
then Ockendon (1 July 1892), Chafford Hundred (30 May 1995), Grays (just "1854"), Tilbury Town (15 June 1885), East Tilbury (just "1936"), Stanford-le-Hope (1854) - presumably the same date as Grays, so unless someone can prove otherwise I'm ending that chain at 35
If Grays was Paddington, or 13 April 1854 (Barking) that's 32.
or West Horndon (1 May 1886), Laindon (just "1888"), Basildon (25 November 1974), Pitsea (resited 1 June 1888), Benfleet (just "1885"), Leigh-on-Sea (resited 1 January 1934), Chalkwell (11 September 1933), Westcliff (1 July 1895), Southend Central (just "1856"), Southend East (18 July 1932), Thorpe Bay (1 July 1910), Shoeburyness (just "1884") ending the line at 42.
If Laindon was 1 June 1888, that's 33.
If Benfleet was 1 May 1885, that's 34.
So that makes the longest route now:
Shoeburyness (just "1884")
Thorpe Bay (1 July 1910)
Southend East (18 July 1932)
Southend Central (just "1856")
Westcliff (1 July 1895)
Chalkwell (11 September 1933)
Leigh-on-Sea (resited 1 January 1934)
Benfleet (just "1885")
Pitsea (resited 1 June 1888)
Basildon (25 November 1974)
Laindon (just "1888")
West Horndon (1 May 1886)
Upminster (1 May 1885)
Barking (13 April 1854)
Woodgrange Park (9 July 1894)
Stratford (20 June 1839)
Whitechapel (27 April 2010 ELR re-opened)
London Liverpool Street (2 October 1874)
Farringdon (Thameslink May 1988)
Tottenham Court Road (24 May 2022)
Bond St (24 October 2022)
Paddington (1854 (current station))
Acton Main Line (1868)
Ealing Broadway (6 April 1838)
West Ealing (Mar 1871)
Hanwell (1 December 1838)
Southall (May 1839)
Hayes and Harlington (1860s)
West Drayton (Aug 1884 (current site))
Iver (1924)
Langley (1845)
Slough Sep (1884 (current site))
Burnham (1919 (having previously existed from 1899))
Taplow (1872 (current site))
Maidenhead (Nov 1871 (current site))
Twyford (Jul 1839)
Reading (Mar 1840)
Reading West (1906)
Reading Green Park (2023)
Mortimer (1848)
Bramley (1895)
Basingstoke (1839)
Wikipedia lists
Hanwell - 1 December 1838
Ealing Broadway- 6 April 1838
those are different days.
If we're basing it on when they opened to what we now call National rail services, surely we should continue to Bond St (24 October 2022), Tottenham Court Road (24 May 2022), Farringdon (Thameslink May 1988), London Liverpool Street (2 October 1874), Whitechapel (27 April 2010 ELR re-opened), Stratford (20 June 1839), totalling to 27, and then you've got multiple options from there.
Maryland and Manor Park opened on the same day, so that line ends at 29. Tottenham Hale and Ponders End opened on the same day, so that ends at 31.
Then going via Woodgrange Park (9 July 1894), and Barking (13 April 1854) takes us to 29.
Rainham and Purfleet both just say "1854" so I'm going to assume they are the same and that line ends at 31.
Upminster (1 May 1885) takes us to 30,
then Ockendon (1 July 1892), Chafford Hundred (30 May 1995), Grays (just "1854"), Tilbury Town (15 June 1885), East Tilbury (just "1936"), Stanford-le-Hope (1854) - presumably the same date as Grays, so unless someone can prove otherwise I'm ending that chain at 35
If Grays was Paddington, or 13 April 1854 (Barking) that's 32.
or West Horndon (1 May 1886), Laindon (just "1888"), Basildon (25 November 1974), Pitsea (resited 1 June 1888), Benfleet (just "1885"), Leigh-on-Sea (resited 1 January 1934), Chalkwell (11 September 1933), Westcliff (1 July 1895), Southend Central (just "1856"), Southend East (18 July 1932), Thorpe Bay (1 July 1910), Shoeburyness (just "1884") ending the line at 42.
If Laindon was 1 June 1888, that's 33.
If Benfleet was 1 May 1885, that's 34.
So that makes the longest route now:
Shoeburyness (just "1884")
Thorpe Bay (1 July 1910)
Southend East (18 July 1932)
Southend Central (just "1856")
Westcliff (1 July 1895)
Chalkwell (11 September 1933)
Leigh-on-Sea (resited 1 January 1934)
Benfleet (just "1885")
Pitsea (resited 1 June 1888)
Basildon (25 November 1974)
Laindon (just "1888")
West Horndon (1 May 1886)
Upminster (1 May 1885)
Barking (13 April 1854)
Woodgrange Park (9 July 1894)
Stratford (20 June 1839)
Whitechapel (27 April 2010 ELR re-opened)
London Liverpool Street (2 October 1874)
Farringdon (Thameslink May 1988)
Tottenham Court Road (24 May 2022)
Bond St (24 October 2022)
Paddington (1854 (current station))
Acton Main Line (1868)
Ealing Broadway (6 April 1838)
West Ealing (Mar 1871)
Hanwell (1 December 1838)
Southall (May 1839)
Hayes and Harlington (1860s)
West Drayton (Aug 1884 (current site))
Iver (1924)
Langley (1845)
Slough Sep (1884 (current site))
Burnham (1919 (having previously existed from 1899))
Taplow (1872 (current site))
Maidenhead (Nov 1871 (current site))
Twyford (Jul 1839)
Reading (Mar 1840)
Reading West (1906)
Reading Green Park (2023)
Mortimer (1848)
Bramley (1895)
Basingstoke (1839)
OK - though I think that the Elizabeth line is stretching it a bit with there being no way the route being followed could pass through the station "as it was" before the EL opened. It does really surprise me, however, that no two GW stations between Paddington and Reading were opened simultaneously - suppose it's an indication of the general lack of development "out west" when the GWR opened.
I assumed it needed to be a route actually done by a passenger train in scheduled service, hence not going to Basingstoke, plus forgot about Bond Street having a delayed opening (although you could argue that Paddington's Elizabeth line station is separate and thus opened the same day as TCR)
But if you're going anywhere a train could theoretically go without reversing then why stop at Basingstoke? Neither Overton nor Micheldever opened on the same time as Basingstoke did (although you can't go any further as Winchester opened the same time as Basingstoke while Whitchurch opened at the same time as Overton)
OK - though I think that the Elizabeth line is stretching it a bit with there being no way the route being followed could pass through the station "as it was" before the EL opened. It does really surprise me, however, that no two GW stations between Paddington and Reading were opened simultaneously - suppose it's an indication of the general lack of development "out west" when the GWR opened.
There's also the fact that quite a few of the stations have been moved (Paddington, West Drayton and Maidenhead all had stations from when the line first opened, although the last of these was closer to modern Taplow station), Slough had trains stopping from the start but no station until later, and the railway opened first to just over the river from Maidenhead while the bridge was being built, then to Twyford while Sonning Cutting was built, then to Reading and then finally beyond.
Incidentally, I'm sceptical of that Ealing Broadway date as it's unsourced and most places say the line only opened on 4th June, and other sites stating April seem to just be copying from Wikipedia. This facebook post suggests 17th December as the opening date, although they also cite no source: https://www.facebook.com/1000633441...pened-by-the-gwr-as-ealing-/1156961673091960/
Edit: The source given on that paragraph actually states December 1838 and the opening date as 4th June so I'm going to edit the article - the "6th April" date for the line opening has been in the article since 2006! If 17th December is correct the line still counts for this thread though.
The South West main line from Waterloo has a lot of different station opening dates too
Waterloo 11 July 1848 (roughly where platforms 7-10 are now)
Necropolis (not sure of date, 1854 on)
Vauxhall 11 July 1848 (same as Waterloo)
Queenstown Road 1 November 1877
Clapham Junction 2nd March 1863
Wandsworth (in Clapham cutting, replaced by Clapham Junction) May 1838
Earlsfield 1 April 1884
Wimbledon 1 October 1868 (on Tooting-Merton loop)
Wimbledon (London & Southampton), on other side of Wimbledon Hill Road, closed and resited 1889 alongside The LB&SCR station 21 May 1838
Raynes Park 30 October 1871
New Malden 1 December 1846
Berrylands 16 October 1933
Kingston (closed, was east side of Ewell Road, replaced by Surbiton) 1838
Surbiton (not sure of date) 1840-1845
Ditton Marsh (slightly moved and became Esher) 21 May 1838
Hersham 28 September 1936
Walton on Thames 21 May 1838
Weybridge 21 May 1838 (originally platforms below Brooklands Road bridge, later moved further west)
Byfleet and New Haw 10 July 1927
West Byfleet December 1887
Woking Common 21 May 1838
Brookwood 1 June 1864
Farnborough 24 September 1938
Bramshot Halt (now closed) 10 May 1913
Fleet May 1847
Winchfield (originally Shapley Heath) 24 September 1838
Hook 2 July 1873
Basingstoke 10 June 1839
Micheldever (originally Andover Road) 30 March 1840
Winchester 10 June 1839
Shawford 1 September 1882
Eastleigh (originally Bishopstoke) 10 June 1839
Atlantic Park Hostel Halt (closed, later reopened in 1966 as Southampton Airport) 30 October 1929
Swaything 15 October 1883
Portswood (closed replaced by St Denys) 1 May 1861
St Denys (originally was relocated Portswood) 5 March 1866
Blechynden (just west of tunnel, closed) 1 June 1847
Southampton West (now Central, replaced Blechynden side of level crossing) 1 November 1895
Millbrook 1 November 1861
Redbridge 1 June 1847
Totton (don't know exact date) 1859
The South West main line from Waterloo has a lot of different station opening dates too
Waterloo 11 July 1848 (roughly where platforms 7-10 are now)
Necropolis (not sure of date, 1854 on)
Vauxhall 11 July 1848 (same as Waterloo)
Queenstown Road 1 November 1877
Clapham Junction 2nd March 1863
Wandsworth (in Clapham cutting, replaced by Clapham Junction) May 1838
Earlsfield 1 April 1884
Wimbledon 1 October 1868 (on Tooting-Merton loop)
Wimbledon (London & Southampton), on other side of Wimbledon Hill Road, closed and resited 1889 alongside The LB&SCR station 21 May 1838
Raynes Park 30 October 1871
New Malden 1 December 1846
Berrylands 16 October 1933
Kingston (closed, was east side of Ewell Road, replaced by Surbiton) 1838
Surbiton (not sure of date) 1840-1845
Ditton Marsh (slightly moved and became Esher) 21 May 1838
Hersham 28 September 1936
Walton on Thames 21 May 1838
Weybridge 21 May 1838 (originally platforms below Brooklands Road bridge, later moved further west)
Byfleet and New Haw 10 July 1927
West Byfleet December 1887
Woking Common 21 May 1838
Brookwood 1 June 1864
Farnborough 24 September 1938
Bramshot Halt (now closed) 10 May 1913
Fleet May 1847
Winchfield (originally Shapley Heath) 24 September 1838
Hook 2 July 1873
Basingstoke 10 June 1839
Micheldever (originally Andover Road) 30 March 1840
Winchester 10 June 1839
Shawford 1 September 1882
Eastleigh (originally Bishopstoke) 10 June 1839
Atlantic Park Hostel Halt (closed, later reopened in 1966 as Southampton Airport) 30 October 1929
Swaything 15 October 1883
Portswood (closed replaced by St Denys) 1 May 1861
St Denys (originally was relocated Portswood) 5 March 1866
Blechynden (just west of tunnel, closed) 1 June 1847
Southampton West (now Central, replaced Blechynden side of level crossing) 1 November 1895
Millbrook 1 November 1861
Redbridge 1 June 1847
Totton (don't know exact date) 1859
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