Trivia: Which station has the latest first train or earliest last train?

[telstarbox]

I think Mallaig would be up there with a 1815 last departure on weekdays.

Typo corrected!

 

[InkyScrolls]

Dent is quite late on a Sunday, 1040.

 

[Kite159]

Excluding those stations which only get one/two trains a day?

 

[Seanesheep]

Polesworth has their last train of the day at 06:48.
Mind you, it's their first train as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Mar 2026 ==

Excluding those stations which only get one/two trains a day?

Posted about Polesworth at the same time as you added the exclusion

 

[Kite159]

Wick @ 16;00 for earliest last train beats Mallaig. Which is what I assume you mean by 'Malling'

 

[CarrotPie]

Berney Arms' last train is at 15:24.

 

[IanXC]

On a slightly different note, I would have thought if you wanted the station with the worst combination then Brigg must be in with a shout - first train at 11:04, last train at 13:53.

 

[VT 390]

If stations with a very limited service are counted then Heysham Port must be one of the latest first services with the daily departure being at 13:20.

On Saturdays only (when no additional services call) Bordesley has its first departure at 14:08.

Most stations with a very limited service have at least something calling in the morning so even with only a few services calling daily they have an earlier option than these examples.

 

[etr221]

Most stations with a very limited service have at least something calling in the morning so even with only a few services calling daily they have an earlier option than these examples.

Are there any stations like this category (morning/early and afternoon/evening/late services) that actually have a longer gap between 'early' and 'late' services than 'late' and 'early' services?
(The London Underground Earl's Court - Kensington Olympia service once have this feature on weekdays)

 

[VT 390]

Are there any stations like this category (morning/early and afternoon/evening/late services) that actually have a longer gap between 'early' and 'late' services than 'late' and 'early' services?
(The London Underground Earl's Court - Kensington Olympia service once have this feature on weekdays)

If I understand you correctly the only example I can immediately think of is Chathill where the departures are at 07:04 and 19:09. This gives a very slightly longer gap of 12 hours 5 minutes in the daytime than the 11 hours 55 minutes overnight.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Mar 2026 ==

Are there any stations like this category (morning/early and afternoon/evening/late services) that actually have a longer gap between 'early' and 'late' services than 'late' and 'early' services?
(The London Underground Earl's Court - Kensington Olympia service once have this feature on weekdays)

I can think of a few more examples if services in each direction are counted separately.

Snaith, Hansall and Whitley Bridge have 1 minute longer between Leeds direction departures in the day compared to overnight, Rawcliffe is exactly 12 hours apart, but there is the daily Goole direction service between these 2 services.

Ince & Elton has the longer gap for services in each direction (towards Helsby or Ellesmere Port) overnight rather than in the day. However, again services in the other direction depart between each directions departures.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I bought in an on-line live auction some items for collection from a small industrial unit a 5 minute walk from Elton & Orston station. Although it's on a busy line it's not much use for a quick visit. One train from the Grantham direction at about 07.00, return, through to Skeggy, at about 17.00.

As an aside I sometimes travel on the only train of the day to call at Polesworth (it starts at Northampton and usefully connects at Tamworth into an early North-bound XC). What I've been surprised about is that there are people who get on there. Puzzling. An early time to commute, and no return service. No point in driving and leaving the car at the station either - there's no easy way to pick it up again.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Wick @ 16;00 for earliest last train beats Mallaig. Which is what I assume you mean by 'Malling'

That's the last train out, but it has an arrival some time after 2200

 

[izvor]

Are there any stations like this category (morning/early and afternoon/evening/late services) that actually have a longer gap between 'early' and 'late' services than 'late' and 'early' services?

Doleham M-F: no train calling between 0859 and 1737 (8h38m).
Last train 2300 to first train 0649 only 7h49m.

 

[vlad]

Dent is quite late on a Sunday, 1040.

The first Sunday train at Tutbury & Hatton is 1457.

(It's 0639 every other day of the week however.)

 

[j37401]

Central Wales Line. eg Bucknell. On Sundays the first train is 1250.

 

[mlambeuk]

Pontefract Baghill first train 0830 (1225 Sundays), Last train 1730 (1759 Sundays)

 

[greatkingrat]

Ignoring stations with sporadic services, the last train from Headbolt Lane towards Wigan is at 1948, which might be the record for lines with at least an hourly daytime service.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ignoring stations with sporadic services, the last train from Headbolt Lane towards Wigan is at 1948, which might be the record for lines with at least an hourly daytime service.

Not really the last weekday train of the day from Headbolt Lane, of course, as there are still services from there (to Liverpool Central) at 2011, 2041, 2111, 2141, 2211, 2141, 2311 and 2331.

 

[greatkingrat]

No, but it is the last train from Rainford, Upholland, Orrell and Pemberton.

 

[Corn]

On the Crewe to Derby line on Sundays, both Uttoxeter and Tutbury and Hatton have their first trains of the day depart at 1457! Trains are then hourly until the last ones after 10pm. This is because the line only has one shift of signalers on Sundays.

 

[A S Leib]

As an aside I sometimes travel on the only train of the day to call at Polesworth (it starts at Northampton and usefully connects at Tamworth into an early North-bound XC). What I've been surprised about is that there are people who get on there. Puzzling. An early time to commute, and no return service. No point in driving and leaving the car at the station either - there's no easy way to pick it up again.

There's what seems to be a slightly better* than hourly bus service from Tamworth for the return journey.

*Not hourly, or in a clockface timetable, but people using a railway station which gets one train per day are probably used to remembering exact departure times.

 

[norbitonflyer]

On the Crewe to Derby line on Sundays, both Uttoxeter and Tutbury and Hatton have their first trains of the day depart at 1457! Trains are then hourly until the last ones after 10pm. This is because the line only has one shift of signalers on Sundays.

Until relatively recently Lincoln's first train on Sundays was at about 1400 (an arrival from Sheffield)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Mar 2026 ==

There's what seems to be a slightly better* than hourly bus service from Tamworth for the return journey.

*Not hourly, or in a clockface timetable, but people using a railway station which gets one train per day are probably used to remembering exact departure times.

A fewe years ago Fishguard Harbour station had the most regular service of any NR station. Just two departures a day, at (IIRC) 0215 and 1415. Every day, 7 days a week.

(Obviously connecting with the ferries) NB there is a difference between "regular" and "frequent"