Trivia - journey which requires the most changes

[paul1609]

Doleham-Hastings
Hastings-London Bridge
London Bridge-Peterborough
Peterborough-Leeds
Leeds-Carlisle
Carlisle-Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central-Glasgow Queen Street
Glasgow QS-Inverness
Inverness-Thurso

 

[etr221]

At one time I believe the maximum minimum number of changes for a BR journey was from somewhere on the Southminster branch to somewhere on the Sheerness branch - can't rememeber whether it was any station on the branches, or specific ones, that didn't have a through train - and some through services have now been introduced to reduce the number required.

 

[Train jaune]

Found a five changes Doleham to Thurso leaving at 5:33 on Monday morning

 

[paul1609]

Found a five changes Doleham to Thurso leaving at 5:33 on Monday morning

It needs to go via Tonbridge & Settle & Carlisle to meet the shortest route criteria?

 

[norbitonflyer]

Doleham-Hastings
Hastings-London Bridge
London Bridge-Peterborough
Peterborough-Leeds
Leeds-Carlisle
Carlisle-Glasgow Central
Glasgow Central-Glasgow Queen Street
Glasgow QS-Inverness
Inverness-Thurso

But you do Doleham to Inverness with just two changes, at Ashford and St Pancras KX

 

[paul1609]

But you do Doleham to Inverness with just two changes, at Ashford and St Pancras KX

Yes but that doesn't meet the OPs criteria that the route be as short as possible.

 

[philthetube]

stourbridge town to Shanklin also gives 6

Stourbridge Town
Stourbridge Junction
Leamington Spa
Reading
Guildford
Portsmouth
Ryde
Shanklin

 

[willgreen]

Yes but that doesn't meet the OPs criteria that the route be as short as possible.

By 'short' I mean 'as few changes as possible' instead of the smallest geographical distance.

 

[paul1609]

Leamington Spa to Portsmouth can be done with one change at Winchester.

 

[alangla]

St Ives - St Erth Change
St Erth -Bristol Change
Bristol - Crewe Change
Crewe - Inverness Change
Inverness - Thurso

So my five may only be 4 changes

I take it the following are barred by the “shortest route” rule?
St Ives - St Erth
St Erth - Edinburgh
Edinburgh- Inverness
Inverness- Thurso

Or

St Ives - St Erth
St Erth - Paddington
Euston/Kings Cross - Inverness
Inverness- Thurso

 

[rjchapma]

Marlow - Howden I think gives 8 legs

Marlow - Bourne End
Bourne End - Maidenhead
Maidenhead - Slough
Slough -Paddington
Paddington - Kings Cross
Kings Cross - Doncaster
Doncaster - Selby
Selby - Howden

I think you'd have to time it carefully for it to be a valid itinerary.

 

[paul1609]

I take it the following are barred by the “shortest route” rule?
St Ives - St Erth
St Erth - Edinburgh
Edinburgh- Inverness
Inverness- Thurso

Or

St Ives - St Erth
St Erth - Paddington
Euston/Kings Cross - Inverness
Inverness- Thurso

Technically I don't think the sleeper counts as its not a daily service, ie Euston doesn't have a service to Inverness on Saturdays.

 

[willgreen]

Marlow - Howden I think gives 8 legs

Marlow - Bourne End
Bourne End - Maidenhead
Maidenhead - Slough
Slough -Paddington
Paddington - Kings Cross
Kings Cross - Doncaster
Doncaster - Selby
Selby - Howden

I think you'd have to time it carefully for it to be a valid itinerary.

There's a direct Marlow-Maidenhead service and a direct Maidenhead-Paddington service so you can lose the Bourne End and Slough changes. Rest looks good though.

 

[AlbertBeale]

That service seems to be split in the timetable now - so that could still be a goer.

Edit: But since the service runs through to Glasgow Central from Stranraer, there are various options involving fewer changes, such as Stranraer - Glasgow Central - Newcastle - Southampton - Portsmouth)

Some of this counting is awry! The number of legs of the journey is one fewer than the number of stations (including origin and destination), and the number of changes is one fewer than that. So the number of changes is two fewer than the number of stations; some of figures being given are wrong...

 

[rjchapma]

There's a direct Marlow-Maidenhead service and a direct Maidenhead-Paddington service so you can lose the Bourne End and Slough changes. Rest looks good though.

Indeed there is, but if you ask NRE for Marlow to Paddington today at 17:00 it will provide an itinerary as

17:18d MLW - 17:25a BNE
17.29d BNE - 17:40a MAI
17:46d MAI - 17:56a SLO
18:12d SLO - 18:29a PAD

The only reason to know this is because I've stumbled across this before

I've just put the whole route in to NRE, and it routes via Brough rather than Selby.

 

[willgreen]

Indeed there is, but if you ask NRE for Marlow to Paddington today at 17:00 it will provide an itinerary as

17:18d MLW - 17:25a BNE
17.29d BNE - 17:40a MAI
17:46d MAI - 17:56a SLO
18:12d SLO - 18:29a PAD

The only reason to know this is because I've stumbled across this before

I've just put the whole route in to NRE, and it routes via Brough rather than Selby.

Yes, but that's not the point of the thread I'm afraid!

 

[Howardh]

Right now - Ryde Esplanade to Wrexham central? Six changes?

10:40
Ryde Esplanade

Island Line
2 minutesCalling points
10:42
Ryde Pier Head
10:47
Ryde Pier Head

South Western Railway
22 minutes
11:09
Portsmouth Harbour
11:38
Portsmouth Harbour

Southern
Calling points
11:38
Fareham
11:47
Fareham

Great Western Railway
20 minutesCalling points
12:07
Southampton Central
12:17
Southampton Central

CrossCountry
2 hours 56 minutesCalling points
15:13
Wolverhampton
15:43
Wolverhampton

Transport for Wales
1 hour 20 minutesCalling points
17:03
Wrexham General
18:40
Wrexham General

Transport for Wales
2 minutesCalling points
18:42
Wrexham Central

 

[stuu]

Marlow - Howden I think gives 8 legs

Marlow - Bourne End
Bourne End - Maidenhead
Maidenhead - Slough
Slough -Paddington
Paddington - Kings Cross
Kings Cross - Doncaster
Doncaster - Selby
Selby - Howden

I think you'd have to time it carefully for it to be a valid itinerary.

But you can catch a train from Reading direct to Doncaster, and do Doncaster-Howden directly too. Or indeed King's Cross to Howden

 

[peters]

I wonder if a journey starting from Aintree could produce a journey with a lot of changes, on the basis that Aintree is 2 changes away from Lime Street (Central & James Street) or 3 from Manchester Piccadilly (Central, Hunts Cross & Warrington Central.)

 

[30907]

Right now - Ryde Esplanade to Wrexham central? Six changes?

Yes, but the change at Fareham is only to save an hour, so strictly non compliant.

OT: it would help if the OP would confirm or otherwise that "shortest" means "avoiding unnecessary changes" rather than requiring measurement.

 

[Howardh]

Yes, but the change at Fareham is only to save an hour, so strictly non compliant.

OT: it would help if the OP would confirm or otherwise that "shortest" means "avoiding unnecessary changes" rather than requiring measurement.

I looked it up for immediate travel, and that's what came up. **Should have looked at the price too!!!**

 

[yoyothehobo]

I got 5 changes (6 legs) for Whitby to Stourbridge Town.

0845 Whitby - Middlesbrough
1021 Middlesbrough - York
1136 York - Birmingham New Street
1340 New Street to Smethwick Galton Bridge
1402 Smethwick Galton Bridge to Stourbridge Junction
1425 Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town

 

[rf_ioliver]

Shortest with most changes....London Road (Brighton) to Fishersgate used to be one - this used to be the fastest a one point during the day

London Road -> Brighton (on the Seaford->Brighton train)
Brighton -> Hove (Brighton-Hove shuttle)
Hove->Portslade (London Vic-somewhere via Hove train)
Portslade->Fishersgate (Brighton-West Worthing train)

OK, I could have waited for the Brighton-West Worthing and cut that to one change and arrived at the same time, but....

t.

Ian

 

[backontrack]

stourbridge town to Shanklin also gives 6

Stourbridge Town
Stourbridge Junction
Leamington Spa
Reading
Guildford
Portsmouth
Ryde
Shanklin

I've already done this one, and it's actually five changes; Reading-Southampton-Portsmouth. Sorry.

Ryde Esplanade - Ryde Pier Head - Portsmouth Harbour - London Victoria - London King's Cross - Inverness - Thurso is six.

 

[willgreen]

Yes, but the change at Fareham is only to save an hour, so strictly non compliant.

OT: it would help if the OP would confirm or otherwise that "shortest" means "avoiding unnecessary changes" rather than requiring measurement.

I've already confirmed up in post 38 (should have put it in the original description to be fair).

 

[30907]

I've already confirmed up in post 38 (should have put it in the original description to be fair).

Apologies, missed it.

 

[Gathursty]

Barton on Humber - Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town - Lincoln Central
Lincoln Central - Nottingham
Nottingham - Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central - Cardiff Queen Street
Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay

Or Barton - Grimsby Town - Lincoln Central - Nottingham - Birmingham New Street - Smethwick Galton Bridge - Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town

 

[Andyjs247]

Cardiff Bay to Stourbridge Town is another requiring 6 trains / 5 changes

Cardiff Bay - Cardiff Queen Street
Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central - Worcestershire Parkway
Worcestershire Parkway - Worcester Foregate Street
Worcester Foregate Street - Stourbridge Jn
Stourbridge Jn - Stourbridge Town

 

[AlbertBeale]

I've already done this one, and it's actually five changes; Reading-Southampton-Portsmouth. Sorry.

Ryde Esplanade - Ryde Pier Head - Portsmouth Harbour - London Victoria - London King's Cross - Inverness - Thurso is six.

No - it's 6 legs, but 5 changes!

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

I suppose on the same basis as Cardiff, Glasgow Queen Street to Central could be considered not one change but three, since technically the only way to travel between these stations by rail is by changing at Partick.

It's true that everyone walks instead, but also I imagine that in practice no-one bothers taking two different trains to cover the less than one mile distance between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central.