GTR employee bids to visit all 2,580 GB railway stations in 6 weeks

[185143]

Did you alight at Lympstone Commando?

I've actually been there twice. Once to tick the shack, secondly to tick a Pacer.

Berney Arms was my last station in March 2020, having missed it on my main visit to Anglia due to the engineering works on that line that went on for about a year.

 

[birchesgreen]

I do not like how the article says only two other people are known to have visited every station when in fact dozens of people have done this and i am sure a bit of research would bring up plenty of examples.

To be fair it probably wouldn't be that easy to research that unless you came to places like this forum and asked the question and then wait for answers, if you have a tight deadline for a press release then thats not really a viable option, plus it would involve a normal person coming to this madhouse.

 

[LAX54]

Indeed! Particularly given they haven't actually even called at every station, never mind visited them!

I've boarded and alighted at every station in the UK & Ireland. There can't be too many others who've done that.

An old work collegue has done that too, ( think he nearly got arrested at Lympstone Commando stn!) and since then, has been to every new station that has opened too
Had to stand on every station.

 

[185143]

An old work collegue has done that too, ( think he nearly got arrested at Lympstone Commando stn!) and since then, has been to every new station that has opened too
Had to stand on every station.

I've done all the new openings too.

Even went as far as doing Reston on opening day then getting the Sleeper down to London for the CrossRail core opening the following morning.

 

[Facing Back]

Different service, unless the train departed and returned. Such as Georgemas Junction and Hampden Park.

So at the end of the line I could reboard the same train, but nowhere else.

Thanks. I see the difference in the challenge if it has to be a different service - still, either way, its one heck of an endevour - I admire all of your persistence.

 

[mono1989]

Hi All,

Some people were right in that I am a member on here but I don't post that often.

Owing to the information I had I wasn't aware that so many people have done this and I think it is fantastic.

Given the time constraints and holiday allowance I would have loved to do it in a longer time and spend more time at each station.

The way I am carrying out this challenge is ensuring I step off onto the platform of each station and step back on.

Whether that is the right or wrong way that's the way I have chosen to do it however over a longer period of time I would like to do it in more details.

 

[31160]

To be fair there are absolutely no rules except those you pick yourself, you do you.

 

[birchesgreen]

Exactly there are quite a few of us doing this but we have different rules. Good luck to

mono1989!​

 

[peterblue]

Hi All,

Some people were right in that I am a member on here but I don't post that often.

Owing to the information I had I wasn't aware that so many people have done this and I think it is fantastic.

Given the time constraints and holiday allowance I would have loved to do it in a longer time and spend more time at each station.

The way I am carrying out this challenge is ensuring I step off onto the platform of each station and step back on.

Whether that is the right or wrong way that's the way I have chosen to do it however over a longer period of time I would like to do it in more details.

Best of luck! I hope you have fun doing it - that's what matters more than arbitrary rules.

 

[Gathursty]

Good luck!

Some tips: Pack a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Use the showers at Fort William station.
Culrain, Commondale, Ribblehead, Clapham (N Yorks), Arrochar & Tarbet, Foxfield, Dolau have proper waiting rooms you can sleep in with a bag if you really have to. Might be some more off the top of my head but let's face it, if you end up in a town at midnight with no back up plan, you'll be kicked out of such stations promptly and I wouldn't want to be sleeping in a shop doorway.

PS: I did it in 2011-2014.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Indeed! Particularly given they haven't actually even called at every station, never mind visited them!

I've boarded and alighted at every station in the UK & Ireland. There can't be too many others who've done that.

Wow - impressive - very much so!

 

[Basil Jet]

Geoff and Vicki did not even visit every station. They just visited all of the lines.

I don't think they did, they just used a train which called at every station (except IIRC Redcar to Saltburn, where they used a rail replacement bus, which I suspect means they didn't even see some of the intervening station buildings, never mind the platforms). But there will presumably be loads of lines with no stations on them that they didn't use at all, such as the Halton Curve.

 

[185143]

I don't think they did, they just used a train which called at every station (except IIRC Redcar to Saltburn, where they used a rail replacement bus, which I suspect means they didn't even see some of the intervening station buildings, never mind the platforms). But there will presumably be loads of lines with no stations on them that they didn't use at all, such as the Halton Curve.

Which *could* call at every station.

So request stops weren't necessarily stopped at.

 

[BAFRA77]

@mono1989 - I’ll see you when you get to Worcester on the Monday - there will be a pull out bed for you to avail of and a well earned bottle of beer.

All - if you can donate any amount (small or large) please do as it’s for a very very good cause.

 

[778]

Indeed! Particularly given they haven't actually even called at every station, never mind visited them!

I've boarded and alighted at every station in the UK & Ireland. There can't be too many others who've done that.

When new stations open, do you plan to visit them as well? I think Brent Cross West is the next one to open.

Wow. Someone with even stricter rules than me!

I just had to board and alight at each station. Admittedly the vast majority I would have spent more than 15 minutes at, but certainly in the London area, there's plenty I've bailed, got a phot of the sign and jumped on a train on the opposite platform.

I don't think I would want to spend much time at some of the stations in the London Area. Did you ever have to stay at a station overnight, because trains did not turn up? If a train is cancelled on a line with just a few trains a day, and you are stuck at somewhere like Sugar Loaf (on the Heart of Wales Line), you could end up spending the night on the platform.

 

[PGAT]

When new stations open, do you plan to visit them as well? I think Brent Cross West is the next one to open.


I don't think I would want to spend much time at some of the stations in the London Area. Did you ever have to stay at a station overnight, because trains did not turn up? If a train is cancelled on a line with just a few trains a day, and you are stuck at somewhere like Sugar Loaf (on the Heart of Wales Line), you could end up spending the night on the platform.

Brent Cross West opened in December

 

[flitwickbeds]

I've been doing this as a desktop exercise for the last few years through about 6 timetable changes. The fun part for me is planning how to achieve the stations with limited services. I've never got it much below about 50 days, so I don't think 42 is achievable.

My rules are that a train has to be scheduled to stop there, including for request stops, and that I cannot use any other transport than trains except official rail replacement services. I have to adhere to minimum connection times at all stations, but can take a late running earlier scheduled train as long as the minimum connection time works. My plan also includes the Isle of Wight. I also then track the actual running times of the trains and adjust the day as necessary, eg if I would have missed a train due to late running or cancellations.

Race The Stations - List

Obviously some stations will be missed at different times of the year (seasonal stations) and some stations become unavailable (currently Altnabreac, for example) but my rules state that in these cases I have to travel past them on a moving train.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I've never got it much below about 50 days, so I don't think 42 is achievable.

My rules are ... that I cannot use any other transport than trains except official rail replacement services.

I'd imagine that costs you a decent bit of time, in theory, with car/bus/bike etc... you could probably chop off a lot of time, like how a bus is used on the tube challenge (or at least was) between Stanmore and Edgware.

And do you also not allow the tube?

I do understand how that could be problematic doing a virtual set of journeys (although bustimes.org can help with bus timings)

 

[flitwickbeds]

I'd imagine that costs you a decent bit of time, in theory, with car/bus/bike etc... you could probably chop off a lot of time, like how a bus is used on the tube challenge (or at least was) between Stanmore and Edgware.

And do you also not allow the tube?

I do understand how that could be problematic doing a virtual set of journeys (although bustimes.org can help with bus timings)

Maybe, but only in a few cases I can think of off the top of my head. The ends of the Welsh valley lines might be one, maybe Pwlhelli to Blaneau. Mallaig to Kyle of Localsh possibly. Most other routes provide a nice circle into other areas, so it's only the ends of very long (essentially) branch lines which can cause issues with returning all the way. In the case of Mallaig, you'd still need to double back anyway to hit the Dundee line and the Aviemore line.

No Tube necessary, I tend to plan it so that I do a London terminal station all day (Waterloo and London Bridge require multiple days to get all routes from there) so, while I would need to use the Tube to reposition myself ready for the next day, it doesn't form part of the challenge in itself.

 

[silverfoxcc]

@mono1989 - I’ll see you when you get to Worcester on the Monday - there will be a pull out bed for you to avail of and a well earned bottle of beer.

All - if you can donate any amount (small or large) please do as it’s for a very very good cause.

Bafra

Perchance do you referee a minority sport?

 

[BAFRA77]

Bafra

Perchance do you referee a minority sport?

Yep - one with helmets and a weird shaped ball - normally played on grass marked with small lines a yard apart...

I maybe - perchance - might know you...

 

[flitwickbeds]

My desktop exercise has just been completed, for the first time, in 45 days.

Race The Stations - List

Given this is the 8th full version, and the previous record was 47 days, I do think it will be hard to shave off another three whole days, but definitely doable.

@onthetrains on Twitter claimed to have done it in 35 days but couldn't provide me with a detailed route when I asked to see how my efforts compared.

https://twitter.com/OntheTrains/status/1762631295090200785

 

[silverfoxcc]

Gave it up a few years ago due to knee problems!

 

[BAFRA77]

Gave it up a few years ago due to knee problems!

Not sure - we might have worked a game together at some point.

If you don't want to out yourself completely - what number were you assigned?

 

[Gemz91]

My desktop exercise has just been completed, for the first time, in 45 days.

Race The Stations - List

Given this is the 8th full version, and the previous record was 47 days, I do think it will be hard to shave off another three whole days, but definitely doable.

@onthetrains on Twitter claimed to have done it in 35 days but couldn't provide me with a detailed route when I asked to see how my efforts compared.

https://twitter.com/OntheTrains/status/1762631295090200785

That’s really fantastic! I assume you sit down in the evening looking at the days train times to work it out rather then sitting at a computer all day long tracking train movements?

 

[flitwickbeds]

That’s really fantastic! I assume you sit down in the evening looking at the days train times to work it out rather then sitting at a computer all day long tracking train movements?

I usually do a few days in advance (see also the April 2024 attempt which hasn't started yet but has about 4 days pre planned already) and then once I know I'm going to complete that day and get back to the intended sleeping point, plan another day.

I started off planning the whole route in advance but it was then too difficult to make changes if things went wrong.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Congrats to @mono1989, who's completed the challenge.

BBC News article

Railway worker reaches end of marathon train journey

A railway worker who set out to visit all 2,580 train stations in the UK in just six weeks said his challenge had gone "really well" but he was "pining" for his own bed.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Congrats to you, Dave!

Will you share the final route to see how I might be able to improve mine down to 42 or less days? Also which 14 stations were missed?

 

[kkong]

Congrats to @mono1989, who's completed the challenge.

BBC News article

The article says that 14 stations were missed because of weather disruption.

So has the challenge been completed?

 

[flitwickbeds]

And the Tweet says "Final total is 2542/2580" - so 38 missed. These could be ones like IBM Halt, Teesside Airport, etc which are impossible to complete currently, but there's not 24 of these "closed but not closed" stations currently.

Could it be ones which are really tricky, like Shippea Hill or Bordesley, which can only be completed on one day of the week?