How difficult is it to arrive or leave at all timetabled platforms. 5 year project to achieve this.

[All platforms]

Pretty sure it's a loop platform at Gillingham rather than a bay, although like at Sittingbourne the section of track heading east is very rarely (if at all) used in passenger service.

No, you are right of course - the only bay locally is at Rainham. RTT does show both Gillingham and Sittingbourne loops being used at the Country end in the near future. 3 different dates at Gillingham (6 daylight uses in all) and Sittingbourne promising a c 1.30am move some weekdays mid June. I had Gillingham pencilled in as a possibility for 8 June but i fear Sittingbourne is a bit too sporty for me right now.

 

[Kite159]

I suspect one awkward platform in that general area will be Rochester P3 & that loop which at a glance gets 2 terminating services in the evening peak

I presume at some-point you will probably have to use a hotel in the Gillingham area to do the West - Middle chord towards Sheerness (King Charles in Gillingham is quite reasonable from experience) (0505 Gillingham (Kent) to Sheerness-on-Sea) which also has the benefit of being booked to use P3 at Gillingham

 

[All platforms]

I can remember when that crossover at Canterbury East was easier to do on a Sunday before Covid struck as there was a 2nd train an hour which spun at Canterbury (Monday - Saturdays continued to Dover nonstop).

This type of thing fascinates me. The likelihood of being able to do any one piece of track that is not used constantly will vary, and sometimes considerably, dependent on which timetable/year you happen to be doing/seeking it. One mans unicorn is anothers "meh"

I had spotted the P3 at Rochester you mentioned - and hopefully that will be in the bag on Thursday evening. What i hadn't marked down however, was that it was a loop, and therefore to keep an eye on it for possible services at the Country end in the future. To be honest there are far more "anomalies" in Kent than you might first imagine. I had hoped it would a little more straight forward, but every part of the network seems to have its own set of quirks, and Kent is no different. It takes longer for me to get into the heart of Kent than it does to get to places like Perth or Exeter, so i consider it an extreme part of the country which needs more than a day or two to justify the effort. I may have to temper ambition here. I will always prioritise platform ends and loops over crossovers - also what i call link lines when track merges/diverges at Junctions for example so as to get all the variants these offer too.

I had also toyed with doing the early trip from Gillingham to Kemsley to Sittingbourne this time but a soon to be lost move at Dover won over this time. (Just a crossover to be fair). I know i will have to return to Kent quite a few times and on future visits maybe i need to pace myself better. The itinerary for wednesday to friday looks a bit brutal wearing my sensible hat for once. I have made a note of the King Charles Hotel for future reference - thanks. I have plumped for Faversham as a base this time. I don't think £92 is too shabby for 2 nights midweek.

 

[All platforms]

Day 343: Wednesday 17/04/2024 - Otford to Swanley - £1.60 - Anytime Return. Shoreham (Kent) to Swanley - £4.20 - Anytime Single. Gillingham (Kent) to Rainham - £3.20 - Anytime Single. Kent Rover Day 1 of 3 - £10.00 per day - Valid after 9.30 Weekdays. CP Otford - £6.50 + Railway Street Car Park Gillingham - £3.30.
Total time today 1096 mins - time on trains 328 mins and time waiting 768 mins. Stations completed today 16. Total completed 1794. Platforms completed at completed stations 4108.

"Swizzled at Swanley"

It was slightly disconcerting that as i set off early doors the Satnav said i would arrive exactly when my first train was due. I pretty much always try to arrive at least 20mins beforehand especially when travelling from afar, so i was a bit perplexed by how i had miscalculated. Turns out the M6 was closed for a few junctions and the resultant detour accounted for the discrepancy. No rest stop for me this morning and the need to press on remained. I arrived after making up a few of those 20 mins and my start point of Otford was reached without incident.

The Kent Rover is a SouthEastern ticket only and there are a few stations on the fringes of Kent that are served by Thameslink only (Ok SE does call but just the odd service), so i thought i would do a few of these early doors before my Rover ticket activates at 9.30am. My first port of call should have been P3 at Swanley, utilising a minimally used linkline to do so. It didn't today and we arrived in P1 as an alteration. No idea why. Not the best of starts, but as this was also a transitional move to catch both Eynsford and Shoreham (Kent) it wasn't the end of the world. Unfortunately my next service was delayed so much i couldn't do the linear hop i was intending at Eynsford so i got stuck in the waiting room and starts to explain how i got through about 300 pages of my book today! I decided to wait it out at Swanley rather than on a cold platform and do Eynsford some other time. Shoreham was my first station of the day eventually and by this time rush hour was almost over and i did get a seat on the return leg to Swanley, which is more than be said for an hour earlier. A cancellation then meant i would miss my intended foray into Kent proper and after consulting the oracle that is RTT i realised i could make back this time at Borough Green & Wrotham (what a mouthful) but i would have to forgo my intended supply run to the Co-op in the Car Park there (kinda) in order to do so.

With the itinerary winning out in the ideological battle against food it was a short visit indeed, but i think i will be returning here in two weeks in an an attempt at the rare planned use of the loop line here. I have still some unfinished business in the area (Longfield, Eynsford, crossovers at Swanley + others) more on that last debacle later. I may have missed the P1 sign here but it certainly wasn't obvious - i will check another time. Next up was Kemsing, a least used station battle with Swale sees this change occasionally and i am not sure who is top or is it bottom dog currently. Nevertheless it is a pretty rural offering, though i did go off station for a walk, returning via the Business Park which is adjacent. Not many houses in evidence though. All stations on the line are serviced at least hourly with a more direct service to/from Maidstone East only stopping in the peaks. I had the place to myself and the sun came out - bliss.

I thought i may snag some supplies at East Malling which is a quaint spot albeit a busy thoroughfare with vehicles dodging in and out on the narrow streets. No shops selling food however and after a suitable mooch i returned to the platform and spied what i thought was a barrow crossing at the other end of the long platform. Correct, and used by dog walkers mainly in my time there. West Malling was another rural spot in itself but with a massive Car Park and a bus stopping off point. No services on offer here either. I was a bit luckier at Maidstone West albeit my first of two visits at this time was too short before heading off again, this time to Barming, another delightfully named station, albeit uncontaminated by services too. I have to say the rural stations today and in the next 2 days kinda merged in my head at times and whilst there were perhaps individual quirks to share, i just can't be sure of the detail to do so for some places. With services crossing at Maidstone (going further West) i had an hour to go exploring and i was lured by the Colonel to go try some of his chicken which i duly did being rather hungry by this time. Not far away was a place specialising in Greek desserts, and probably because i wasn't sated by chicken i did have a window shop to see the treats on offer, which was then upgraded to going inside and choosing something sweet, which was delicious. It was just labelled "Orange" and i couldn't fault the description. No idea what it really was though. These type of establishments are probably an annual treat for me so i was surprised with myself......

The hour soon came and went and off again to another series of stations that are pretty in themselves but not much to saya about, so Hollingbourne, Bearsted, Lenham and Harrietsham all came and went before my first look at the myriad of tracks which is Ashford International to see if i could make heads or tails from it all. My first thought was "hang on they are using a b and c variants on the boards" something i had not considered beforehand, and i will have to do a deeper dive into this for a future visit. We had arrived in p1b as a platform alteration, though from what i was never able to find out. We certainly arrived there but i don't agree under my own rules of logic we departed from there with the front train now in P1a. However, different stations seem to use different methodologies as to what constitutes these variants. Perhaps to prevent confusion it may be practise here to have the arriving and departing platforms the same for the same sets. Anyway, one that needs further study by me to see if i can crack the code.

I was going back up the line for Charing which i had mssed on the way down, and a chance to see what track was covered as we crossed over all the lines back onto the line up to Otford. Charing was not remembered for anything much and back in Ashford (P1b again) i did have time for a quick wander to see the c designation being used by Southern. Perhaps the designations only come into play when 2 services share a platform..... With my head hurting (poetic license - i was just tired i think by now) i turned my thoughts to the return journey to my start point and the possibility of a snooze or two in the light of the late night shenanigans that would follow. I did manage to drop off once or twice although i did have the presence of mind for a linear hop at Maidstone again to catch a service from P3 which was missed earlier due to a late incoming service then. Maidstone East duly completed another snooze was my reward before alighting at Otford and a run east to Faversham, by car this time as i wanted to check in before heading out again.

£92 for 2 midweek days is cheap enough by my standards and the Premier Inn at Faversham was offering this so even though it was out of my way a little bit for tonight it would be handily placed for Fridays start. having duly checked in and made sure they keycard worked (they don't always i have found) i was off again this time basing myself at Gillingham wheer the Car Parks are all in active mode up to 1am so a 4 hour ticket was necessary.

Time for more station tickage and Rainham P0 allowed me to tick that albeit this is a Thameslink platform usually so an extra ticket was needed. The services tonight were nearly all affected by earlier delays elsewhere so i had to think on my feet to get things done, especially at Sittingbourne where i missed my connection because of the slowest of slow journeys. perhaps the driver was trying to get us over the 15 minutes delay repay barrier (he succeeded). One of those instances where the doors close just as you reach them, and an enforced half hour wait was the result. Cue a swifty in a local hostelry to lessen the frustration. As can be seen by the 4 minute changeover at Chatham it was touch and go whether i risked doing this, and again my nerves were jangling a bit as we arrived in Chatham just as another service pulled in on the return platform. It was a late service i realised after scrambling over the bridge - which is becoming a far too familiar thing of late by the way, and i had a whole 4 minutes to enjoy there....

Swizzled at Swanley as both the incoming and outgoing services should have used P3/P4 utilising 2 rare crossovers, and promptly didn't! - twice. It would be rude not to attempt them whilst in the area surely? Its only worthwhle if they do of course and as with all projects there are ups and downs. A wasted journey was the result however you cut it, not to mention it was past 2am by the time i got back to the hotel. I haven't yet had the opportunity to have a look and see what went wrong - in case another similar opportunity arises. And so ended day 1 of 3 consecutives - my first time doing this away from home. Kent is easier than most other places to maintain good progress, but its a heck of a long way to go if something gets missed. I will take 16 station completions as a result despite a rocky start and finish in the Swanley area. A sub 4 hours in bed is my reward as i have to be in Strood before 7am, and its about 40 mins away!

Otford	Depart	7.26​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
Swanley	Arrive	7.35​	P1	SE	wait 61m		completed	completed
Swanley	Depart	8.36​	P2	TL
Shoreham (Kent)	Arrive	8.44​	P2	TL	Wait 18m
Shoreham (Kent)	Depart	9.02​	P1	TL			1​	2​
Swanley	Arrive	9.10​	P1	TL	wait 73m
Swanley	Depart	10.23​	P2	SE
Borough Green & Wrotham	Arrive	10.40​	P2	SE	wait 5m
Borough Green & Wrotham	Depart	10.45​		SE			1​	2​
Kemsing	Arrive	10.49​	P1	SE	wait 47m
Kemsing	Depart	11.36​	P2	SE			1​	2​
East Malling	Arrive	11.49​	P2	SE	wait 46m
East Malling	Depart	12.35​	P1	SE			1​	2​
West Malling	Arrive	12.37​	P1	SE	wait 28m
West Malling	Depart	13.05​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Maidstone East	Arrive	13.16​	P2	SE	wait 11m
Maidstone East	Depart	13.27​	P1	SE
Barming	Arrive	13.31​	P1	SE	wait 23m
Barming	Depart	13.54​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Maidstone East	Arrive	13.58​	P2	SE	wait 61m
Maidstone East	Depart	14.59​	P2	SE
Hollingbourne	Arrive	15.07​	P2	SE	wait 9m
Hollingbourne	Depart	15.16​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Bearsted	Arrive	15.19​	P1	SE	wait 19m
Bearsted	Depart	15.38​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Lenham	Arrive	15.48​	P2	SE	wait 20m
Lenham	Depart	16.08​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Harrietsham	Arrive	16.10​	P1	SE	wait 26m
Harrietsham	Depart	16.36​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Ashford International	Arrive	16.58​	P1b	SE	wait 29m
Ashford International	Depart	17.27​	P1b	SE
Charing	Arrive	17.34​	P1	SE	wait 13m
Charing	Depart	17.47​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Ashford International	Arrive	17.58​	P1b	SE	wait 28m
Ashford International	Depart	18.26​	P1b	SE
Maidstone East	Arrive	18.58​	P1	SE	wait 15m
Maidstone East	Depart	19.13​	P3	SE			1​	3​
Otford	Arrive	19.35​	*****	SE	drive +
Relocate to	*****	*****	*****	*****	wait 126m
Gillingham (Kent)	Depart	21.41​	*****	TL
Rainham	Arrive	21.46​	P0	TL	wait 13m		1​	3​
Rainham	Depart	21.59​	P2	SE
Sittingbourne	Arrive	22.09​	P2	SE	wait 30m		1​	3​
Sittingbourne	Depart	22.39​	P1	SE
Chatham	Arrive	22.59​	P1	SE	wait 4m
Chatham	Depart	23.03​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Gillingham (Kent)	Arrive	23.06​	P3	SE	wait 12m
Gillingham (Kent)	Depart	23.18​	P2	SE			1​	3​
Swanley	Arrive	23.51​	P3	SE	wait 51m
Swanley	Depart	0.42​	P4	SE
Gillingham (Kent)	Arrive	1.42​	*****	SE

 

[All platforms]

Day 344: Thursday 18/04/2024 - Strood (Kent) to Ebbsfleet International - £22.00 - Anytime Return. Gravesend to Higham (Kent) - £5.80 - Anytime Return. Strood (Kent) to Cuxton - £2.75 - Anytime Return. Kent Rover - Day 2 of 3 - £10.00 - Valid after 9.30am Weekdays. Rochester to Strood (Kent) - £2.35 - Anytime Return. CP Strood (Kent) £6.20.
Total time today 850 mins - time on trains 332 mins and time waiting 518 mins. Stations completed today 18. Total completed 1812. Platforms completed at completed stations 4147.

"Who or what is a Snod?"

Big money was laid down for the 14 minutes it takes to get to Ebbsfleet International but with the Senior discount not available to 9.00am and peak prices in effect so early in the day, perhaps this was not the brightest thing to be doing at this time. I will have to return for track purposes here anyway and perhaps an advance might do the trick next time. It was a cold start but the sun was out already and there was not much room on the P3 start at Strood. Ah that was it... rare track at the London end of P3 must have been my motive in choosing this service with its origin point of Maidstone East one of a handful to be timetabled using the High Speed lines. I was pausing at Gravesend to get the Thameslink service to Higham so extra tickets yadda yadda, with the platforms still busy with commuters but getting quieter as time went on now. Tick for Higham and then also Gravesend as i was turning there for the second win of the day. I have visited Gravesend on a number of occasions now but under my rule of discounting first and last platforms, completion has eluded me until now.

Back at my start point i realised that supplies may again elude me this morning so i succumbed to the lure of a muffin of indeterminate origin and a sandwich to sustain me in case of need from the robbing barons aka station kiosks these days. If i am paying over the odds for tickets today then why not for supplies too. Only in emergences that's what. An out and back to Cuxton was on the agenda now, primarily to keep moving at as cheap a cost as possible and the first of a whole host of level crossings that would feature prominently on this line. By this time i realised that with the lengthy waits of yesterday and today i would soon run out of book and so resorted to working out if it was possible to get to Waterstones and back at Maidstone, rather than run out of actual book there and then. I was still on my side quest to keep an eye out for Totem signs at stations so i did wander off for these when time allowed, and also in the forlorn hope i could snag some proper food whilst doing so.

Back to Strood and then the explore of the whole line down to Paddock Wood, so Snodland was my next station. The game of who or what is a Snod entertained me for a short while with increasingly wild guesses not helping me get nearer the truth so in the end i looked it up. None of my guesses were remotely correct of course and i think i even prefer the original nmame of the settlement - Snoddingland! Wonderful.

The next few stations rolled by a little quicker than yesterday with gaps of 30 minutes between services rather than primarily 60 mins. Halling, Aylesford and New Hythe passed by before arriving at Maidstone (West variant this time). I decided to risk a Waterstones run and armed with a wanted list clutched in my hand i made short work of choosing something suitable. A tense time at the checkout whilst the till operator err operated it but in seemingly go slow mode. Best foot forward then to make it back with less than 60 seconds to spare. The Barracks variant of Maidstone was up next. I know there is a Burnley Barracks station too but i don't recal a third. Wateringbury rather surprisingly is situated next to Water so i went off and watched the world go by on the river whilst waiting for the service to East Farleigh. Apparently there has never been a West Farleigh. The last 2 stations were even quieter than the others so Beltring and Yalding completed the intermediate stations on the line and helped me finish my original book even though the waits here were more than acceptable.

Paddock Wood has an up through line which doesn't have anything timetabled but it looks like the Down variant has occasional late night use. We arrived in the bay and i crossed the bridge as i wanted to get track up to Sevenoaks in the bag before returning and having a go at Marden linearly and turning at Staplehurst, which went smoothly enough. I was nearly tempted to make a purchase at the Pork Butchers at Marden for the weekend but common sense won out due to no cool bag. A return down the line back to Strood allowed me to snooze off and on. The timings for my next proposed moves were a bit against me so i had time to consder my options for the evening and because there was lateness showing on the boards again (not much but enough to make me pause). I therefore waited for the service that would terminate in Rochester P3 before continuing East to Teynham. Also a consideration was the track at Newington as any service that doesn't stop there uses the centre through lines, and so far i only had the Down variant going East. It would mean a later finish than intended but a pause at Sittingbourne to wait for the through service at Newington then another pause at Rochester to get the Thameslink back to Strood and a welcome return to the hotel.

I would be making a super early start to Friday so after checking in at home and a desultory drink it was off to bed. The day had been more successful than yesterday and with 34 stations in the bag over 2 days i would say that is a win. A slightly different approach tomorrow awaits.

Strood (Kent)	Depart	7.04​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
Ebbsfleet International	Arrive	7.18​	P5	SE	wait 21m		completed	completed
Ebbsfleet International	Depart	7.39​	P6	SE
Gravesend	Arrive	7.43​	P2	SE	wait 4m
Gravesend	Depart	7.47​	P2	TL
Higham (Kent)	Arrive	7.53​	P2	TL	wait 28m
Higham (Kent)	Depart	8.21​	P1	TL			1​	2​
Gravesend	Arrive	8.27​	P1	TL	wait 16m
Gravesend	Depart	8.43​	P2	SE			1​	3​
Strood (Kent)	Arrive	8.53​	P1	SE	wait 10m
Strood (Kent)	Depart	9.03​	P3	SE
Cuxton	Arrive	9.07​	P2	SE	wait 15m
Cuxton	Depart	9.22​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Strood (Kent)	Arrive	9.25​	P3	SE	wait 8m
Strood (Kent)	Depart	9.33​	P3	SE
Snodland	Arrive	9.44​	P2	SE	wait 30m
Snodland	Depart	10.14​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Halling	Arrive	10.17​	P1	SE	wait 24m
Halling	Depart	10.41​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Aylesford	Arrive	10.49​	P2	SE	wait 18m
Aylesford	Depart	11.07​	P1	SE			1​	2​
New Hythe	Arrive	11.09​	P1	SE	wait 9m
New Hythe	Depart	11.18​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Maidstone West	Arrive	11.27​	P2	SE	wait 32m
Maidstone West	Depart	11.59​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Maidstone Barracks	Arrive	12.02​	P1	SE	wait 22m
Maidstone Barracks	Depart	12.24​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Wateringbury	Arrive	12.38​	P2	SE	wait 34m
Wateringbury	Depart	13.12​	P1	SE			1​	2​
East Farleigh	Arrive	13.16​	P2	SE	wait 17m
East Farleigh	Depart	13.33​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Beltring	Arrive	13.44​	P1	SE	wait 20m
Beltring	Depart	14.04​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Yalding	Arrive	14.06​	P2	SE	wait 6m
Yalding	Depart	14.12​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Paddock Wood	Arrive	14.19​	P3	SE	wait 13m
Paddock Wood	Depart	14.32​	P1	SE
Sevenoaks	Arrive	14.48​	P1	SE	wait 14m
Sevenoaks	Depart	15.02​	P3	SE
Marden	Arrive	15.23​	P2	SE	wait 33m
Marden	Depart	15.56​	P2	SE
Staplehurst	Arrive	15.59​	P2	SE	wait 20m
Staplehurst	Depart	16.19​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Marden	Arrive	16.22​	P1	SE	wait 31m
Marden	Depart	16.53​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Paddock Wood	Arrive	16.59​	P1	SE	wait 9m
Paddock Wood	Depart	17.08​	P2	SE			1​	3​
Strood (Kent)	Arrive	17.53​	P3	SE	wait 3m
Strood (Kent)	Depart	18.56​	P1	SE
Rochester	Arrive	18.59​	P3	SE	wait 32m
Rochester	Depart	19.31​	P2	SE			1​	3​
Teynham	Arrive	20.00​	P2	SE	wait 10m
Teynham	Depart	20.10​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Sittingbourne	Arrive	20.14​	P1	SE	wait 32m
Sittingbourne	Depart	20.46​	P1	SE
Rochester	Arrive	21.05​	P1	SE	wait 7m
Rochester	Depart	21.12​	P1	TL
Strood (Kent)	Arrive	21.14​	*****	TL

 

[All platforms]

Day 345: Friday 19/04/2024 - Gravesend to Dartford - £11.50 - Anytime Return. Faversham to Deal - £12.50 - Anytime Return. Ramsgate to Minster - £3.30 - Off-peak Return. Kent Rover - Day 3 of 3 - £10.00 - Valid after 9.00am Weekdays. CP Rathmore Road CP Gravesend - Free before 6am. Faversham £6.50.
Total time today 799 mins - time on trains 374 mins and time waiting 425 mins. Stations completed 8. Total completed 1820. Platforms completed at completed stations 4163.

"Its Minster curve time"

Todays itineraray is based around how best to do the Minster curve (both ways) and then return home at a semi reasonable hour. No starting/finishing too far into Kent then, but thats the area to be covering today. I found it an awkward balancing act to overcome to be honest, and it all came to naught on the journey home anyway... I also swithered on which of 2 options to consider for the early start. A hens teeth rare crossover at Dartford or the early jaunt up to Sheerness via Western Junction. On the basis i could do that another time i plumped for the super early option and again no more than 4 hours sleep before i had to set off for Gravesend. At least the CP there was free at that time of the morning. I haven't had the greatest of luck this last few days with the awkward stuff so it was with some relief we crossed over into P4 at Dartford as expected at the grand old hour of 4.39am. A quick pic or two then back on board for the return leg and a snooze. I seem to have trained myself to not go past my intended stop of late whilst asleep - actually its more of a doze which is a good trick to have up your sleeve doing this kind of thing.

Back along the A2/M2 to Faversham and another expensive CP, where i took the opportunity for some proper shuteye in the car until nearer my next service which would be the morning Minster curve detour. Proper alarm call this time! I am beginning to think this service which calls at Minster before reversing and continuing South towards Dover is mainly for the use of high school children going to/from Sandwich due to the large numbers boarding/alighting at Minster itself. Pure speculation of course but seats were at a premium by then anyway, and i was mighty glad when the train near enough emptied at Sandwich. It was the same coming back by the way.

I reasoned that today should be more track focused after the very long preceeding 2 days and i got as far as Deal (Ok one more stop then) before retracing somewhat and my first visit to Ramsgate where i noted as best i could the track layout. I was returning to Minster and then back again for the win with only a 10 minute hiatus to slow me down. Back at Ramsgate it soon became obvious there was an issue elsewhere as all 4 platforms were in use (which was not planned) and i overheard a conversation about problems at a level crossing earlier (Gillingham?). Trains going East were being held or cancelled as i departed for Staplehurst via Minster and another long run. There was probably a very good reason to go to Staplehurst from the opposite direction to yesterday (probably track reasons) rather than complete the line to Ashford, but i did get to see a bit more of Ashford and work out a bit more of how this International (cough) station works. I am actually looking forward to that side reopening at some stage but for now lots of targets still await.

Next up was Pluckley and back which only leaves Headcorn to do on this stretch before heading off back up the line towards Minster once more but this time stopping at Chilham and then Wye before turning up once more at Ramsgate where i had time to regroup. All lines had reopend by now and i was waiting for the right moment to get to Sandwich before returning for the reverse Minster curve move. If i had known there would be a swarm of schoolchildren i would have chosen differently, but i did manage to board first on the rear carriage and bag a seat. I then had to listen to inane chatter for some time but mainly until Minster itself. And breathe.....

Two last targets to consider - Birchington-on-Sea and Westgate-on-Sea. the tendency is to shorten station names of this type but its done so inconsistently, even within the same station with some station signs omitting the hyphens and some not. Some also omitting the "on Sea" parts too. What a mess. A game of how close will the seagulls come to snatching dropped chips (not mine) then ensued at Birchington. See, even i am doing it now. A stroke of luck at Westgate as a combo of arriving slightly early combined with slight lateness on the Faversham service meant i could clamber over the bridge and be on board a whole 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. Back at base it was into the car ond off.

A serious incident near Godstone on the M25 meant i dropped a whole 3 hours there whilst traffic was first held, and then directed off the M25. I declined the official detour when i eventually got there to go cross country via Caterham to get to Junction 7 before others. I seemed to be towing along 3 other like minded chancers - but it worked. I got as far as Frankley services on the M5 (M42 link closed - again) before realising i wasn't going to make it back without some sleep. This and another stop at Keele meant i had a total of 2 hours in dreamland before arriving back at around 3.30am some 5 hours behind schedule. What a palaver. I am away in Weardale tomorrow and i do have a day out planned weather permitting. Nothing after that so far so i will have to jam my planning hat on for the rest of the day to see if anything can be done about that.

Gravesend	Depart	4.17​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
Dartford	Arrive	4.39​	P4	SE	wait 21m		completed	completed
Dartford	Depart	5.00​	P4	SE
Gravesend	Arrive	5.15​	*****	SE	drive +
Relocate to	*****	*****	*****	*****	wait 109m
Faversham	Depart	7.04​	*****	SE
Deal	Arrive	8.24​	P1	SE	wait 22m
Deal	Depart	8.46​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Ramsgate	Arrive	9.05​	P2	SE	wait 19m
Ramsgate	Depart	9.33​	P1	SE
Minster	Arrive	9.17​	P2	SE	wait 10m
Minster	Depart	9.27​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Ramsgate	Arrive	9.33​	P1	SE	wait 42m
Ramsgate	Depart	10.15​	P2	SE
Staplehurst	Arrive	11.19​	P1	SE	wait 11m
Staplehurst	Depart	11.30​	P2	SE
Ashford International	Arrive	11.49​	P5	SE	wait 12m
Ashford International	Depart	12.01​	P2	SE
Pluckley	Arrive	12.07​	P1	SE	wait 33m
Pluckley	Depart	12.40​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Chilham	Arrive	13.02​	P2	SE	wait 44m
Chilham	Depart	13.46​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Wye	Arrive	13.52​	P1	SE	wait 4m
Wye	Depart	13.56​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Ramsgate	Arrive	14.34​	P1	SE	wait 43m
Ramsgate	Depart	15.17​	P2	SE
Sandwich	Arrive	15.30​	P1	SE	wait 19m
Sandwich	Depart	15.49​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Birchington-on-Sea	Arrive	16.28​	P1	SE	wait 31m
Birchington-on-Sea	Depart	16.59​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Westgate-on-Sea	Arrive	17.02​	P2	SE	wait 5m
Westgate-on-Sea	Depart	17.07​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Faversham	Arrive	17.36​	*****	SE

 

[Kite159]

A productive trip to Kent, even with the expensive car parks and issues getting home on the Friday

 

[All platforms]

Day 346: Tuesday 23/04/2024 - Middlesbrough to Saltburn - £4.40 - Anytime Return. Longbeck to South Bank - £3.40 - Anytiem Return. Redcar Central to Redcar East - £1.90 - Off-peak return. CP Station Street CP Middlesbrough - £2.50.
Total time today 202 mins - time on trains 82 mins and time waiting 120 mins. Stations completed today 4. Total completed 1824. Platforms completed at completed stations 4171.

"An unwanted free ride on the wrong train"

It was Day 2 on our short break in Weardale and i had the early morning to try and tick a few more off my wanted list in the Teesside area. Off i went then and parked up near to the station at Middlesbrouigh for the princely sum of £2.50. With all the alterations at the station very much still on the go it was a bit of a hike round to the other entrance and purchase the tickets required - and only just in time before my first service was due. I arrived on Platform 2 just as the guard was doing the start of service door tests - and appeared to be a 4 car. There is not a lot of info on the platforms to show what each service was (frankly its poor) and i blithely boarded. I was also advised p2 by my ticket seller. I settled down just as the on board announcements said we were off to Nunthorpe. I stood up and went to find the guard to query this but the doors had closed before i had moved more than 3 seats worth and we were off. I was allowed to stay on of course so an unexpected and unwanted visit to Nunthorpe. Apparently it was 2 separate 2 car sets with the forward set gong to Nunthorpe (late, as it happens) and the rear set was the Saltburn set which i wanted. My own fault of course for boarding, and another candidate for the "never assume" rule which is always applicable.

This also brings me to the topic of a and b variants of the 2 platforms at Middlesbrough. When i first scoped out this area in 2020 - (it kept me busy during the covid months) i am sure a and b variants were in RTT, and indeed closer inspection of the platform signs show that the 2 distinctions have been stickered over to just show a plain p1 and p2. The guard on the first trains also said there were no a/b distinctions at Middlesbrough and neither did i hear any announcements for this or even front or rear trains mentioned. To have 2 trains setting off 4 mins apart in the same direction and separated by less than a foot between units is not great planning. No forward/rear train announcements and no a or b designations either. None of this excuses my boarding the wrong unit, but if i can do it then it must happen fairly regularly. RTT does still show one use of p1a and p1b by the way but again no announcements of front/rear or any other distinction, just the destination and time thereof. I do find this a bit strange....

Anyway, back at Middlesbrough after the unexpected Nunthorpe excursion it left my plans in tatters so i winged it as best i could with the ticket combos i had, with frequent RTT checks to ensure services were on time and i didn't get stranded. All the stations get a really good early morning service which tails off after 9.00am or so, and i was supposed to finish c 9.30.

With the good early service i decided on a linear hop to Longbeck via Redcar East and on the return leg at Redcar East i did have time to go off the station and source a sandwich which doubled up as breakfast with my plan of doing so at Saltburn in the bin. I decided the trip to South Bank was too sporty time wise so i turned short at Redcar Central and used my ticket to Redcar East. The ticket office chap said this was the first ticket of this type he had sold in over 20 years, saying he had sold half a dozen to Teesside Airport in that time. It is a bit of an odd one for sure.

I needed P1 at Saltburn but with TransPennine using P2 and also a good few Northern services first thing it was a bit of a wait at Redcar Central and one reason why i was behind my allotted schedule on returning to Middlesbrough. Pity i didn't have more time at Saltburn, but i have been here previously, and i did catch the totem signs at the stations on the line so not everything turned to dust against the original plan. i was quite pleased i had worked out something which kept momentum going. Must do bettter tomorrow when i had the best part of a full day to try and complete the rest of the stations, and also move up the coast. Lets see.

Middlesbrough	Depart	6.22​	*****	NT			stations	platforms
Nunthorpe	Arrive	6.34​	P2	NT	wait 6m		completed	completed
Nunthorpe	Depart	6.40​	P2	NT
Middlesbrough	Arrive	6.52​	P1	NT	wait 21m
Middlesbrough	Depart	7.13​	P2a	NT
Redcar East	Arrive	7.27​	P2	NT	wait 17m
Redcar East	Depart	7.44​	P2	NT
Longbeck	Arrive	7.47​	P2	NT	wait 18m
Longbeck	Depart	8.05​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Redcar East	Arrive	8.08​	P1	NT	wait 24m
Redcar East	Depart	8.32​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Redcar Central	Arrive	8.34​	P1	NT	wait 29m
Redcar Central	Depart	9.03​	P2	NT			1​	2​
Saltburn	Arrive	9.17​	P1	NT	wait 5m
Saltburn	Depart	9.22​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Middlesbrough	Arrive	9.44​	*****	NT

 

[Kite159]

Doh with the early morning visit to Nunthorpe. At least these days platform 2 at Saltburn is easy to do with an hourly TPE.

 

[All platforms]

Day 347:Wednesday 24/04/2024 - Nunthorpe to Stockton - £5.05 - Anytime Return. Middlesbrough to Marske - £4.05 - Anytime Return. Tyne & Tees Day Ranger - £18.80 - Valid after 9.00am Weekdays. CP Nunthorpe free.
Total time today 699 mins - time on trains 280 mins and time waiting 419 mins. Stations completed today 8. Total completed 1832. Platforms completed at completed stations 4182.

"Teesside is almost complete"

I don't want to drag in the previous days malarkey/rant over platform variants at Middlesbrough, but i think i will (for the moment anyway) seek to do the blighters anyway, some of which feature today and eagle eyed watchers will note i quoted p2a for the previous mornings report as well.

The day started with an hours run down to Nunthorpe where i had scoped out yesterday the best place to park up for a fee of zero (always the best price). There is a local shop just out of sight of the platforms and level crossing so i had emergency supplies in hand right at the start. Ironically i would be catching the same service as yesterday but turning at Stockton rather than alighting at Middlesbrough. I had a whole fun itinerary planned which included a visit to Newcastle for a missing bit of track, but it wouldn't take too long for this to be derailed.

Stockton of course is pretty much the ground zero of stations, and whilst there is a nod or two to the history there, i might have expected more to view or read about. Nevertheless there was enough to have a go at and also to search (unsuccessfully) for a totem. A return to the single line to Nunthorpe/Whitby was next, and a stop at Marske for the first time. Just a 10 minute visit to await the return service from Nunthorpe before plowing that same furrow by turning at Middlesbrough and alighting at James Cook. Another game of what is the real name of this station took place. To be fair all the signage was consistent in calling it James Cook, but the on train announcements and platform announcements called it James Cook University Hospital and older maps will probably still have this too. This was definitely the busiest of the stations down to Nunthorpe, and there was a good half dozen waiting to board after my 20 minute stay. A ramped bridge over the tracks was a feature here along with a bunch of housing, and the hospital of course.

This was the service which would land in P1a according to RTT, and did indeed stop a lot further along the platform than other services i guess. It had departed to the West before the arrival of the service from Saltburn as P1a, before reversing and continuing to Nunthorpe. Again this was according to RTT with no reference on the boards or platform announcements to A or B. I am counting these as derivations, together with the P2a of the previous day. The first service was P2b and i would prefer to see if i can replicate this with another service. if not i will count it as a win as i have done with P4 at Rock Ferry, and P6 at Wolverhampton as only available as a "first service".

This was the point that it all went wrong as i had intended to turn at Nunthorpe and then wait for for the service from Whitby as the only way to snag P1 there. Unfortunately it was delayed and there were a number of attempts to minimise knock on delays - unsuccessfully i may add, and i had to eventually choose how to respond. I alighted at Marton as planned and then waited.. and waited.. etc as the boards showed 3 different services. A replacement set never materialised, and the original set eventually turned up again and a 4th option was presented as we were informed we would be turning at Danby not Whitby. Quite some delay then.

Instead of exploring the North East Coast line i decided to concentrate on Teeside for the rest of the day, and after a frantic RTT set of searches i decided to go to Danby and enjoy the scenery. Some new track for me till Battersby and i always said i wanted another go at the Esk Valley too so i kinda got my wish. I do have one more station to do at Ruswarp so maybe a trip there another day along the line. A stretch of legs at Danby before reboarding and a few chapters of my latest book. Great Ayton was in my sights next, which i kinda liked despite the oldish cars strewn about just off the station limits. I was waiting for the service to Battersby with only a 15 minute wait to inconvenience me.

I had time at Battersby to go exploring as there would be a 20 minute fester so off the back of the platform i went and a walk across the barrow crossing. A selection of farm machinery was being stored (i should be less charitable and call it abandoned) in the area quite close to some houses stick in the mind and more 30 year old cars. It had a faded aura to me lets say. What it did have however were some metal signs harping back to yester year with references to Battersby Junction Station which i thought had some merit. Full marks for keeping them - or was it that nobody could be bothered to remove them. Sorry Battersby i am probably doing you a disservice.

Back on board i resolved to finish the Teesside stations and firstly had a go at South Bank, which gets an hourly service after about 9am. It was very industrial or perhaps abandoned industrial or even about to be resurrected industrial was the vibe here and not a lot to recommend it to be honest. I was glad to board yet another service to Middlesbrough after a near 50 minute wait. The last new station today would be Gypsy Lane, and another big gap before i could get down there. I was a bit less than enthused by this point so whilst i did take the requisite photos etc i don't recall much of interest there and i was glad to be back on board and heading back up the line and the trip home (holiday home that is). I still have to return for the coastal stations up to Newcastle (some of them anyway), and i also need to decide what to do with P2b at Middlesbrough as well as fitting in Ruswarp. The whole North East has been done a bit piecemeal looking back, but i am, hopeful i can complete this part of the world later in the year.

What's next? I know i will be in London over the Bank Holiday weekend (2 days at least), but i also had my sights on other things there on the 28th, but with returning home lateish on the Saturday would i have time to plan anything worthwhile?

Nunthorpe	Depart	6.40​	*****	NT			stations	platforms
Stockton	Arrive	7.06​	P2	NT	wait 10m		completed	completed
Stockton	Depart	7.16​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Marske	Arrive	7.48​	P2	NT	wait 15m
Marske	Depart	8.03​	P1	NT			1​	1​
Middlesbrough	Arrive	8.26​	P1	NT	wait 36m
Middlesbrough	Depart	9.02​	P2	NT
James Cook	Arrive	9.06​	Single	NT	wait 19m
James Cook	Depart	9.25​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Middlesbrough	Arrive	9.29​	P1a	NT	wait 7m
Middlesbrough	Depart	9.36​	P1b	NT
Nunthorpe	Arrive	9.48​	P2	NT	wait 56m
Nunthorpe	Depart	10.44​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Marton	Arrive	10.49​	Single	NT	wait 30m
Marton	Depart	11.19​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Danby	Arrive	12.04​	Single	NT	wait 34m
Danby	Depart	12.38​	Single	NT
Great Ayton	Arrive	13.08​	Single	NT	wait 15m
Great Ayton	Depart	13.23​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Battersby	Arrive	13.28​	Single	NT	wait 22m
Battersby	Depart	13.50​	Single	NT
Middlesbrough	Arrive	14.38​	P1	NT	wait 48m
Middlesbrough	Depart	15.26​	P2	NT
South Bank	Arrive	15.31​	P2	NT	wait 48m
South Bank	Depart	16.19​	P1	NT			1​	2​
Middlesbrough	Arrive	16.24​	P1	NT	wait 40m
Middlesbrough	Depart	17.04​	P2	NT
Gypsy Lane	Arrive	17.13​	Single	NT	wait 8m
Gypsy Lane	Depart	17.25​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Middlesbrough	Arrive	17.35​	P1	NT	wait 31m
Middlesbrough	Depart	18.06​	P2	NT
Nunthorpe	Arrive	18.19​	*****	NT

 

[Kite159]

Stockton is one of those stations on my list to revisit one of these days (as well as doing the riverside walk into Middlesbrough). I do like the Whitby line for the scenic views (although I also liked the views from both bus routes), brings back memories of when I did the stations (the first time round) when the Whitby services was the same 156 going back and forth all day. A shame the smaller area rail ranger which covered both lines east of Middlesbrough got withdrawn due to low sales [pretty sure it also included a bus ride between Saltburn & Whitby and didn't carry any time restrictions[

 

[All platforms]

Stockton is one of those stations on my list to revisit one of these days (as well as doing the riverside walk into Middlesbrough). I do like the Whitby line for the scenic views (although I also liked the views from both bus routes), brings back memories of when I did the stations (the first time round) when the Whitby services was the same 156 going back and forth all day. A shame the smaller area rail ranger which covered both lines east of Middlesbrough got withdrawn due to low sales [pretty sure it also included a bus ride between Saltburn & Whitby and didn't carry any time restrictions[

I do remember that access to Stockton was a bit unusual and that there was an overhead iron sign type of thing to pass under to get access. As far as i can remember there was no totem or other clear large signage proclaiming "here is the station". I didn't mention it was raining at the time or i would have certainly have gone further outside to investigate the area. Also i only had 10 mins so not the ideal turnaround.

The Whitby services on the 2 days i was there were all 4 cars (2x156 sets) and apart from James Cook and Battersby used single door operation from the middle of the train. 2 car sets for the Nunthorpe services. I always wanted to come back to ride the whole line and one of the reasons i left Ruswarp as the straggler here. Pretty much the rest of the line has been done in freezing conditions over many one stop journeys so it felt right i did the whole thing properly at least once.

I can commend the Weardale Railway as well. The Bishop Auckland end looked intriguing where it connects to NR when i visited there last year and i always said i would return there as one of the heritage must do's. Little did i know i would be gifted a driver experience there and Thursday morning was spent doing that from the Stanhope end. It was a shunter and i found it easy to acclimatise albeit there was a 6 mph limit imposed for these type of events. That also made the experience last a bit longer of course. A wonderful experience in fact, and one i can highly recommend. I had no preconceptions and even got to sit in whilst the "authority" process was taking place in the Managers office.

A few of the smaller Day Rangers seem to have disappeared over the last 2 years and one of those would have made the day a bit cheaper though i can't recall now what it was called, but you are absolutely right in saying there was a bus connection between Saltburn and Whitby included in it.

 

[The exile]

A few of the smaller Day Rangers seem to have disappeared over the last 2 years and one of those would have made the day a bit cheaper though i can't recall now what it was called, but you are absolutely right in saying there was a bus connection between Saltburn and Whitby included in it.

Would be interesting to know what the reasoning was behind their withdrawal. Poor sales would be understandable if it was something that took up space or went off- but that hardly applies to a ticket. Were they undercutting normal fares too much or leading to overcrowding?

 

[All platforms]

Day 348: Sunday 28/04/2024 - Whittlesford Parkway to Bishops Stortford - £6.65 - Super Off-peak Return. Brentwood London Day Travelcard - £11.20 - Off-peak. Brentwood to Shenfield - £3.00 - Off-peak Return. CP Station Road Whittlesford free. Cheshunt CP £6.00.
Total time today 644 mins - time on trains 277 mins and time waiting 367 mins. Stations completed today 8. Total completed 1840. Platforms completed at completed stations 4199. 71.29% complete. 741 stations remain.

"Bashing at the Bishop"

As my platforms remaining start to shrink to a more manageable level i seem to be finding ways to extend the whole journey, and one of the sub quests recently added is to see just how difficult it is to include an all track approach on the Greater Anglia network. Mad i know, but i am still at the stage where there are enough things of interest to make a day of it. The premise for today was to tick 3 awkward bits of track at Bishops Stortford with an early embargo to the South of there making that possible. From there i was to move towards London and see what else i could easily accomplish. The issue was the time to plan this properly. It feels like this has become a full time job. 2 days to plan 2 or 3 days out on the network and another 2 days to debrief and update my records (of which there a lot!) and make a report here. A completely self imposed problem of course (its not really a problem in the conventional sense but you know what i mean hopefully). I also knew there were a few bits of track on the line out to Shenfield on offer today and quickly cobbled something together to include those. There was probably a who;e lot more i could have done on this theme, but with no time to plan i reverted to just doing the missing stations on the line from Cheshunt into Liverpool Street.

I probably set off earlier than i should, but in turn this made it a very relaxing drive down, even though it rained for the remainder of the journey once through Birmingham. Quite a few places were flooded once off the Motorway i was to find later, but Whittlesford Parkway is only a mile or two off the M11 - more of that later. I always try and source tickets the day before but i was forced into the "buy on the day" approach because of lack of time. Not a problem with Greater Anglia machines pretty much everywhere on their network and a suitable Super Off-peak return was obtained. It was pelters however and i had time enough to realise just how cold it was still. Curse you Spring, where are you hiding?

I think i was the only person on the service which originated at Cambridge (i think) and just 2 intermediate stops before terminating unusually in P1 at Bishops Stortford making use of the crossover North of the station to achieve this. Tick number one for the day! I would be returning to my start point via the unusual use of P3 going North, and covering the other crossover North of the station which would be ticks two and three. Before that there was whole raft of unusual and semi unusual moves to observe as GA tried to use all available permutations at the Stortford in an hour. I did have time to get soaked by moving off station and going in search of a convenience store for some unhealthy snacks and a sandwich and this killed a good few minutes. Luckily the inboad into P3 arrived in plenty of time though i couldn't see if it was ECS or not as there was a 12 car blocking my view as it arrived. This went North of course as one of the unusual variations on offer. Much better to wait it out onboard and consume another chapter in the process.

With 3 ticks in the bag it was another 20 mins back to my Parkway start point where the restrictions on Station Road are weekday only before zipping off towards Cheshunt, which has been a favourite place to park up these last few months. Only it was less zip and more a plod, as the M11 Southbound was closed and i had to rely on quick thinking to ensure i was headed in the right direction and with not a lot of headroom time wise to make my intended connection. One of the few things i have a vague talent for is navigation on the fly and so only 15 mins was lost as i forded my way South through the flooded roads before arriving with a few mins to spare. I needed tickets however and thankfully the ticket office was open for the two that i needed. I intended a Cheshunt London Day Travelcard, but as i also needed a Brentwood to Shenfield return this stopped him in his tracks and said this wouldn't work and i needed a Boundary Z6 instead. I didn't have time to have a discussion so changed to a Brentwood Travelcard immediately which seemed to satisfy him for some reason. Both tickets allow Zone 7-9 travel and as i was using Crossrail i would be stopping at Brentwood in both directions...... I hopped on the Overground service with 20 secs to spare. I could have planned this more efficiently but this way would allow me to tick off one of my three remaining platforms at Liverpool Street albeit quite a bit of trackwork is also needed and will probably need at least one day just focusing on that.

Quite a lot of stops before alighting at Liverpool Street and heading off to the Elizabeth Line and a service which was to arrive in P5 at Shenfield for the track win before remaining on board and retracing my steps. A double crossover after Ilford was another win as the Electric Line between there and Stratford was embargoed today. With that excitement behind me it was time to tackle those missing stations and try and avoid as much of the football traffic as possible due to there being a home fixture at White Hart Lane. I didn't quite keep my eye on the ball (Ha!) so missed the next P2 departure going to Chingford as i had a bit of missing track to hoover up at Hackney Downs which was achieved by a switcheroo at Clapton and then alighting at Bethnal Green for the first time. I did go totem hunting at all the next stations but of course everything is branded in Orange and the traditional signs all removed. Gah... i can't remember already but there was an overground branded totem at one of the later stations. There may be more of course but its the first one i can recall.

It was knocking on 3pm by the time i departed Bethnal Green, and because the service is every 15 or 30 mins depending where you are it was pretty much all go for the rest of the day. London Fields and Cambridge Heath were all scratched off before it was time to complete Enfield Town and the easiest platform there which was P2. The football traffic made this a little harder to negotiate today as the extras laid on seemed to use P1 to turn before running back empty. Nevertheless i made it as planned and a welcome pit stop as none of the trains i was using this afternoon had any facilities of course. I was in three minds as to how best to negotiate my remaining stations and plumped in the end for an Edmonton Green turnaround to capture Bush Hill Park and ended up on a football special which was crammed to the gills and which emptied oout pretty much at Bush Hill Park. So much so it took 10 mins for them to squeeze through the exit passage and tap out.

The last three stations were Rectory Road, Stamford Hill and Stoke Newington before heading back to Cheshunt via a still busy set of platforms at White Hart Lane. Thankfully i had a seat already but the remaining ones were gobbled up immediately. It did of course get quieter the further North we went but i am fairly sure most of the punters had stopped off for a quick half or seven beforehand.

A successful day in North London then and there now aren't that many stations remaining North of the river that i haven't visited yet, albeit there are quite a few in an unfinished state. I am just about to start seeing the wood for trees here though many visits remain to be done i am sure. A few more South of the river to contemplate as well. I will be back in London next Sunday and Monday more than likely and my next task here is to plan this properly.

Whittlesford Parkway	Depart	7.38​	*****	LE			stations	platforms
Bishops Stortford	Arrive	7.59​	P1	LE	wait 71m		completed	completed
Bishops Stortford	Depart	9.10​	P3	LE
Whittlesford Parkway	Arrive	9.30​	*****	LE	drive +
Relocate to	******	*****	*****	*****	wait 92m
Cheshunt	Depart	11.02​	*****	LO
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	11.42​	P2	LO	wait 21m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	12.03​	PA	XR
Shenfield	Arrive	12.52​	P5	XR	wait 5m
Shenfield	Depart	12.57​	P5	XR
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	13.41​	PB	XR	wait 36m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	14.17​	P2	LO
Clapton	Arrive	14.27​	P2	LO	wait 13m
Clapton	Depart	14.40​	P1	LO
Bethnal Green	Arrive	14.47​	P1	LO	wait 16m
Bethnal Green	Depart	15.03​	P2	LO			1​	2​
London Fields	Arrive	15.07​	P2	LO	wait 12m
London Fields	Depart	15.19​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Cambridge Heath	Arrive	15.20​	P1	LO	wait 15m
Cambridge Heath	Depart	15.35​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Enfield Town	Arrive	16.02​	P2	LO	wait 18m
Enfield Town	Depart	16.20​	P2	LO			1​	3​
Edmonton Green	Arrive	16.25​	P1	LO	wait 3m
Edmonton Green	Depart	16.28​	P2	LO
Bush Hill Park	Arrive	16.30​	P2	LO	wait 22m
Bush Hill Park	Depart	16.52​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Rectory Road	Arrive	17.11​	P1	LO	wait 16m
Rectory Road	Depart	17.27​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Stamford Hill	Arrive	17.30​	P2	LO	wait 8m
Stamford Hill	Depart	17.38​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Stoke Newington	Arrive	17.39​	P1	LO	wait 19m
Stoke Newington	Depart	17.58​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	18.22​	*****	LO

 

[All platforms]

Would be interesting to know what the reasoning was behind their withdrawal. Poor sales would be understandable if it was something that took up space or went off- but that hardly applies to a ticket. Were they undercutting normal fares too much or leading to overcrowding?

I suspect it is more something to do with a lack of use as Kite suggested in a previous post. I purchase my tickets from a ticket office wherever possible and almost without fail they have to dredge up how to do this from the back of the mind and frequently say something on the lines of "i haven't sold one of those before, what's it called again". Many variations on that theme essentially. An honorouble exception to this is at Warrington West as the chap there is a rail enthusiast himself and has "the knoweldge" even with some of the more obscure ones. Try asking for a 2 or more zones North Wales Rover at any station and you will be there for 10 mins before they say they can't find it. I take an old ticket along when purchasing these so they have an idea of what to input.

There is no denying that if you are undertaking more than 2 journeys per day in the area concerned they offer value for money, and for someone like myself who can be out there 10 to 12 hours at a time they offer incredible value. I suspect if they prove too popular they will hike up the prices annually to deter folk, like i have seen with about probably about half of them. An honourable exception is the Strathclyde Roundabout which has remained at £7.40 for the last 5 years. Also the Kent Rover remains at £45. Most of the others can see occasional or less than inflation rises. if i had a bit more time i might do a deeper dive into this as after a quick look on the excellent railrover.org site there is definitely no consistency nationwide. (they offer prices for previous years too).

 

[Andy Pacer]

I was surprised the Esk Valley ticket had disappeared. I see the Yorkshire Coast day which includes travel on the Arriva X93/X94 still exists though.

 

[All platforms]

I was surprised the Esk Valley ticket had disappeared. I see the Yorkshire Coast day which includes travel on the Arriva X93/X94 still exists though.

This ticket is one of the pricier options seen for a days travel in a small area at £26.70 before discount options and is also one of the ones that sees a price hike every year. I might be more tempted with the East Yorkshire Round Robin at £31.20 although this does not include the Arriva X93/X94 up to Whitby. 2011 price £16 compared to £20 for the Round Robin back then.

 

[Andy Pacer]

This ticket is one of the pricier options seen for a days travel in a small area at £26.70 before discount options and is also one of the ones that sees a price hike every year. I might be more tempted with the East Yorkshire Round Robin at £31.20 although this does not include the Arriva X93/X94 up to Whitby. 2011 price £16 compared to £20 for the Round Robin back then.

I did the round robin ticket a few years ago and managed to tick off all of the stations on the coast, was a good day.

 

[Kite159]

A productive day in London & Bishops Stortford. The track to the north of P3 is very much required by myself, but probably will never get done unless on a railtour which gets put via P3 as a special request.

Remember the Arriva buses are only £2 each way at the moment, and I'm sure there will be some sort of bus day ticket available if you need to make use of more than a handful of services. Both routes from Middlesborough to Whitby are worth doing in my eyes for nice scenic views, I had a nice day out last May (I think) when I did something like (Dewsbury -) Leeds - Whitby - Midddlesborough [via Saltburn] - Scarborough [all be with an enforced break in Whitby due to the bus being cancelled beyond Whitby] - Leeds [boarding the Scarborough - Leeds Coastliner at the starting point to get a decent seat before the masses boarded at the railway station)

 

[Trainguy34]

I just wondered how you worked out the Platforms used at Skegness and they aren't appearing on RTT and have been looking at doing something similar.

 

[All platforms]

I just wondered how you worked out the Platforms used at Skegness and they aren't appearing on RTT and have been looking at doing something similar.

An excellent question, and the short answer is you can't predict this with any certainty. I did a bit of a delve on this thorny problem some years ago so it is probably best to search a thread i started 03/07/2021 entitled Skegness Platform Information where some knowledgable folk gave some excellent info on the subject.

I have P4 and P5 ticked so far and i understand P3 can occasionally be used too but your best bet is in the peak summer when normal services are joined by 2 Saturday specials, so 2 platforms have to be in use twice a day on those Saturdays. I did this 2 years running and got the same P4/P5 result. I gave it a miss last year but it has been nigh on impossible to see which platform the specials used in 2023 to know whether i would have been successful or not.

I understand that 2020 saw HST's doing the specials and they used P4 with the regular using P3. Good luck if you decide to take on the challenge. I think in reality only 3 platforms are ever likely to be used however.

 

[Kite159]

Lovely Skegness, a place best avoided during peak summertime.

 

[Trainguy34]

If

An excellent question, and the short answer is you can't predict this with any certainty. I did a bit of a delve on this thorny problem some years ago so it is probably best to search a thread i started 03/07/2021 entitled Skegness Platform Information where some knowledgable folk gave some excellent info on the subject.

I have P4 and P5 ticked so far and i understand P3 can occasionally be used too but your best bet is in the peak summer when normal services are joined by 2 Saturday specials, so 2 platforms have to be in use twice a day on those Saturdays. I did this 2 years running and got the same P4/P5 result. I gave it a miss last year but it has been nigh on impossible to see which platform the specials used in 2023 to know whether i would have been successful or not.

I understand that 2020 saw HST's doing the specials and they used P4 with the regular using P3. Good luck if you decide to take on the challenge. I think in reality only 3 platforms are ever likely to be used however.

Just from a look at RTT, it's got some Platforms set for the summer sat specials, starting 20th July with 2x arrivals and departures mid morning - noon ish from Platform 3 at Skegness. Hope that helps!

 

[All platforms]

Just from a look at RTT, it's got some Platforms set for the summer sat specials, starting 20th July with 2x arrivals and departures mid morning - noon ish from Platform 3 at Skegness. Hope that helps!

Its as good as we are going to get - but its not a given. I seem to recall i was expecting P5 back in 2021 on the same basis and both specials ended up in P5. For 2022 RTT said P3 and it was P5 again for both. I will make an effort to do the specials again in 2024. Blind hope sometimes works!

 

[All platforms]

Day 349: Saturday 04/05/2024 - Banbury to Basingstoke - £14.50 - Off-peak Return. Basingstoke to Bournemouth - £7.45 - Advance Single. Bournemouth to Southampton Central - £5.60 - Advance Single. Southampton Central to Basingstoke - £7.25 - Advance Single. CP Banbury £5.50.
Total time today 396 mins - time on trains 379 mins and time waiting 17 mins. No stations completed today but a new station had 2 platforms ticked off.

"Bournemouth the long way round"

This was my second attempt at travelling the Laverstock Loop, with the first having to be abandoned at very short notice some weeks ago. With time once again primarily being my own i resolved to ensure i would make the attempt again at the first opportunity. This time i decided to start/finish the excursion at Banbury to take advantage of the first departure South which was from New Street. At least one leg of the journey would be comfortable - hopefully. I am no fan of XC with pretty much all journeys i have taken with them being overcrowded on sub standard seating. I have also seen unholy carnage at some stations as i wait for other TOC's services. The exception being very early/late services tend to be less crowded. For the time being journeys with XC will be when no alternatives exist.

That all said i was looking forward to doing something a bit different, and getting to experience a whole bunch of new track into the bargain. I chose to split ticket this journey as it would save me over £20, but obtaining said tickets did prove somewhat time consuming. With my main guy on holiday the replacement ticket office operative unfortunately had not come across this situation, and even now i am not sure the concept of split ticketing was fully understood. I blame myself for not explaining this more carefully, but it was an interesting half hour! I cannot fault the determination to get it right, and had absolutely no problem in hanging on in there and we had a good laugh about it at the end. Thankfully no other customers in that time as we were fortunately between services.

A mere 2 hours in the car this morning, and i was glad i was there ahead of schedule as there was a Pathfinder Tour calling just 10 minutes before the XC. It was headed by a pair of Class 37's provided by West Coast and pulling 11 coaches. A good 2 dozen piled out of the front carriages upon arrival and sprinted to the front for the ubiquitous photocall. I got my own shots once they had reboarded. The wonderful sounds from the class 37's on departure was a great start to the day!

My service was most certainly not quiet in the reserved coaches so i made a beeline for coach B which was almost empty. New track for me today once we we left Oxford with the service starting to fill at this point. I am very much looking forward to returning for the intermediate stations between Oxford and Reading. Also the Railway Centre at Didcot which was very busy on the return. I have been to Reading a few times but not since 2021 and i need more track here than virtually anywhere else on the network. I got the Festival line under my belt as we crossed and landed in P7 which i am fairly sure is not a move often undertaken. (Not according to UTT anyway)

More new track on the short hop to Basingstoke and a few more stations to come back to of course, and whilst i have been to Basingstoke a few times now there is still much to do. I have also been to Overton, but in the dark so it was a surprise to see just how pretty the countryside was as we made our way towards the main even of Laverstock. I did look to see if a brass band had been laid on at Grateley as we passed through but maybe when i return haha!

Laverstock itself was traversed at near walking pace and then we were almost turned back on ourselves as we made our way towards Romsey. Southampton was approached from the West and because of a freight engine sat on the Up Fast Line we traversed the Up Slow and an unexpected bonus of the crossover to arrive in P1. Thinking about it we also did this in reverse as we headed West out of the station and onto the Down Slow. The return back into Southampton a little later did use the Up Fast into P1 so a good start with track here.

Time to stretch my legs once at Bournemouth but not enough time to go outside and source supplies were they needed. I did bring stuff with me for once so no hardship. Bournemouth was one busy station by this time and it would be a much busier return leg that much was clear. Standing room only upon leaving Southampton so my decision to travel to Bournemouth was vindicated. It got even busier at Basingstoke and despite air con it was a very stuffy atmosphere all the way back. Laverstock was traversed quite slowly once more and this time the associated crossovers too of course. Chaos at Basingstoke as the points at Southcote Junction were out of action and nothing was going to/from Reading as a result. Cue 30 minutes of nothing on a hot and overcrowded train. This spoilt the whole experience (unsurprisingly) and why i will be avoiding the summer rush if at all possible going forward.

I resorted to a bit of shuteye i have to confess to make things more bearable. A little more room after Oxford i am pleased to report but i was very happy to alight at Banbury too. Easy journey back home and a double check of my Bank Holiday itinerary as i would be revisiting Kent with lots of different awkwardness to look forward too.

Banbury	Depart	6.54​	*****	XC			stations	platforms
Bournemouth	Arrive	9.51​	P3	XC	wait 17m		completed	completed
Bournemouth	Depart	10.08​	P2	XC
Banbury	Arrive	13.30​	*****	XC

 

[Kite159]

You passed me when sitting on the charter on the up fast in Millbrook (forcing you to use the slow line) (waiting for a late running GWR from Portsmouth to go ahead).

Ouchie with the points failing at Southcote junction as well, doesn't help that passengers will tend to use the diverted train if they wanted Basingstoke than use the replacement bus from Winchester, even if the bus is a bit quicker.

 

[All platforms]

Day 350: Sunday 05/05/2024 - Kent Rover - £30.00 - Valid all day at Weekends - Day 1 (only 2 days used). Swamley to Shortlands - £4.20 - Off-peak Return. CP Faversham £3.60.
Total time today 988 mins - time on trains 423 mins and time waiting 565 mins. Stations completed today 10. Total completed 1850. Platforms completed at completed stations 4224.

"A wide selection of the unusal". Well it is a Bank holiday weekend.

One of what is now my traditional 3am starts to get down to Kent where i would be hopping around to score new track including a host of unusual items, some of which was actually planned....

The journey down went surprisingly well with daylight starting to appear soon after Birmingham, so much so i decided to just sit it out and do the journey in one go. Not like me at all. The bonus element to this was an earlier start at Faversham so i could fit an extra station in as well as complete Faversham for platforms. Lovely! The random extra station that got my vote was Chestfield and Swalecliffe where i alighted just after 8am. The real bonus here however was the local cafe that had just opened with a dozen punters already in situ awaiting food. It had an Eastern Mediterranean vibe to it but with an English based comprehensive menu. Chips were already been served as part of a meal but i opted for slightly more traditional fare in the guise of bacon and onions on a soft baguette. All cooked to order too, and possibly the best breakfast food i have had on this journey so far. Just enough time to get back to the return platform and scoff the lot before boarding a return to Faversham and a tick for P2.

Next up was the very rarely used crossover from a P4 starting position going East on the Canterbury East line. When i use the word rare i guess i mean not in the normal timetable according to UTT. One of the reasons for being at this spot on a Sunday morning actually. I would be going to Dover Priory where the service would terminate in the P3 bay there. here i had time enough to get outside and try and source some more food. I do have a tendency to buy early if i can on the basis it has sometimes been difficult on some routes to get anything vaguely nutritious. I wish i hadn't bothered as what was promised to be chicken breast, was actually flakes of chicken of a decidly less than fresh hue.

With track West of Rainham embargoed today, and west of Paddock Wood too, P5 and P6 at Ashford were getting a lot of use, with services also splitting and joining here which ordinarily would only happen on a few services. I clocked this on my way to Maidstone East (The Maidstone Relief line was also in constant use today). This knowledge was very useful once at Maidstone as it became apparent that a track test train sat in Lenham station as we travelled through, was the cause of an hour long delay for the return leg. It had failed there and was awating a tow!! This threw my plans out of kilter, and so i resolved to bag the P5/6 variants when i did eventually make my way back to Ashford, rather than plough on with station bagging. Mental gymnastics ensued as i wrestled with RTT once i knew what time we would arrive back.

I did get a couple of new stations in with Westenhanger and then Sandling chosen, but it was not easy as there were knock on effects of the failed train and much was running late. I also had a stab at Chartham but bailed at Chilham (done previously), as the time was getting tight and there are too many level crossings on this line to take any risks. (I would catch myself out by ignoring my own advice on the Monday - more of this in the next report). With all the variants completed i looked to get myself back on my original course by returning to Dover Priory on a Javelin thus ticking off 2 crossovers and track as we went via P1, on my way to Martin Mill. By alighting back at Dover Priory this allowed me a station complete with all 4 crossovers also in the bag. Some through track bits are needed still but i don't think this is tricky.

A whole bunch of tunnels in this part of the world and i did enjoy the new scenery. Lots of little observations and stories were the order of the day too but it would take too long to fully recall them and recap etc so believe me it was an excellent days trainage so far. I do recall reading somewhere (again lost to the mists of time as to where/when) that some Kent stations have a bit of a reputation for vandalism and ne'er do wells hanging about, but so far i have not seen much that confirms that repuatation. Some stations seem to have lost the ticket office, and abandoned as a time capsule, and i did see one with glass on the floor inside (Martin Mill?).

I just had time to fit in 2 stations on the line back to Faversham so Shepherds Well and then Kearsney went into the book. I definitely want to revisit Shepherds Well as the Mid-Kent Railway is based there and looks as if its my kind of outfit. As always, these places are closed when i pass through.... I decided to turn at Teynham, this time in the light in order to score some track snippets at Faversham, and i was all done by 7.23 in the pm. A moments madness with my satnav casued a bit of a wobble but i did have enough time to check in at my hotel and have time to relocate to Borough Green & Wrotham which would be my jumping off point for some late night fun.

A bit of a bonus evening it would turn out to be with my first smile of the evening rserved for the P3 arrival at Swanley and covering a piece of track that has stubbornly not been used on a few visits despite beign timetabled. I was to learn that vandalism at St Mary Cray earlier had closed the fasts, so effectively i profited from a bad thing! If i had known why at the time of alighting i wouldn't have, and stayed on until Bickley as P3 there and at Shortlands have eluded me many times this last 12 months. With this ship having sailed i didn't have enough time to do both now. I did try for a workaround but one didn't present.

I decided to forgo Longfield in order to make Shortlands later so i went to Sole Street direct on one of the half hour services running all day, before returning via the P2 crossover, thus completing that and the station, having done P1 there on a linear hop last time i was here. there was a leter service which promised to use P1 at Swanley and another elusive crossover, but that wasn't going to happen with the news at St Mary Cray. First stop Bromley and then wait for the Thameslink which had been diverted to the slows this evening and less than 2 minutes after leaving Bromley South i was alighting onto a very quiet P3 at Shortlands for the win. A short while later i was back at Bromley South and waiting for the stopper that would take me back to Borough Green.

With a fast service breathing down its neck i knew the promised use of the Loop just before Borough Green would occur, but boy did it takes it time before finally ending up there and crawling along its length, waiting for the fast to overtake. It duly did and i was pretty happy to alight a few moments later, before driving the few miles back to the hotel and some sleep. I would be up and about again in 5 hours time. Just a half day tomorrow as i would need to be back for tea/supper/dinner (take your pick depending where you are in the country). A highly successful day, if i say so myself.

Faversham	Depart	7.51​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
Chestfield & Swalecliffe	Arrive	8.02​	P2	SE	wait 22m		completed	completed
Chestfield & Swalecliffe	Depart	8.24​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Faversham	Arrive	8.35​	P2	SE	wait 23m
Faversham	Depart	8.58​	P4	SE			1​	4​
Dover Priory	Arrive	9.40​	P3	SE	wait 20m
Dover Priory	Depart	10.00​	P2	SE
Maidstone East	Arrive	10.58​	P1	SE	wait 50m
Maidstone East	Depart	11.48​	P2	SE
Ashford International	Arrive	12.24​	P6	SE	wait 34m
Ashford International	Depart	12.58​	P6a	SE
Westenhanger	Arrive	13.08​	P2	SE	wait 18m
Westenhanger	Depart	13.26​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Ashford International	Arrive	13.34​	P5	SE	wait 16m
Ashford International	Depart	13.50​	P6b	SE
Chilham	Arrive	14.02​	P2	SE	wait 14m
Chilham	Depart	14.16​	P1	SE
Ashford International	Arrive	14.28​	P5a	SE	wait 26m
Ashford International	Depart	14.54​	P6a	SE
Sandling	Arrive	15.05​	P1	SE	wait 14m
Sandling	Depart	15.19​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Ashford International	Arrive	15.31​	P5b	SE	wait 17m
Ashford International	Depart	15.48​	P5	SE
Martin Mill	Arrive	16.24​	P2	SE	wait 14m
Martin Mill	Depart	16.38​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Dover Priory	Arrive	16.46​	P1	SE	wait 34m		1​	3​
Dover Priory	Depart	17.20​	P3	SE
Shepherds Well	Arrive	17.29​	P1	SE	wait 29m
Shepherds Well	Depart	17.58​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Kearsney	Arrive	18.02​	P2	SE	wait 25m
Kearsney	Depart	18.27​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Teynham	Arrive	19.09​	P1	SE	wait 10m
Teynham	Depart	19.19​	P2	SE
Faversham	Arrive	19.23​	*****	SE	wait +
Relocate to	*****	*****	*****	*****	drive 84m
Borough Green & Wrotham	Depart	20.47​	*****	SE
Swanley	Arrive	21.04​	P3	SE	wait 32m
Swanley	Depart	21.36​	P4	SE
Sole Street	Arrive	21.54​	P2	SE	wait 6m
Sole Street	Depart	22.00​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Bromley South	Arrive	22.22​	P3	SE	wait 40m
Bromley South	Depart	23.02​	P3	TL
Shortlands	Arrive	23.03​	P3	TL	wait 14m
Shortlands	Depart	23.17​	P4	TL			1​	4​
Bromley South	Arrive	23.19​	P4	TL	wait 23m
Bromley South	Depart	23.42​	P4	SE
Borough Green & Wrotham	Arrive	0.19​	*****	SE

 

[All platforms]

You passed me when sitting on the charter on the up fast in Millbrook (forcing you to use the slow line) (waiting for a late running GWR from Portsmouth to go ahead).

Ouchie with the points failing at Southcote junction as well, doesn't help that passengers will tend to use the diverted train if they wanted Basingstoke than use the replacement bus from Winchester, even if the bus is a bit quicker.

I think that's the 4th time we have been co-located since i started late 2020, but never on the same train. Strange but true.

 

[All platforms]

Day 351: Monday 06/05/2024 - Kent Rover - Day 2 of 3 (only 2 days used however). Tunbridge Wells to Wadhurst - £3.30 - Off-peak Return. CP Tonbridge £3.50.
Total time today 462 mins - time on trains 224 mins and time waiting 238 mins. Stations completed today 5. Total completed 1855. Platforms completed at completed stations. 71.87% of all stations are complete.

"Level Crossing issues at Sturry"

Time to make a start proper at Tonbridge, which has more crossovers and track configurations than most stations twice its size. It has the added benefit of being a good 20 miles nearer to home than yesterdays start point. One of the extremities of the Rover is Tunbridge Wells so that seemed like a good first turning point of the day. it would mean an hours wait but i have a particularly good book on the go at the moment and the time happily passed without isse. It was also raining or to put it another way - it was tippling down well and truly, and only a trip to a Tesco Express for supplies saw me leave the station.

The return saw the Hastings Chord in use and a stop in P1 at Tonbridge before continuing up to Sevenoaks where there was 20 minute wait for another Hastings service. This time i would be turning at High Broome and then again at Hildenborough. 3 stations done by 9.15 and a 4th within the hour in the form of Wadhurst which required an extra ticket, and my first station in Sussex.

I am not really sure why i chose Sturry as my next new station given i had to get back to Tonbridge, wait, and then another hours travel to do so. I had hoped to take in Chartham and Canterbury West as well, but the judas level crossing at Sturry put paid to that. Yes its always your own fault if you leave insufficient time to cross but i timed the Javelin at just over 3 minutes from barrier down to train crossing. Who here would have said 7 minutes would have been enough to cross on the proviso that another unit would not make an appearance in the opposite direction. I thought i had plenty of time as i sauntered back from the Co-op but the ruddy thing turned up almost 3 minutes early, and then some 4 minutes after the barrier lowered. RTT gives no arrival time. Its dwell time at Sturry was 3 and a half minutes with the back 2 carriages sat over the level crossing all that time. No Chartham or Canterbury West, and the whole thing not helped by some teenage party being held in the shelter whilst the rain returned with a vengeance for a short while. Quite put a dampener on the day. All that time and effort for one measly station.

My good fortune (ha!) continued on the way home as 4 (yes count them) accidents contributed to a 6 hour plus journey time. It would have been a lot longer but my skill set with maps and sat nav trickery got me off the dual carriageway/motorway in time to navigate around the problem each time. Traffic app also helped to pinpoint the scale of the problem quickly. Something i can do a lot easier in daylight than at night for sure. There are a lot of tight and twistys to the West of Sevenoaks but perhaps i should have stayed out longer and come back late night. Food for thought.

Battersea Park P2 is in play all next weekend with a whole host of London and Kent one offs on the Sunday so that's something to get my teeth into tomorrow. That reminds me that Marsden P3 was used as planned today 8.30/8.38 and 17.30/17.39 too, so if it works again tomorrow i will get myself up there later in the week. Barnetby P1 is also promised for the Sunday at 19.52 but why sit a freight train in P2 19.39/20.03 and not in p1 as would be normal? Not sure i want to risk that with London offering so much more.

Tonbridge	Depart	6.54​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
Tunbridge Wells	Arrive	7.02​	P2	SE	wait 60m		completed	completed
Tunbridge Wells	Depart	8.02​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Sevenoaks	Arrive	8.21​	P1	SE	wait 22m
Sevenoaks	Depart	8.43​	P3	SE
High Brooms	Arrive	8.58​	P2	SE	wait 18m
High Brooms	Depart	9.16​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Hildenborough	Arrive	9.26​	P1	SE	wait 23m
Hildenborough	Depart	9.49​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Wadhurst	Arrive	10.12​	P2	SE	wait 15m
Wadhurst	Depart	10.27​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Tonbridge	Arrive	10.46​	P2	SE	wait 26m
Tonbridge	Depart	11.12​	P3	SE
Sturry	Arrive	12.17​	P2	SE	wait 74m
Sturry	Depart	13.31​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Tonbridge	Arrive	14.36​	*****	SE

 

[Kite159]

A good little trip to Kent Rover land, even with the issues at Sturry