Longest non-London rail commute

[anti-pacer]

Do you any of you have a long daily rail commute that isn't into it out of Central London, or have you had one previously? Do you know of anyone else who has?

The longest I've ever done myself is Darwen to Stretford (OK, not strictly rail) about 17 years ago when I used to look after my parents house when they went on holiday, so not permanent or even that impressive.

I do know someone who commutes from Wakefield to Stockport daily, which I guess is quite a way.

 

[Camden]

London to Liverpool?...

Not daily

 

[BHXDMT]

I've seen a passenger with a Penkridge to Stockport season. And I've seen a gent with a Telford to Reading season. Obviously can't say what journeys they actually make or how often, but those are about two of the longest I've seen.

 

[AlterEgo]

I did Milton Keynes to Birmingham a few years ago but I am sure others will be able to dwarf that.

 

[GodAtum]

I do Croydon - Guildford. Also done Croydon - Marlow. Not strictly out of central London.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I did Milton Keynes to Birmingham a few years ago but I am sure others will be able to dwarf that.

Speaking of Milton Keynes, I've done Milton Keynes to Brighton before.

 

[Gemz91]

Know of a Leeds to Lincoln commuter and Leeds to Macclesfield, not sure how these compare to other distances though.

 

[EM2]

Maidstone to Eastbourne back in the late '80s was a real pain. Thankfully, I only I had to do it for a week.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There are plenty of people here commuting from Middlesbrough and Redcar, and I'm aware of some people in the place who are commuting from York.

 

[greatkingrat]

The most expensive non-London season ticket that exists is Derby - Glasgow at £528.10 per week or £21124 per year.

 

[northwichcat]

I've heard of Acton Bridge to Birmingham and Stoke to Liverpool.

Sometimes people do long commutes on a temporary basis because their place of work has moved and they've not been able to relocate in time. Other times it's temporary because they can't drive for a couple of weeks and the route by rail is much longer than the route by road e.g. Southport to Knutsford.

 

[jopsuk]

I do Croydon - Guildford.

That's not very far at all!


How far out does Edinburgh and Glasgow (by train) commuting tend to extend? I'd bet there's daily Aberdeen-Glasgow commuters (and maybe even the other way?).

 

[Chrism20]

couple of years back I done Edinburgh to Newcastle four or five days a week for about 14 months. Done Edinburgh to Preston four times a week for a month as well.

Never again.

 

[sprinterguy]

Macclesfield to Birmingham for me, which is just shy of 64 miles apparently. It doesn't seem so far, and the recent acceleration of northbound trains as a result of the Norton Bridge works has been a boon, but folk at both ends of my commute frequently express surprise and astonishment when I reveal it to them.

Commuting daily from a suburb of Birmingham to London Liverpool Street by comparison, and outside of the scope of this thread, now that was a killer, though in both instances I am not the only one in the office to do/have done so.

 

[Ianno87]

Stoke to Milton Keynes is pretty common. I've heard of one person doing Manchester Piccadilly to Milton Keynes daily.

 

[al78]

That's not very far at all!

It just feels like it is on a bad day.

 

[swanhill41]

I know of a guy who commutes Carlisle to Preston 5 days a week...I think it is paid for by his employer..In terms of time,as WCML electrics ,Virgin or TPE,,prob just over the hour travelling time.

Oh and my step daughter lives near Penrith and does Penrith to Manchester Deansgate 5 days a week...It helps she is well paid solicitor,who thought in her late 40's that the life in the Lakes was preferable to St Helens..She is in her 8th year of commuting!!...Mileage around 100.

 

[tsr]

I've done Horsham or Gatwick to stations around Chelmsford and Norwich a few times, tacked onto my regular (much, much shorter) commute. It's regular insofar as it is at various specific times of the year, though not frequently done.

 

[Dgss1]

I know someone from my school that does Watford Junction to Birmingham

 

[me123]

How far out does Edinburgh and Glasgow (by train) commuting tend to extend? I'd bet there's daily Aberdeen-Glasgow commuters (and maybe even the other way?).

Hard to commute to Aberdeen because the trains from the Central Belt don't arrive until about 9am (the first arrival from Edinburgh is 08:13 which does work, but from Glasgow there's nothing until 08:47 which is probably too late for most people). Aberdeen isn't a place where one would live to commute to the Central Belt on a daily basis - the cost of living is (was?) higher than the Central Belt because oil, and there's frankly very little in Aberdeen that would make you want to live there if you didn't work there. It has nothing that the Central Belt cities don't have. You'd be much better off living in Glasgow or Edinburgh. That said, I know there are people who make the journey regularly down to the Central Belt (at least once a week); often for work that splits them between two or more sites.

I did know someone who commuted Aberdeen to Elgin for a year, mostly using the train (occasionally had a car). Not an easy commute, but they had a young family in Aberdeen meaning they couldn't just up sticks and move for the sake of one year.

 

[6Gman]

My old railway office in Crewe had people coming in daily from Nottingham, Derby (several), Sale, Rochdale, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno.

The guy commuting from Llandudno had previously travelled (weekly) to Beckenham!

We also had a guy who commuted (weekly) from Aberystwyth!

 

[theageofthetra]

Are there still any France-Trashford commutes?

 

[StarCrossing]

I used to work with someone who did Telford to Bristol four days a week for at least a year. Looks to be 2 hours if connections work, but nearer 3 hours if they don't.

 

[route101]

With an early Oban to Glasgow train there must be a few hardy souls commuting to Glasgow.

 

[birchesgreen]

I met someone once who did Milton Keynes-Worcester every day, which is a fair whack! Think they were on a fixed contract so i guess its just something to endure for a bit.

 

[iainbhx]

I've heard of Acton Bridge to Birmingham and Stoke to Liverpool.

I've been doing Spring Road to Crewe for three years.

 

[Busaholic]

I did Hither Green to Maidstone West daily for a year - three trains each way, approx. 1 hr 45 mins each way on good days. At least half an hour longer if a connection failed, an hour if Paddock Wood connection failed! Took up driving instead, 40 minutes door to door!

 

[howittpie]

Have seen people with Nottingham to Manchester seasons on my travels that is about 1hr 50 each way.

 

[fowler9]

Door to door I spent between an hour and a half to two hours each way each day door to door between south Liverpool and my office in Birchwood. The train journey itself wasn't that bad but the total journey itself was a ball ache.

 

[Liam]

There are Dundee-Edinburgh and Glasgow commuters, there may well some from further North (Carnoustie, Arbroath) too.