Longest non-London rail commute

[pdq]

I know someone who commuted daily from Wetherby to Salford Media City (train from Garforth). Also must be a few York/Manchester commutes.

 

[fowler9]

When I was working in the aforementioned job in Birchwood there was a lad who drove in daily from Leeds which left me gobsmacked given how badly paid the job was (Apologies, not rail related). As far as I know there isn't that much of a shortage of call centre jobs i Leeds.

 

[PHILIPE]

We've only just had a thread on this but which included London

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=139775

 

[Bodiddly]

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

At just over 3 hours each way? I think not. If anyone is commuting by that journey they deserve a medal or sectioned.

 

[Steddenm]

I regularly do Sallins & Naas (Dublin) to Cardiff via Dublin Connolly, Rosslare Europort and Fishguard Harbour. Leave Sallins & Naas about 11.10am and get to Cardiff Central at 5.30am. Three days work and then back the other way!

 

[Clansman]

The Leeds to Aberdeen Return HST is a common one for some business folk - one member of my family used to do this commute daily for a period of time.

Although I don't know if this counts given you can't buy a season ticket for it.

 

[me123]

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

Doubt it. The early morning Oban to Glasgow run has only recently been added (it started from Arrochar and Tarbet until a few years ago IIRC). Maybe in due course some people will start doing some long distance commuting along the Oban route - I can see it being attractive to someone working in Glasgow who wants to live/bring up their family in the beautiful West Highlands, but it would appeal only to a small number of people, and with the train only running in the last few years I wouldn't expect many people would have started.

Furthermore, driving to a suburban Glasgow rail station would be a much more practical answer. At least two trains an hour versus six a day gives much more flexibility. Dalreoch has a (small) car park, not far from the A82, and gets 4tph.

 

[gg1]

I know someone who did Sandwell & Dudley to Manchester for 6 months while working on a fixed term contract as an IT consultant.

 

[Lee_Again]

Once did Welwyn > Edinburgh every day for a week. Pre Sept 2001. In those days you just turn up at 6.45 for 7.15 flight. Edinburgh by 8.30, Office by 9. Similar on the return. Home by 8 each evening.

More recently, UK to Warsaw, return each week for 9 months.

BTW - Warsaw is a great town to work or visit.

 

[47271]

Knowing all of the regular faces on the Highland Main Line very well, I'm not aware of any *daily* commuters from north of Perth into Edinburgh or Glasgow, but there must be some. I know of a few who have done, say, Pitlochry-Edinburgh for a while but nothing over a sustained period.

Plenty of weekly regulars, or ones who can do a couple of days a week in town and from work from home the rest.

The lower speeds and cramped conditions of most Scotrail services may well be the limiting factor rather than distance here, it'll be interesting to see if the HSTs make a commuter lifestyle from Dunkeld northwards more appealing.

 

[gordonthemoron]

In the 80s, I knew a BR auditor who commuted from Darlo to Derby daily

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I've done Huddersfield to Trowbridge as a once a week commute for around seven months last year and there was a Huddersfield to Spalding commute on Friday (returning on the Saturday) but this was mostly done on a moped which helped me save some cash.

 

[fowler9]

Once did Welwyn > Edinburgh every day for a week. Pre Sept 2001. In those days you just turn up at 6.45 for 7.15 flight. Edinburgh by 8.30, Office by 9. Similar on the return. Home by 8 each evening.

More recently, UK to Warsaw, return each week for 9 months.

BTW - Warsaw is a great town to work or visit.

I love Warsaw, was there last November and also around July the year before. However, if we are going to include a once a week commute I have a mate who has commuted to Caracas, Toronto and Kuwait City weekly for months at a time from London. Soon to be doing Bogota. I'm not sure it counts if we are talking daily commutes.

 

[InOban]

Doubt it. The early morning Oban to Glasgow run has only recently been added (it started from Arrochar and Tarbet until a few years ago IIRC). Maybe in due course some people will start doing some long distance commuting along the Oban route - I can see it being attractive to someone working in Glasgow who wants to live/bring up their family in the beautiful West Highlands, but it would appeal only to a small number of people, and with the train only running in the last few years I wouldn't expect many people would have started.

Furthermore, driving to a suburban Glasgow rail station would be a much more practical answer. At least two trains an hour versus six a day gives much more flexibility. Dalreoch has a (small) car park, not far from the A82, and gets 4tph.

Actually I believe there is a person who commutes 4 age a week from Lochawe to Glasgow. She is able to work on the train so the time isn't wasted.

 

[route101]

Actually I believe there is a person who commutes 4 age a week from Lochawe to Glasgow. She is able to work on the train so the time isn't wasted.

Its Students in Glasgow ive heard of commuting from Oban 3 days a week .

 

[me123]

Actually I believe there is a person who commutes 4 age a week from Lochawe to Glasgow. She is able to work on the train so the time isn't wasted.

Awesome. And what a wonderful view from her office window!

 

[47271]

Actually I believe there is a person who commutes 4 age a week from Lochawe to Glasgow. She is able to work on the train so the time isn't wasted.

And when she gets home, she Arrives Awesome.

Anyway, I admire her resilience, I don't think that I could function to much of a level on a 156 - especially in an airline seat - for that length of time. Let's hope there are always plenty of tables free...

 

[brompton rail]

In the early days of Virgin Cross Country I had occasion to travel on 06.35 Doncaster (06.05 Leeds) - Plymouth HST. My trips were only Doncaster to Matlock, and not daily, but a least one person travelled Doncaster to New Street daily to his job with Central Trains. A daily round trip of around 200 miles.

Others, mainly Virgin XC staff travelled daily from Sheffield and Chesterfield to Brum.

More like a "Club Train" with regular buffet and guards joining in!

 

[Wallsendmag]

Newcastle to York four days a week Newcastle to Blackfriars once a week


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[InOban]

Some of you have an overromantic view of the West Highlands​. For much of the year she will spend most of the journey in the dark.

 

[me123]

Worth it for the Summer, when she'll spend most of the journey in the light though.

 

[Yabba]

When I was working in the aforementioned job in Birchwood there was a lad who drove in daily from Leeds which left me gobsmacked given how badly paid the job was (Apologies, not rail related). As far as I know there isn't that much of a shortage of call centre jobs i Leeds.

I work there at the moment. Given the roads I would rather make the journey from Leeds by rail, even if it does take longer.....actually thinking about it by the time you drive out of Birchwood, he could have completed the whole TPE route to Scarborough and back.

Someone I know used to commute from Crewe to Croydon about three times a week. His commute has now improved somewhat, his bedroom downstairs and in to the office at home. Lucky or what?

 

[Busaholic]

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Someone I know used to commute from Crewe to Croydon about three times a week. His commute has now improved somewhat, his bedroom downstairs and in to the office at home. Lucky or what?

Nowadays, with Southern's problems, presumably as soon as he got there it was time to return!

 

[fowler9]

I work there at the moment. Given the roads I would rather make the journey from Leeds by rail, even if it does take longer.....actually thinking about it by the time you drive out of Birchwood, he could have completed the whole TPE route to Scarborough and back.

Someone I know used to commute from Crewe to Croydon about three times a week. His commute has now improved somewhat, his bedroom downstairs and in to the office at home. Lucky or what?

Ah mate, after a month of training I got stuck on a team and a lad on my team from Liverpool offered me a lift. He asked me if I enjoyed the shorter journey to work, I told him I was leaving the house at the same time because the road journey is that bad. He ended up on long term sick so for the short length of time I worked there I was almost grateful going back to the train. It took no longer and I had flexibility.

 

[cuccir]

Academia also sees a few journeys like this, caused by the prevelance of short job contracts, relatively low density of universities outside of big cities, flexible working so people can often do 2-3 days a week in the office, and the tendency of academics to marry each other and therefore need to reach two unis!

I've had friends commute Durham-Leeds and Newcastle-Leeds, while commutes between York and the North-East are not uncommon. Not on the rail I know but I know of one woman who commutes Durham-Lancaster: not sure I'd fancy the A66 through the winter!!!

 

[Envy123]

A former acquaintance of mine commuted from Empuriabrava to Barcelona University. This meant a half hour drive to Figueres Vilifant and about an hour to Barcelona Sants on a high speed train and metro to the university. Door to door, this was over two hours each way, on a good day with moderate traffic.

Not by any means the longest I've heard of, though, but I thought to add an example outside the UK.

 

[gordonthemoron]

When I lived in Munich, loads of the police commuted in from Nuremberg which is over 100 miles each way, reason being:

1. Nuremberg is much cheaper to live in
2. Police get free train travel, including on ICEs

 

[HowardGWR]

When I lived in Munich, loads of the police commuted in from Nuremberg which is over 100 miles each way, reason being:

1. Nuremberg is much cheaper to live in
2. Police get free train travel, including on ICEs

I understand the deal is that they are prepared to act as a copper, if required. Something perhaps we should consider here. if so.

 

[paul1609]

Ive been commuting from Wittersham Kent to Garelochead weekly since January. Unfortunately rail is not competitive in either journey time or cost. My normal journey is a flight from Glasgow to either Stanstead or Gatwick and hire car for the weekend currently coming in at around £90 plus £20 petrol plus a lift to from Glasgow Airport.

 

[GodAtum]

I understand the deal is that they are prepared to act as a copper, if required. Something perhaps we should consider here. if so.

The Met get free travel.