Trivia: Coast-to-coast services in the UK

[Peter0124]

Without putting too much thought in and no doubt breaching the criteria.

Lancaster to Edinburgh. Runs generally South to North but from West to East coast. (The Lune is tidal under the railway bridge at Lancaster which is the last bridging point)

Glasgow to Plymouth? Glasgow probably doesn’t meet the criteria due to the Erskine bridge further down the Clyde but this would link West, East, West again at Bristol and South Coasts.

Dumfries to Newcastle. Again, Dumfries is inland and Newcastle not quite coastal but you certainly see the sea on the west coast on the journey then go what most would deem across the entire country.

In times past there was a Sunderland to Whitehaven.

Plymouth station is also pretty much directly south of Glasgow Central (A bearing of 0.6) as the crow flies so it makes the route an interesting one, like an inverse C shape.

 

[Gloster]

There used to be trains from Birkenhead to Dover and Margate, and to Bournemouth.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Firstly I think coasts are best defined from a land perspective (Durham Coast, Yorkshire Coast, Lincolnshire Coast etc), as it's very hard to define where the North Sea suddenly turns into the English Channel, or where that turns into the Atlantic Ocean (Celtic Sea is a modern creation rarely used so I'd discount that one).

Secondly, on bridging points, does this include places such as the Solway where bridges used to exist but no longer do?

 

[onlinespotting]

I'm pretty sure the Blackpool- York trains used to run to Scarborough which would make it coast to coast

Yes it was Scarborough to Blackpool North, it was originally a Transpennine express service but was usually a WYPTE liveried 158

 

[NorthOxonian]

Firstly I think coasts are best defined from a land perspective (Durham Coast, Yorkshire Coast, Lincolnshire Coast etc), as it's very hard to define where the North Sea suddenly turns into the English Channel, or where that turns into the Atlantic Ocean (Celtic Sea is a modern creation rarely used so I'd discount that one).

Secondly, on bridging points, does this include places such as the Solway where bridges used to exist but no longer do?

The difficulty with that first point is it leads to some odd services being classed as coast to coast. Newcastle to Whitby via Hartlepool would qualify - with all stations from Sunderland to Seaton Carew inclusive on the Durham coast and Whitby on the Yorkshire coast. However, it's very hard to come up with a more satisfactory definition!

 

[Gloster]

Firstly I think coasts are best defined from a land perspective (Durham Coast, Yorkshire Coast, Lincolnshire Coast etc), as it's very hard to define where the North Sea suddenly turns into the English Channel, or where that turns into the Atlantic Ocean (Celtic Sea is a modern creation rarely used so I'd discount that one).

The English Channel runs from its meeting with the North Sea at Leathercoat Point on St Margaret’s Bay in Kent (near Martin Mill) to Lands End. According to the International Hydrographic Organisation (via Wikipedia.)

 

[snowball]

Didn't there used to be Holyhead-Scarborough trains a few decades ago?

 

[NorthOxonian]

The English Channel runs from its meeting with the North Sea at Leathercoat Point on St Margaret’s Bay in Kent (near Martin Mill) to Lands End. According to the International Hydrographic Organisation (via Wikipedia.)

Mention of the English Channel made me realise a rather technical example of a coast to coast service. This is a UK thread, not a Great Britain thread - so you could argue that the Island Line counts. Ryde is on the north coast of the Isle of Wight, while Sandown and Shanklin are on the east coast. I would argue Bembridge fairly clearly separates the two coastlines (if the line still continued to Ventnor, that separation would be even more obvious).

And if we're defining coast very liberally, perhaps even the Portsmouth Direct Line would count? Hilsea is on the northern coast of Portsea Island (even if there's only a short stretch of water between that coast and Great Britain), while Portsmouth Harbour is on the south/west coast.

 

[Alex365Dash]

And if we're defining coast very liberally, perhaps even the Portsmouth Direct Line would count? Hilsea is on the northern coast of Portsea Island (even if there's only a short stretch of water between that coast and Great Britain), while Portsmouth Harbour is on the south/west coast.

Whilst I agree it would count, services have to both start and terminate on the coast.

Unfortunately, the only service that starts or ends at Hilsea is 2P92 06:40 to London Waterloo, weekdays only. And of course, London is not on the coast.

Brighton - Bristol Parkway might be a shout, depending on whether Bristol Parkway counts as coast.

If former ones are of interest too, then the late 90s/early 00s Virgin Cross Country network provided a Portsmouth Harbour to Blackpool North on a mix of 2 car 158, 47 or HST haulage.

On the subject of former coast-to-coast services, depending on what we’re counting as seperate coasts, SWR prior to COVID ran a single Portsmouth - Poole peak service. (They also run Portsmouth - Southampton on the regular, but I think that’s taking the biscuit a bit.)

 

[AzureOtsu]

Great Yarmouth to Liverpool lime Street- EMR

 

[Lewlew]

Ryde Esplanade/Pier Head to Sandown

 

[southern442]

Brighton - Bristol Parkway might be a shout, depending on whether Bristol Parkway counts as coast.

There are daily Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads services (unless these now run to Parkway I am not sure), although, controversial as this may be, I don't consider Bristol to be on the coast. None of the city proper is anywhere near it, although parts of the county are on the coast. Just think about whether you would consider it to be a 'coastal town' or not, i would suggest not.

 

[johnnychips]

There are daily Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads services (unless these now run to Parkway I am not sure), although, controversial as this may be, I don't consider Bristol to be on the coast. None of the city proper is anywhere near it, although parts of the county are on the coast. Just think about whether you would consider it to be a 'coastal town' or not, i would suggest not.

See post number 1.

Good to see so many answers, some of which have surprised me.

Why does Liverpool count but not Bristol?

You can cross the Mersey downstream of Lime Street by the Kingsway Tunnel, just as you can cross the Avon by several bridges downstream of Temple Meads. Avonmouth and its station are in the City of Bristol.

As I said in the original post, I took the last bridging point as an arbitrary measure. I never considered tunnels.. But surely “Liverpool” extends beyond the tunnels to the north? There are no right and wrong answers.

 

[kermit]

Quite a few suggestions involving Edinburgh - Waverley Station is at least a mile from the sea, probably a bit more......

 

[daodao]

LondonDerry to Belfast, but may be not for very much longer, and I'm not suggesting that the line is closed.

 

[The exile]

Quite a few suggestions involving Edinburgh - Waverley Station is at least a mile from the sea, probably a bit more......

But the City of Edinburgh has several (definitely coastal) beaches. As far as Bristol is concerned, whether or not the city counts is moot, but Bristol Parkway is not in Bristol and there are miles of green fields between Stoke Gifford and the Severn Estuary / Bristol Channel.

 

[bishdunster]

But the City of Edinburgh has several (definitely coastal) beaches. As far as Bristol is concerned, whether or not the city counts is moot, but Bristol Parkway is not in Bristol and there are miles of green fields between Stoke Gifford and the Severn Estuary / Bristol Channel.

Not sure if it still runs, but there used to be a through service from Bournemouth to Liverpool.

 

[Heathen]

First post. In the early 90s there was also a Liverpool - Brighton Service.

 

[RPI]

St Ives to Penzance, though I think there's only one journey a day now direct.
There's a summer Saturday only Plymouth to Paignton at the moment too.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'm sure that some of the Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour and return services used to be extended to Brighton.

 

[norbitonflyer]

And the famous Yarmouth to Barmouth

That was the scope of Central Trains in Regional Railways days, but was there ever a direct service between the two?

 

[Dai Corner]

There are daily Brighton to Bristol Temple Meads services (unless these now run to Parkway I am not sure), although, controversial as this may be, I don't consider Bristol to be on the coast. None of the city proper is anywhere near it, although parts of the county are on the coast. Just think about whether you would consider it to be a 'coastal town' or not, i would suggest not.

The Brighton's are currently diverted to Bristol Parkway due to the engineering works at Temple Meads.


The City and County of Bristol are one and the same, and even include a big chunk of sea. The built up area extends to Avonmouth which is downstream of the lowest crossing point of the Severn so would count as 'coast' for this thread.

 

[NorthOxonian]

I'm sure that some of the Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour and return services used to be extended to Brighton.

Mildly off topic, but how did that work? Did they call at Portsmouth and Southsea or Fratton twice? Were they set down only southbound and pick up only northbound?

 

[Nonsense]

The only one I can think of connects Morecambe to Heysham.

Although was a Morecambe to Narrow in Furness service that ran a while ago.

 

[a_c_skinner]

I have to say coast to coast to me means east coast to west coast and coast means somewhere that you can go for a paddle when you get there.

 

[Dai Corner]

My knowledge of Irish geography is limited, but how about one or more of Belfast-Bangor/Larne/Portrush/[London]derry?

 

[PHILIPE]

Mildly off topic, but how did that work? Did they call at Portsmouth and Southsea or Fratton twice? Were they set down only southbound and pick up only northbound?

I don't think it ever happened

 

[james60059]

Pwllheli - Cleethorpes

There was certainly some quirky routes back in CT days.

 

[Factotum]

Yes it was Scarborough to Blackpool North, it was originally a Transpennine express service but was usually a WYPTE liveried 158

There are five seas bounding Great Britain: The North Sea in the east; The Atlantic Ocean in the north and north-west; The Irish Sea in the east; The Celtic Sea in the south-west; and the English Channel in the south.
A coast to coast service is one which links tow of these seas

I have to say coast to coast to me means east coast to west coast and coast means somewhere that you can go for a paddle when you get there.

Does Scarborough to York return count?

 

[Gloster]

As the north-western limit of the North Sea is Dunnet Head (International Hydrographic Organisation via Wikipedia again), Thurso-Wick is also a coast to coast journey. However, it is quite some years since trains made this journey alone.