Trivia: highest average speed between two stations on direct passenger service

[miklcct]

I'm looking for the highest average speed between any two stations within the UK, calculated by the track distance divided by the public scheduled time, on any scheduled passenger services (including one-off journeys as long as they appear in the timetable) across all railway systems, where a passenger is permitted to board the train at the departure station and alight the train at the arrival station.

For example,
High-speed trains run 53.775 km on the HS1 from Ebbsfleet International to Ashford International in 19 minutes, which gives an average speed of 169.8 km/h.
East Coast Main Line comes close as well, with trains run 303.36 km from London Kings Cross to York in 1 hours and 52 minutes, which gives an average speed of 162.5 km/h.

Are there any scheduled passenger services with higher average speed between a boarding stop and an alighting stop?

 

[cle]

HS1 do have some which run fast Stratford-Ashford, but I don't know if the average would be higher.

York non-stop would seem the obvious one. Perhaps there are Preston (no longer?), but otherwise non-stop Warrington, Crewe, Doncaster runs might come close, but I'd think that is it. Bristol Parkway?

 

[DLJ]

HS1 do have some which run fast Stratford-Ashford, but I don't know if the average would be higher.

York non-stop would seem the obvious one. Perhaps there are Preston (no longer?), but otherwise non-stop Warrington, Crewe, Doncaster runs might come close, but I'd think that is it. Bristol Parkway?

From memory, the short lived superfast Paddington - Temple Meads via (first stop) Parkway was timetabled for 68 min. At 111 miles 57 chains (per Railmiles) that'd would give an average of c. 158.63 km/h if it was re-instated.

Fastest service I can find Euston-Runcorn (I'm presuming that's non-stop?) is 104 min. At 179 miles 68 chains, average is 166.98 km/h.

<edit> NR gives fastest Euston-Runcorn at 109 min, stooping Milton Keynes. Was there a non-stop service pre-covid?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Euston-Warrington (-Glasgow) is 104m for 182m 11c (292.9km) so 169.10 km/h.
Euston-Crewe (-Manchester) is 90m for 158m (254.3km) so 169.51 km/h.
King's Cross-York is 113m for 188.5m (303.36km) so 161.07 km/h.

All non-stop and mainly hourly.

 

[jfollows]

<edit> NR gives fastest Euston-Runcorn at 109 min, stooping Milton Keynes. Was there a non-stop service pre-covid?

1F26 19:07 Euston-Liverpool was non-stop to Runcorn 20:50.5 pre-Covid. 103.5 minutes. 104.26mph; 167.79km/h. Extract from December 2019 WTT:

 

[Peter0124]

Tamworth-Lichfield in 6 minutes on the 16.57 Euston-Glasgow. If it takes 6 minutes to do 6 miles 18ch then thats just under a mile a minute, or about 62mph on average. Whilst its not a large contender, its over a relatively short distance.

 

[Watershed]

Watford Junction to/from various places on the WCML has often been a contender, as it doesn't require the same slow running as the approach to/departure from Euston, so you're running at 125mph virtually the entire way.

I think Nuneaton to Watford Junction might be the current winner, with 1R25 (07:35 Manchester-London) being timed to take 45 minutes (WTT - public timings are rounded up to 46 minutes) to traverse the 79mi56ch. An average of 106.27 mph / 171.02 km/h.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Tamworth-Lichfield in 6 minutes on the 16.57 Euston-Glasgow. If it takes 6 minutes to do 6 miles then thats a mile a minute, or 60mph on average. Whilst its not a large contender, its over a relatively short distance.

And on the "slow" lines, although passed for 125mph like the fast.

 

[hexagon789]

HS1 do have some which run fast Stratford-Ashford, but I don't know if the average would be higher.

111.4mph so I believe its the current fastest. It's not the fastest ever though.

From memory, the short lived superfast Paddington - Temple Meads via (first stop) Parkway was timetabled for 68 min. At 111 miles 57 chains (per Railmiles) that'd would give an average of c. 158.63 km/h if it was re-instated.

Fastest service I can find Euston-Runcorn (I'm presuming that's non-stop?) is 104 min. At 179 miles 68 chains, average is 166.98 km/h.

<edit> NR gives fastest Euston-Runcorn at 109 min, stooping Milton Keynes. Was there a non-stop service pre-covid?

Euston-Warrington used to be 104m for 182m 11c (292.9km) so 169.10 km/h.

Stafford to Watford Jcn - 110.6mph
Grantham to Stevenage - 109.2mph
Didcot to Swindon - 103.5mph
London to Doncaster- 101.6mph

They are the current fastest tinetabled runs on the WCML, ECML, GWML and diesel power respectively.

(Figures are taken from The Railway Performance Society - http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/100mph-scheduled-runs)

Previously Newark-Gratham was timetabled at 114mph average.

 

[Stewart2887]

From memory, the short lived superfast Paddington - Temple Meads via (first stop) Parkway was timetabled for 68 min. At 111 miles 57 chains (per Railmiles) that'd would give an average of c. 158.63 km/h if it was re-instated.

Fastest service I can find Euston-Runcorn (I'm presuming that's non-stop?) is 104 min. At 179 miles 68 chains, average is 166.98 km/h.

<edit> NR gives fastest Euston-Runcorn at 109 min, stooping Milton Keynes. Was there a non-stop service pre-covid?

Who needs to get to Runcorn that fast? Wouldn't non-stop to Lime Street be better?

 

[sjm77]

Who needs to get to Runcorn that fast? Wouldn't non-stop to Lime Street be better?

Well this kind of thing is quite common, think Stockport and Wakefield too. There are many people for whom it is easier to drive to the edge of the conurbation from their homes rather then into the city centre and park. Especially with Stockport and the M60. Avanti have introduced regular Motherwell stops for the exact same reason.

 

[Kite159]

Who needs to get to Runcorn that fast? Wouldn't non-stop to Lime Street be better?

To stop the train carrying fresh air

 

[higthomas]

The full list of answers is available at http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/100mph-scheduled-runs

They're the people to go to for whoever this question arises.

I presume that's where @hexagon789 went as he has the correct answers.

 

[miklcct]

The full list of answers is available at http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/100mph-scheduled-runs

They're the people to go to for whoever this question arises.

I presume that's where @hexagon789 went as he has the correct answers.

Thank you for introducing this - I'm interested in the society as well and reaching more about it.

 

[hexagon789]

The full list of answers is available at http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/100mph-scheduled-runs

They're the people to go to for whoever this question arises.

I presume that's where @hexagon789 went as he has the correct answers.

Yes, always my first port of call in performance matters! They are the experts after all.

I thought I'd linked them in but I see I forgot to, apologies for that.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Who needs to get to Runcorn that fast? Wouldn't non-stop to Lime Street be better?

A non-stop to Lime St would also overall be slower because of the tortuous approach from Wavertree.
In fact there's no speed higher than 100mph west of Weaver Jn, and is 80 over the Mersey bridge and after South Parkway.
The last 2 miles is run at 30mph.

 

[BeijingDave]

Well this kind of thing is quite common, think Stockport and Wakefield too. There are many people for whom it is easier to drive to the edge of the conurbation from their homes rather then into the city centre and park. Especially with Stockport and the M60. Avanti have introduced regular Motherwell stops for the exact same reason.

Not to mention Runcorn, Stockport and Wakefield themselves are all sizeable places in their own right.

Runcorn's population is 61,000 (Wikipedia) - almost as populous as Carlisle (75,000), bigger than Lancaster (52,000), which are both considered fairly important stations on the WCML.