Trivia: Largest town/city that isn't served by more than one major city

[6026KingJohn]

I assume the OP means "served by Through Trains" ?
If so, Bootle & Crosby (each about 51,000 in the traditional town areas) are both served only by Liverpool.

Oldham (103,000) only has Metrolink to Manchester.
Sutton Coldfield (105,000) only has Birmingham.

Technically the former Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield is now part of Birmingham but it is also connected to the City of Lichfield.
(Sorry, just being a pedant )

 

[pompeyfan]

Does Falmouth count?

 

[BayPaul]

Does Falmouth count?

I was wondering about Falmouth for the largest in the SW, but was surprised to find that Barnstaple is larger

 

[Dr_Paul]

I'd argue Surbiton is basically Kingston Parkway so that's trains to loads of other places.

Nice one, only there's practically nowhere to park within a couple of miles of the station. Actually, the original station at Surbiton, just a few hundred yards up the line, was originally called Kingston.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Would Kingston on Thames count, or would that be classed as being part of London rather than a town in its own right?

Good point: Kingston is a fairly large town with considerable inward traffic at the station as well as London commuter traffic, and only has an all-stations suburban service to London, albeit (in normal times) frequent at six trains an hour. Two of them, however, do go via Twickenham and Richmond, both fair-sized towns. I think all three of these towns are sufficiently far from central London and sufficiently identifiable as proper town centres, that is, are not just a vague area with a station within the Greater London suburban sprawl.

 

[D6975]

In non-Covid world, aren't there still Euston-Brum-Walsall LNW services?

Following lots of problems with joining services from Rugeley and Liverpool at New St, the through services to Euston have largely been done away with for most of the day. There are still some though, a couple of early morning through services remain in the revised ‘proper’ timetable.

(and a couple of corresponding returns in the evening)

 

[rs101]

Oops I meant Ipswich - population 115 000 but a major interchange. Now edited.

Another I thought of was Basildon, population 107 000 but only links to London.

Ipswich isn't a city, nor is Basildon.

 

[Bedpan]

Good point: Kingston is a fairly large town with considerable inward traffic at the station as well as London commuter traffic, and only has an all-stations suburban service to London, albeit (in normal times) frequent at six trains an hour. Two of them, however, do go via Twickenham and Richmond, both fair-sized towns. I think all three of these towns are sufficiently far from central London and sufficiently identifiable as proper town centres, that is, are not just a vague area with a station within the Greater London suburban sprawl.

There seems to have been a bit of disagreement about Kingston since I suggested it, one person suggested that as Surbiton station was in Kingston (and it can't be denied that it was the location of the original Kingston Station), then it was possible to get to other large towns from there, if not the station in Kingston's town centre, so thanks for your support on that! However, the trouble is, if Richmond and Twickenham are to qualify as large towns too, then none of them will qualify as they can all be reached by the same train.

 

[Scotty]

Boston, population 33000, only to Nottingham.

There is a direct service from Lincoln each night, and sometimes services to Derby on Sundays.

 

[johnnychips]

Ipswich isn't a city, nor is Basildon.

Ipswich isn’t a city but it could be argued that it is a major interchange as specified by the OP’s terms. And I put Basildon as an example of a place only connected to London: unless you count Southend, which at 184 000 is just short of the 200 000 specified by the OP.

 

[johnnychips]

There is a direct service from Lincoln each night, and sometimes services to Derby on Sundays.

Damn, I thought there might be but I couldn’t find one!

 

[Purple Orange]

I think that it has to be a large town or city that is only connected to one other large town or city, so Tynemouth, North and South Shields etc wouldn't count as they are too small.

Would Kingston on Thames count, or would that be classed as being oart of London rather than a town in its own right?

I suppose Kingston on Thames would count in the same way as Tynemouth, where Greater London is to Tyne & Wear and Kingston, Croydon, Sutton, Barnet etc is to Tynemouth, Jarrow, Gateshead, Sunderland

 

[si404]

And I put Basildon as an example of a place only connected to London: unless you count Southend, which at 184 000 is just short of the 200 000 specified by the OP.

Except the urban area of Southend is just over 300k. Using 184k for Southend based on the local government population is like using 10k for London (population of the city proper), only not as obviously outlandish being out by a factor of about 2, rather than a factor of about 1000.

 

[Scotty]

Damn, I thought there might be but I couldn’t find one!

2048 from Lincoln via Sleaford, penultimate service into Boston each night.