Trivia - major cities with two completely different lines connecting them

[TheSmiths82]

Can anybody think of major cities that have two independent lines connecting them? I don't mean branch lines that can be used as a diversion, or other none direct routes such as (Manchester, Sheffield to London via the east coast line) but cities that have two lines that are in regular passenger use. The most obvious one I can think of is the Manchester to Liverpool lines, but possibly also Leeds to York?

A lot of places have different routes but use the same line for most of the route, e.g Manchester to London via Crewe or Stoke so that doesn't count as the majority of the route is still the same line.

 

[43096]

Can anybody think of major cities that have two independent lines connecting them? I don't mean branch lines that can be used as a diversion, or other none direct routes such as (Manchester, Sheffield to London via the east coast line) but cities that have two lines that are in regular passenger use. The most obvious one I can think of is the Manchester to Liverpool lines, but possibly also Leeds to York?

A lot of places have different routes but use the same line for most of the route, e.g Manchester to London via Crewe or Stoke so that doesn't count as the majority of the route is still the same line.

Edit sorry mods, I think I have accidently placed in this in the wrong section

Glasgow and Edinburgh

 

[BlueLeanie]

There aren't many that don't.

Oxford has two routes to London.
Edinburgh & Glasgow both have two routes to London.
Inverness can route to Edinburgh via Perth or Tay Bridge.

 

[Chorley Cake]

Edinburgh to Glasgow must surely be the most.

 

[mm333]

Bradford and Manchester have 2 routes to Leeds.
Sheffield has 3 routes to Leeds if you include the irregular XC via Doncaster.
Sheffield has 3 routes to York.

 

[stuu]

London to Birmingham. Soon (ish) to be three.

 

[ajp999]

Others I can think of are:

• Exeter to London
• Canterbury to London

Some with short overlaps:

• Birmingham to Worcester
• Lancaster to Carlisle
• Carlisle to Glasgow
• Portsmouth to London
• Birmingham to Wolverhampton

 

[Magdalia]

One of the reasons that I live here in the Fens is that from Cambridge I have two almost entirely independent routes to/from London, only sharing the same tracks for about 2½ miles between Cambridge and Shepreth Branch Junction.

Places not far away from here with two entirely independent routes to London are Southend and Hertford.

 

[A S Leib]

Places not far away from here with two entirely independent routes to London are Southend and Hertford

And St. Albans (direct to the Thameslink core or one train per day through from Euston to St. Albans Abbey) and Watford (I wouldn't count the Watford DC line as separate, but the Metropolitan line is). Going further anti-clockwise there's Reading to Paddington / Waterloo, Epsom and Clapham Junction to Waterloo / Victoria and, depending on how long of an overlap you're allowing, various routes (Woking, Effingham Junction etc.) for Guildford. Within Greater London there's Croydon to Victoria / London Bridge, and I think some of the late-night / early-morning Thameslink services go via Streatham to Blackfriars, not through London Bridge.

Middlesbrough to Newcastle via Durham isn't used massively frequently, but there is at least a regular service which goes that way as well as via Sunderland.

Liverpool to Chester can be via Runcorn or Birkenhead, and Chester to Manchester via Warrington or Stockport.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

London and Reading (from Paddington and from Waterloo).
London and Exeter (ditto)

 

[A S Leib]

Does Walsall to Birmingham count, as I think the Birmingham International services go straight to Birmingham New Street from the west and Wolverhampton services enter from the east?

Leamington Spa via Solihull or Coventry to Birmingham, Rugby to Stafford via Avanti West Midlands or LNR Trent Valley services, and, again depending on the level of overlap, Stratford-upon-Avon / Wilmcote to Birmingham Moor Street via Solihull or Wythall.

Shrewsbury / Craven Arms – Llanelli / Swansea.

 

[Farigiraf]

The Southeastern network has plenty, although mostly to large towns:
London to Ashford: via Tonbridge, via HS1 or via Maidstone East
London to Gravesend: via Dartford or via HS1
London to Medway: via Swanley or via Gravesend
London to Hastings: via Gatwick or via Tonbridge

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Does Walsall to Birmingham count

It' on a loop. The ones that go west will meet the ones that go east just beyond Perry Barr, which is about half way.

 

[A S Leib]

Anniesland, Springburn, Falkirk, Pollokshaws, Paisley and I think Motherwell and Dalmuir to Glasgow (not sure if Pollokshields counts when both stations are on the same loop).

 

[Topological]

Manchester to Wigan (works if we must restrict to Wigan North Western as well) - you can have a third route if via Bolton is sufficiently different from the Atherton line.

In the North West there were so many more combinations that have been lost to closure. Maybe there will be a new Manchester to Liverpool...

 

[dazzler]

One of the reasons that I live here in the Fens is that from Cambridge I have two almost entirely independent routes to/from London, only sharing the same tracks for about 2½ miles between Cambridge and Shepreth Branch Junction.

Places not far away from here with two entirely independent routes to London are Southend and Hertford.

...and Enfield.

 

[D6130]

Bradford to Manchester has already been mentioned....but what about Leeds to Manchester?

 

[philthetube]

Norwich, Gt. Yarmouth.

 

[D6130]

London - Aberdeen

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Bradford to Manchester has already been mentioned....but what about Leeds to Manchester?

You can now add Manchester-York to that, with the Castleford route (York & North Midland) carrying passengers again.
There were many such routes in the east midlands until the GC route closed.

Chester-Wolverhampton goes via either Crewe/Stafford or Shrewsbury.
Chester-Shrewsbury via Wrexham or Crewe.
Chester-Manchester Picc via either Warrington or Northwich.
There's even a Birmingham-Manchester via Shrewsbury and Chester as well as via Crewe or Stoke.

 

[najaB]

London - Aberdeen

Is that ECML vs WCML/HML/A2I (Aberdeen to Inverness)?

Reason I ask is because the scheduled trains (sleeper and Chieftain) both use the HML as far as Edinburgh and there aren't any trains scheduled from Aberdeen to London via Inverness (are there?)

 

[Class15]

Is that ECML vs WCML/HML/A2I (Aberdeen to Inverness)?

I would guess that it’s ECML vs WCML. Don’t see why you would need to go to Inverness.

 

[najaB]

I would guess that it’s ECML vs WCML. Don’t see why you would need to go to Inverness.

Then they share Aberdeen to Dundee at least. Admittedly not the majority of the route, but still seventy plus miles.

 

[A S Leib]

Peterborough to Lincoln via Newark or Sleaford, and Sheffield has two distinct routes to Cleethorpes as far as Barnetby (from Manchester via Doncaster and once per weekday via Brigg).

 

[317 forever]

Chester to Liverpool, via Runcorn or Rock Ferry
London to Horsham, via Gatwick Airport or Dorking
London to Epsom, via Wimbledon or Sutton
Birmingham to Edinburgh, via Carlisle or Newcastle

 

[adc82140]

London to Guildford via Woking, Cobham or Epsom.

London to Southampton via Gatwick or Basingstoke.

 

[SWRtrainfan]

Waterloo to Weybridge (via Surbiton or Hounslow).

 

[swt_passenger]

London to Guildford via Woking, Cobham or Epsom.

London to Southampton via Gatwick or Basingstoke.

London to Southampton via Gatwick is no longer a regular service since last year’s changes. There’s only one up service to Victoria, no return.

Waterloo to Weybridge (via Surbiton or Hounslow).

Major City? Weybridge?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Waterloo to Weybridge (via Surbiton or Hounslow).

Similarly Waterloo to Guildford:
via Woking and Surbiton;
via Woking and Addlestone;
via Cobham;
via Epsom.

EDIT: Already mentioned, apologies.

 

[thenorthern]

Glasgow to Birmingham is possible via the West Coast Main Line or Cross Country Route. Birmingham to Leamington Spa is possible via Coventry or via Solihull (non stop) by CrossCountry.

Both Lincoln and Newark have options to go to London via the ECML or Midland Main Line.