National Rail journey planner

[tractakid]

I find it entertaining to try and find ridiculous journeys that journey planner will offer. I find it amusing when a journey that could be so simple is offered as a contorted mess of changes (a TFL example, West Ruislip to Ickenham using tube only). On the other hand, I find it pleasing when a journey you might expect to be horrific actually turns out to be relatively simple. I just planned 'Gainsborough Central to Melksham' and it managed to come up with a journey with 2 changes platform to platform.

Bonus points for using parliamentary trains effectively.

What are some fun examples you can find?

Here's the surprisingly effective GNB to MKM:

Train 16:20 Gainsborough Central [GNB] 2 Sheffield [SHF] 17:23 8A 1h 03m

Northern Rail service from Cleethorpes to Sheffield show calling points

Train 17:54 Sheffield [SHF] 5 Cheltenham Spa [CNM] 19:50 1 1h 56m


CrossCountry service from Glasgow Central to Plymouth show calling points

Train 20:01 Cheltenham Spa [CNM] 1 Melksham [MKM] 21:33 1 1h 32m

And here's how to get from Milton Keynes Central to Coombe Junction Halt:

Train 17:22 Milton Keynes Central [MKC] 1 London Euston [EUS]
18:18 0h 56m

London Midland service from Birmingham New Street to London Euston show calling points

Tube 18:18 London Euston [EUS] London Paddington [PAD]
19:01 0h 43m

Check for live travel updates
This journey involves a wait of over 90 minutes for a connecting train.

Train 23:45 London Paddington [PAD] 1 Liskeard [LSK]
06:07 1 6h 22m

First Great Western service from London Paddington to Penzance show calling points
This journey involves a wait of over 90 minutes for a connecting train.

Train 08:33 Liskeard [LSK] 3 Coombe Junction Halt [COE]
08:39 0h 06m

First Great Western service from Liskeard to Looe

[RobbieM]

I'm right with you there, TractaKid!

I recently enquired about a journey from Guildford to Spean Bridge. This should normally be undertaken via Waterloo, then King's Cross, then Edinburgh, Glasgow Queen St and finally Spean Bridge. Start 1017am, arrive 2151pm. However, that's not what I got. In fact, I was so surprised by the result that I contacted NRE to query it. Here's an extract from my reply:

• "The Online Journey Planner by default displays services with 3 changes or less. If there aren’t any services with 3 changes or less then it displays the services with more than 3 changes. This means that journeys with more than 3 changes will not be returned unless we cannot find 3 change journeys at all.
  
  On the journey from Guildford to Spean Bridge there is a service with 2 changes at 19:38, therefore the journey planner does not search for any more services. The services before 19:38 are with more than 3 changes and therefore are not directly displayed.
  
  However, on the Journey Planner in Advanced Search there is an option to Exclude interchange, Travel via or avoid traveling via a particular station. If you select ‘Travel via’ London Kings Cross and then click on ‘Go’, you will get the earlier services. "

Now, Mr NRE website person, am I really expected to split my journey into two days to do this, when the whole point of your website is to find me the optimum route? I shouldn't have to tell it I want to go via King's Cross, it's the official NRE website!!! It should know!!! Aaaagh!!!

I've been meaning to get back to them about this, but haven't done so yet. Maybe you've spurred me on to do so...

[tubeguru]

You mean you haven't looked at the ATOC Routeing Guide to try to find a more "interesting" route?

[RobbieM]

You mean you haven't looked at the ATOC Routeing Guide to try to find a more "interesting" route?

Not on this occasion; I just wanted to get there in a single day, without be forced to split my ticket!

I usually take several days to return from Scotland, via ATOC's permitted 'interesting' routes...

[tubeguru]

So you've worked out how to actually USE the Routeing Guide?

[tractakid]

Wow. Lelant Saltings to Nairn takes 32 hours! Can anyone beat that?

15:13 Lelant Saltings [LTS] St Erth [SER]
15:17 3 0h 04m

First Great Western service from St Ives (Cornwall) to St Erth
This journey involves a wait of over 90 minutes for a connecting train.

Train 17:49 St Erth [SER] 2 Bristol Temple Meads [BRI]
21:47 9 3h 58m

First Great Western service from Penzance to London Paddington show calling points
This journey involves a wait of over 90 minutes for a connecting train.

Train 06:27 Bristol Temple Meads [BRI] 7 Edinburgh [EDB]
13:06 11 6h 39m


CrossCountry service from Bath Spa to Glasgow Central show calling points
This journey involves a wait of over 90 minutes for a connecting train.

Train 19:28 Edinburgh [EDB] 17 Nairn [NRN]
23:46 1 4h 18m

[RobbieM]

So you've worked out how to actually USE the Routeing Guide?

Well, I did a few years ago, then they changed the website and it got a bit more complicated.

Map 'AS' is my 'Bible' for return trips from Loch Ness to Guildford.

[tubeguru]

So you've worked out how to actually USE the Routeing Guide?

Well, I did a few years ago, then they changed the website and it got a bit more complicated.

Map 'AS' is my 'Bible' for return trips from Loch Ness to Guildford.

Map 'AS'?

[RobbieM]

Map 'AS' is my 'Bible' for return trips from Loch Ness to Guildford.

Map 'AS'?

See http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/Maps.pdf - the first two pages is 'Map AS'. If you've not seen these before, they're a joy to behold...

[tubeguru]

Ah I see - two of the maps of the Routeing Guide. They're very insistent in their instructions that one isn't supposed to use the maps before the rest of the guide.

[RobbieM]

Ah I see - two of the maps of the Routeing Guide. They're very insistent in their instructions that one isn't supposed to use the maps before the rest of the guide.

It's actually one map on two pages, (though I've got it printed on one.) I've used Scotland-to-Surrey tickets on a large number of the AS routes!

[al]

AS I think stands for Anglo-Scottish, so if you have a London - Scotland ticket, AS is a safe bet

[RobbieM]

AS I think stands for Anglo-Scottish

Well, I never knew that! One learns something new every day. I'll never see that map in the same way again now!

[tubeguru]

You will notice that a lot of the map acronyms can be guessed at based on their geographical scope.

[RobbieM]

You will notice that a lot of the map acronyms can be guessed at based on their geographical scope.

Yes, my favourite is 'ZZ' ...

... the Sleeper services!