Random 15 Championship 2025/26: Round 3

[tangy]

If you are new to all of this:

Welcome to the Random 15 Championship. I am your host (commonly known to regulars as the BERC when I am hosting Random 15 challenges). The Random 15 challenge is just that, visit 15 randomly selected stations that feature on the Tube Map (usually within zones 1-2 and using the Underground network only). There will be certain rounds within the championship that are a variation of this such as adding an extra zone or network e.g. DLR onto the challenge. So are you ready to take on the Random 15 championship?

The rules and scoring are unchanged from previous seasons but if anyone is not familiar with them, or needs a refresh, you can view them here: http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... 5rules.htm

Round 3 is upon us and that means it's everyone's favourite... the National Rail round!

When: Saturday 10th January 2026 12:30 UK local time.
Variant: Round 3 is always the National Rail twist round. Therefore National Rail stations (including Overground and Crossrail [Elizabeth Line]) in zones 1 and 2 will be in the mix.
Meet up: St. Pancras International, please meet on the concourse outside the entrance to the low level Thameslink platforms.
Post challenge pub: The Blue Posts, Newman Street, Marylebone W1T 3EU.
Time limit to complete: Twist round, 6 hours. Sometimes this is needed!

Closures affecting this challenge (correct at time of posting):
Jubilee: No service Green Park - Stratford (aka JLE).
Mildmay: No service Gospel Oak - Richmond / Shepherd's Bush. Special service between Stratford and Willesden Junction via Primrose Hill.
Waterloo & City: Usual planned closure.

South Eastern: No trains will call at Lewisham, trains diverted via avoiding line.
Southern: No trains between Clapham Junction and Watford Junction.
Southern: No trains between London Bridge and Crystal Palace via Sydenham (East London / Windrush line unaffected).
Thameslink: No trains between St. Pancras and Finsbury Park. These trains diverted to/from King's Cross mainline.

Other engineering work to be aware of:
Complete blockade between Purley and Gatwick Airport affecting long distance trains from London Victoria and London Bridge.

Please be aware that as this round contains National Rail stations, a standard Tube map be not be sufficient for you to plan your route. The London Connections map (or Rail & Tube Services in modern parlance) is no longer being produced and I do not have any left of the last printed version. Therefore if you need a copy, they are available for download on the TfL website.

Please respond if you are attending so I know how many envelopes to prepare.

[tangy]

A note regarding the status of Crossrail (Elizabeth Line) stations:

As Crossrail is part of the National Rail network like the Overground (XR is just another TOC), the low level platforms at Liverpool Street and Paddington can be used for the NR purposes of this challenge.

Canary Wharf XR is really the only one of the "core" Crossrail stations that is physically separate from its namesake Underground station. Therefore if say Bond Street appears in the list then as it is considered one station it can be visited by LU or XR as you see fit (as per already the case for stations like West Brompton or Stratford).

If a station is noted with an NR tag then as long as you visit the station on ANY NR TOC operated train then it is considered valid. Therefore if Liverpool Street NR is drawn out you may visit it on a Crossrail, Overground (Weaver Line) or Greater Anglia train as required.

[tangy]

A note regarding St. Pancras (NR):

As St. Pancras (NR) also includes the SouthEastern High Speed Javelin services (and East Midlands Railway), it is permitted to use these as part of your challenge but the challenger will be responsible for paying the extra fare required to travel on these trains.

Stratford International (NR) will be excluded and will NOT be one of the 15 you will be required to visit.

[tangy]

As this is a challenge that involves multiple networks (LU, LO and NR) it is vitally important you visit the correct station on a network that is valid for that station.

To clarify, here is a list of what stations are to be included in the challenge (except those closed for engineering work which will be excluded from the draw anyway):
--All LU stations in zones 1-2.
--All Overground stations in zones 1-2.
--NR Stations counted as separate from the above: All London Terminals, Battersea Park, Brixton, City Thameslink, Deptford, Drayton Park, East Dulwich, Elephant & Castle, Essex Road, Finsbury Park, Greenwich, Herne Hill, Lewisham, Limehouse, Loughborough Junction, North Dulwich, Nunhead, Putney, Queenstown Road, Rectory Road, South Bermondsey, St. John's, Vauxhall, Waterloo East, Wandsworth Town, West Hampstead Thameslink.

The golden rule is that if you need to exit one set of ticket barriers then enter another set of ticket barriers to transfer to the other network then it is classed as separate. At stations where one can interchange between different networks without passing through any ticket barriers then it is counted as one station and can be visited by any of the above networks included in this challenge. Examples include: Farringdon, Highbury & Islington, Kensington Olympia, New Cross, Stratford, West Brompton, Whitechapel to name a few.

If you have any questions regarding this then please ask!

[miklcct]

As this is a challenge that involves multiple networks (LU, LO and NR) it is vitally important you visit the correct station on a network that is valid for that station.

To clarify, here is a list of what stations are to be included in the challenge (except those closed for engineering work which will be excluded from the draw anyway):
--All LU stations in zones 1-2.
--All Overground stations in zones 1-2.
--NR Stations counted as separate from the above: All London Terminals, Battersea Park, Brixton, City Thameslink, Deptford, Drayton Park, East Dulwich, Elephant & Castle, Essex Road, Finsbury Park, Greenwich, Herne Hill, Lewisham, Limehouse, Loughborough Junction, North Dulwich, Nunhead, Putney, Queenstown Road, Rectory Road, South Bermondsey, St. John's, Vauxhall, Waterloo East, Wandsworth Town, West Hampstead Thameslink.

The golden rule is that if you need to exit one set of ticket barriers then enter another set of ticket barriers to transfer to the other network then it is classed as separate. At stations where one can interchange between different networks without passing through any ticket barriers then it is counted as one station and can be visited by any of the above networks included in this challenge. Examples include: Farringdon, Highbury & Islington, Kensington Olympia, New Cross, Stratford, West Brompton, Whitechapel to name a few.

If you have any questions regarding this then please ask!

I'm sorry, Finsbury Park is not a separate station. The station is fully gated and both LU and NR share a paid area after the latest remodelling in 2021. Among all London Terminals, Moorgate is also not a separate station as well.

https://oysterfares.com/solving-finsbury-park/

My challenge generator reflects this latest position that FInsbury Park is one station.

I will be attending this challenge.

[Lunaticonthegrass]

Attending: miklcct, Lotg

Here's hoping we don't have a repeat of the train failures of last year!

[JamesWright]

Attending: miklcct, Lotg, JW

In addition to the closures listed above, it seems there will be engineering work on SWR next weekend, with no service at Vauxhall or Queenstown Road Battersea.

[Rhys1995]

See you there.

Attending: Me!

[RJSRdg]

I am hoping to be there, however I need to attend the Maidenhead Model Railway Exhibition in the morning so I may be very tight on the 12:30! (or it may be a case of leaving an envelope somewhere for me to find....).

Would it be possible for someone to clarify the best route from KXSP (Circle Line) to the Thameslink concourse?

[JamesWright]

Would it be possible for someone to clarify the best route from KXSP (Circle Line) to the Thameslink concourse?

Take the exit closest to the western end of the platform (rear if coming from Paddington), go through the ticket barriers, turn left, go up the stairs, turn right, enter St Pancras station, and go straight on past the shops all the way to the end.