Re: Could one train travel the entire tube network?
Posted: 02 May 2019, 21:49
This scenario has been nagging at me occasionally, so I finally decided to crunch the numbers. There are not that many options for the route, given that there is only one access point for many of the lines (Metropolitan/Jubilee at Wembley Park, Jubilee/Bakerloo at Baker St, Piccadilly/Victoria at Finsbury Pk, Piccadilly/Northern at Kings X, Metropolitan or Piccadilly/Central via Ruislip depot).
Here, first, is the route I used:
MET: Amersham - C&L - Chesham - Moor Pk - Watford - Wembley Pk
JUB: Wembley Pk - Stanmore - Stratford - Baker St
BAK: Baker St - E&C - H&W - Willesden Jct
OVG: Willesden Jct - Richmond
DIS: Richmond - Turnham Gn - Ealing Bdy - Acton Tn
PIC: Acton Tn - LHR123 via LHR4 - LHR5 - Cockfosters - Finsbury Pk
VIC: Finsbury Pk - Walthamstow - Brixton - Finsbury Pk
PIC: Finsbury Pk - Kings X
NOR: Kings X - MHE - Finchley C - High Barnet - Mornington Cr - Edgware - Morden via Charing X - Kings X via Bank
PIC: Kings X - Hammersmith (shunting to DIS not possible at Barons Ct)
DIS: Hammersmith - Earls Ct - Olympia - Upminster --
H&C: -- Liverpool St
MET: Liverpool St - Aldgate --
H&C: -- Hammersmith - Edgware Rd
DIS: Edgware Rd - Wimbledon - Earls Ct - Acton Tn
PIC: Acton Tn - Rayners La
MET: Rayners La - W Harrow - Uxbridge - Ickenham (transfer through Ruislip depot)
CEN: Ruislip Gdns - W Ruislip - N Acton - Ealing Bdy - Woodford via Hainault - Snaresbrook - Epping.
I assumed 5 minutes for each of the 50 turnarounds or shunts, which is probably quite generous. Turnarounds can be much quicker than that, particularly if there is a driver at both ends of the train. The shunts may require more time, though. Anyway:
I got the times between stations from a TfL document titled "inter station database". The version I have predates LHR5, so I simply assumed 4 minutes from LHR123 for that, and I also had to make an assumption for the time from Willesden Jct to Richmond (20 min, probably too much since no stopping would be required). I used two sets of times, the first being the "unimpeded" runtime, which DOES NOT assume stopping at stations, and the second being the off-peak runtime which DOES assume stopping at stations.
And here are the results, both assuming the aforementioned turnaround times:
- without stopping at stations, 14 h 47 min
- stopping at stations, 20 h 34 min
(probably somewhat quicker, though, since there would be no passengers getting on or off at stations)
So without stopping, the time would clearly beat the current record, but GWR rules assume stopping at stations. And, of course, this would not be a regular scheduled service, so the comparison is moot anyway.
Still, it would be possible to do this in one day, and it is far less than I guesstimated.
-JMan
Here, first, is the route I used:
MET: Amersham - C&L - Chesham - Moor Pk - Watford - Wembley Pk
JUB: Wembley Pk - Stanmore - Stratford - Baker St
BAK: Baker St - E&C - H&W - Willesden Jct
OVG: Willesden Jct - Richmond
DIS: Richmond - Turnham Gn - Ealing Bdy - Acton Tn
PIC: Acton Tn - LHR123 via LHR4 - LHR5 - Cockfosters - Finsbury Pk
VIC: Finsbury Pk - Walthamstow - Brixton - Finsbury Pk
PIC: Finsbury Pk - Kings X
NOR: Kings X - MHE - Finchley C - High Barnet - Mornington Cr - Edgware - Morden via Charing X - Kings X via Bank
PIC: Kings X - Hammersmith (shunting to DIS not possible at Barons Ct)
DIS: Hammersmith - Earls Ct - Olympia - Upminster --
H&C: -- Liverpool St
MET: Liverpool St - Aldgate --
H&C: -- Hammersmith - Edgware Rd
DIS: Edgware Rd - Wimbledon - Earls Ct - Acton Tn
PIC: Acton Tn - Rayners La
MET: Rayners La - W Harrow - Uxbridge - Ickenham (transfer through Ruislip depot)
CEN: Ruislip Gdns - W Ruislip - N Acton - Ealing Bdy - Woodford via Hainault - Snaresbrook - Epping.
I assumed 5 minutes for each of the 50 turnarounds or shunts, which is probably quite generous. Turnarounds can be much quicker than that, particularly if there is a driver at both ends of the train. The shunts may require more time, though. Anyway:
I got the times between stations from a TfL document titled "inter station database". The version I have predates LHR5, so I simply assumed 4 minutes from LHR123 for that, and I also had to make an assumption for the time from Willesden Jct to Richmond (20 min, probably too much since no stopping would be required). I used two sets of times, the first being the "unimpeded" runtime, which DOES NOT assume stopping at stations, and the second being the off-peak runtime which DOES assume stopping at stations.
And here are the results, both assuming the aforementioned turnaround times:
- without stopping at stations, 14 h 47 min
- stopping at stations, 20 h 34 min
(probably somewhat quicker, though, since there would be no passengers getting on or off at stations)
So without stopping, the time would clearly beat the current record, but GWR rules assume stopping at stations. And, of course, this would not be a regular scheduled service, so the comparison is moot anyway.
Still, it would be possible to do this in one day, and it is far less than I guesstimated.
-JMan