Full Network Challenge - 272 stations - Successful First Attempt

[Bubble]

Here is the report from my successful FNC. It was my first attempt. The ducks seemed to line up for me.

Date of challenge: Tuesday 5 September 2023
Start: Chesham, departed 05:16:38
Finish: Hammersmith (District/H&C), arrived 00:44:24
Elapsed time: 19:27:47
Number of stations visited: 272 (current full-network configuration). This includes a pass-through of Kentish Town, which is closed long-term.
Ticketing: Contactless for the Metropolitan line north of and including North Harrow; Day Travelcard loaded onto a Smartcard for Z1-6.
Network Status on day of challenge: fortunately there were no problems, save for 'minor delays' on the Jubilee line, which didn't affect me. I was incredibly lucky that there were no points failures, fires, suicides, staffing issues etc to mess things up as there had been on the previous day. Much depends on being fortunate enough to get a clear run.
Weather: fine, sunny and very hot. Not great for running but at least I could use my phone for navigation and my paper remained dry.
Closeness of actual FNC to plan: amazingly close - largely because of the lack of network problems.
Navigation off-network: I found the Citymapper app great for running. Definitely better than Google/Apple for this purpose.

My route is based on the Labyrinth route but with a number of 'refinements'. Since it was developed from principles found on this site I am more than happy to share all the details of my route for anyone who wants them.

I didn't want the expense and hassle of overnight accommodation so I persuaded my wife to drive me to Chesham for the 0516 departure. Using the Working Timetables I planned every change for the first, critical, phase which would get me to Kensington (Olympia) for the last morning train but after that I didn't plan the timings in advance, on the basis that it would be likely to drift. If I do another FNC, I might reflect on that decision.

I obsessed throughout my planning about Olympia. I decided that it might be very difficult to plan to hit one of the two evening trains, so decided to go for a morning one. In practical terms, the only possibility was the 0752 departure from Olympia, which I made with 30 minutes to spare. This is why my route, whilst I think it is a reasonable one with some interesting tweaks to the Labyrinth template, probably would never work for a GWR attempt. So, I took the 0516 from Chesham, changed at C&L for Amersham then changed at Rickmansworth for the 0608 North Curve direct service to Watford (I thought this might save a bit of time and I have always wanted to ride the North Curve!). Then Watford to North Harrow and the H9 bus from just outside the station to Rayners Lane. The bus was the first point at which I tapped my Day Travelcard (loaded onto a Chiltern Smartcard). Rayners Lane to Park Royal then an easy run to Hanger Lane, then Central Line to Shepherds Bush, where I changed to the Overground for a short hop to Olympia. It was a great relief to be able to catch the last morning Olympia-Earls Court service but I arrived well early, which will obviously have impacted on my overall time. Olympia to Earl's Court, then Earls Court to Richmond. Richmond to Gunnersbury then a short run to Chiswick Park. Up to Ealing Common then back to Acton Town, from where I did the Heathrow section of the Piccadilly Line. Folk often finish at T5 but I was anxious about not being able to complete the FNC due to the last train to T4 being rather earlier than for other termini, so I decided to do Heathrow whilst in the SW area. To avoid the long drag back up the Heathrow branch I used the Elizabeth Line from T5 to Ealing Broadway, conveniently ticking off that station. Then one stop to West Acton and a short, pleasant run up to North Ealing, then back to Park Royal, from where I made my second (!) run of the day to Hanger Lane.

I felt I was going well, despite having done two runs from Park Royal to Hanger Lane. From Hanger Lane I followed the Labyrinth Route: West Ruislip/run to Ickenham/Uxbridge/Preston Road/run to Kenton/whole Bakerloo Line/London Bridge/Southwark/West Ham then District to Upminster. At Upminster I was able to do a one-minute change from the District Line to the Overground, which took me at high speed and in air-conditioned comfort back to West Ham in no time. Then H&C to Aldgate East/run to Aldgate/Circle to Sloane Sq/Brixton/Kennington and at this point I did the Battersea PS branch, all the way out and all the way back. I considered carefully running from Vauxhall to Nine Elms but doubted that this would be worthwhile, given the time lost in descending and ascending to the deep-level lines. Morden/long run to Wimbledon, then a questionable decision: I was on an Edgware Road train from Wimbledon and vacillated along the branch before alighting at West Brompton for the Overground to Shepherd's Bush (a station I was getting to know rather well). The idea was to avoid back-tracking to pick up Holland Park by doing West Brampton to Shepherd's Bush then the eastern part of the Central line. In the event I just missed the Overground train that was waiting when I alighted from the District and had to wait 10 minutes. I would suggest that if on an Earls Court train from Wimbledon, stay on it to Notting Hill Gate then back-track to pick up Holland Park.

At Holland Park I had only a short wait before the Hainault train I was expecting arrived and that was fine until the Hainault branch when a signal held us for long enough to miss the Woodford shuttle which, alas, is apparently not a connecting service. That meant an unwelcome wait at Hainault for the next Woodford train. That delay, plus the OIympia early arrival, would certainly have cost me a record had I been going for one. It was a hell of a drag up to Epping and back but I didn't have to wait at Epping for more than a few minutes (and there are toilets there, unlike at Hainault). Incidentally I did download the TfL summary of toilet facilities and found it useful to know what was provided when planning ahead. I'd advise anyone doing an FNC to get that - there is no time to dither searching for facilities once you're in full swing. I suspect that the 'perfect' FNC would start at Chesham and end at Epping, but that would require either a tolerant hotel/BnB or a supportive spouse or friend prepared to pick one up in the middle of the night. I will keep thinking about this but I can't see at the moment how to create an efficient route ending at Epping but if there is one it would save a long drag back from Epping to Snaresbrook.

Snaresbrook to Walthamstow is quite a haul and there is no direct bus. I considered running to Wood Street then Overground to Walthamstow Central, but the service is not regular enough, so I tried to run instead. About half way I caught up with a 20 bus and got onto that, so the transfer was reasonably quick. I was tired by now and after joining the Victoria Line I made my only real blunder of the day, and the first deviation from my plan, which was to change at Euston for Warren Street rather than staying on the Victoria Line. This would have cost a few minutes, but it saved the change between the Victoria and Northern at Warren Street to pick up Goodge Street.

Goodge Street to Edgware, bus 142 direct to Stanmore (I had originally planned to run to Canons park but it was dark, I was tired and 'minor' delays were shown on the Jubilee line, so I thought it best to go to Stanmore). Stanmore/Baker Street/Moorgate/just missed the Mill Hill East train I was going for so took a High Barnet train to West Finchley Central and changed for Mill Hill East (5 minute delay). Time at MHE to visit the Co-Op at the bottom of the station approach for food and much-needed water then same train back to Finchley Central. Couple of minutes' wait for a High Barnet train. I didn't relish the 2.3-mile run to Cockfosters but there is no direct bus and the best alternative is a bus to Oakwood then wasted time from there to Cockfosters. So I ran it. The first half or so is downhill and overall it wasn't too much of a struggle. Cockfosters to South Kensington/Circle to Edgware Road (Circle Line)/H&C to Hammersmith (END).

I'm probably the only successful FNC'er to finish at Hammersmith and, comparing my time with the other known times for 272-station FNC I would probably want to look at that again if I have another go. But the last train there is later than the last one to Heathrow and my aim was always to get a completion, not a world record. Although I could get to Hammersmith, I couldn't get out as, by the time I arrived there were no more east-bound trains . So, after a frantic bit of research on my phone, I gave up and paid £35 for a taxi to King's Cross, from where I set off for home.

LESSONS LEARNED
When downloading the Working Timetables at home, delete the pages you won't need otherwise you'll struggle to get to the information you need during the Challenge. I downloaded the abridged pdf versions to my phone. I think an iPad would have been too bulky to carry around all day, especially during the runs.
It helps if you are used to running. I do Parkruns each week (around 22:00-22:30, aged 58, which isn't exceptional but is enough to make the FNC runs comfortable).
Use Citymapper.
It is incredibly tiring. Don't underestimate that. Drink plenty. Eat frequently.
It would help enormously to have a 'support car' to take you to the start point and, more importantly, collect you from the finish point, allowing for the possibly that your finish point might change. Few of us have that luxury.
A lot depends on luck - getting lucky with transfers, there not being service issues during the day (keep checking the TfL Service Status page during your FNC), and being able to make the most tricky connections, such as for the Hainault - Woodford branch. I am sure that had I chosen Monday 4th instead of Tuesday 5th I would have been unable to complete, due to the reported service issues.
Take a damp flannel if the weather is hot and you will be running a lot. It really does help.
Use the TfL list of toilet locations and opening times.
Get a battery-pack for your phone (I might have got away without one but a full charge before the evening gave me some comfort).
I have heard rumours that the Day Travelcard might be abolished. So get on with it if you re considering an FNC.

[EastActionWoman]

What a fantastic write up and congratulations for completing on such a hot day!

[jrparkin]

I'm curious about you mentioning a battery pack for your phone. My phone only drains 10% on full charge with the stopwatch running - I did an 'Equipment Check' before my attempt - and for the 18+ hours I was travelling I only used it for the toilets map and finding my way to Leytonstone High Road

That's another tip incidentally - research the route to LHR from both Leytonstone exits - because on my attempt, the exit I was hoping to use was flooded and so I had to use the other exit rendering me lost for a few minutes

[Golf]

Where congratulations is indeed giving for a completion on your attempt obvious flaws in your route planning i can work out.

if you were at shepherds bush early in morning and had 30 minutes to a ken o train and were finishing at HAMMERSMITH h&c ? surely the time taken to do those stations and bus/run or walk to kensington from hammersmith would have meant you could have finished at wood lane late in day unusual and unique and a faster time.

[Bubble]

Hello Golf,
Thanks for that. Very useful point.
I suppose because it was my first time I was desperate to make certain that I caught the 0752 from KO and so didn't take any chances. I didn't have the experience/confidence to realise when I reached Shepherd's Bush with so much time to spare that I could pick up more stations before going to KO.
As an alternative to your suggestion I could have remained on the Central Line to Holland Park, then returned to Sheperd's Bush before going to KO; that would have removed any consideration of my later flawed decision to do West Brompton to Sheperd's Bush in order to pick up Holland Park on the way back from Wimbledon.

Possible refinements to my route so far:
1. EITHER: (1) your suggestion: Sheperd's Bush RUN to Sheperd's Bush Market/SBM to Hammersmith/RUN to KO, OR (2) Hanger Lane to Holland Park/Holland Park to Shepherd's Bush/Shepherd's Bush to KO.
2. Definitely faster to run between Snaresbrook and Walthamstow Central rather than run/bus.
3. Be sure to pick the first train when arriving at a terminus with several platforms. I didn't do enough research with the WTTs so didn't always know which platform to go to when arriving at a terminus. On a couple of occasions I didn't get the first train.
4. Run faster on the long runs (I had a bit of back-ache which slowed be down).

I'll keep thinking about more refinements as I would like another try. I will keep thinking about your suggestion.

[RJSRdg]

Well, that's knocked it right out of the park! Almost an hour faster than the previous fastest time (and over 2 1/2 hours faster than the Guinness World Record!). Well done!

My time of 18:30:32 earlier in the year (at that time third fastest) was based on a theory time of 17:53 (or possibly 17:43) but time was lost due to mishaps and errors (in large part a missed connection at Finchley Central). I'd revised the route afterwards to mitigate against those and had thought of revisiting it, but not much point now other than to establish a PB.
I do however have a faster theory route of 17:03, but I need to do some more work on that to establish contingency plans, so I think that's where my efforts will lie now.

[RJSRdg]

I'm curious about you mentioning a battery pack for your phone. My phone only drains 10% on full charge with the stopwatch running - I did an 'Equipment Check' before my attempt - and for the 18+ hours I was travelling I only used it for the toilets map and finding my way to Leytonstone High Road

That's another tip incidentally - research the route to LHR from both Leytonstone exits - because on my attempt, the exit I was hoping to use was flooded and so I had to use the other exit rendering me lost for a few minutes

Yes, I didn't need to use the battery pack either. However one would probably be needed if you were using it to video the route.

[RJSRdg]

With regards to the Travelcard, the cost of a TfL day Travelcard is £29, which is the same as the contactless daily cap so from that perspective it won't make any difference to the cost of doing an FNC.

However I think the TfL day Travelcard might be staying. What's under threat is the Day Travelcards you can buy from NR stations outside the Travelcard Zones, which include return fares to London as well as the Travelcard. In future, anyone travelling into London, going round and coming back will need to buy a return to London and then either get a TfL Travelcard or use Oyster/Contactless when they get there, which will be more expensive than now.

[Bubble]

Replying to jrparkin re battery pack:

I suppose it depends on how much you use your phone, which model you have and how old it is. I have a 3-year old iPhone 11 with a battery whose capacity is now at only 85% of new. During the day I had little time to read the news etc, except in the evening on the long Northern Line and Piccadilly Line hauls, but I used the phone continuously, with GPS on, during every run. I held the phone in my hand and used it like a map. I didn't take paper copies of the WTTs so was continually looking at them on the phone. I regularly checked the TfL Service Status page and found that really helpful in sustaining morale ... I knew that there wasn't major problems that would scupper my completion. I don't do social media so wasn't troubled by that, nor did I do much emailing during the day, though quite a few emails came in. As I pointed out, I didn't need the battery pack to recover from a power crisis, but I had it with me so took the opportunity to charge the phone when it got lowish so that I wouldn't have to worry for the rest of the day. I knew I would need it for the High Barnet to Cockfosters run and suspected that I might need it also after completing the Challenge in order to get home (buying a rail ticket, taxi, something to look at if delayed - I was for an hour - and so on). Would I have coped without a charge? Possibly, just. Was I happier not having to think about the phone's battery? Yes. My pack cost me about £15 and weighed very little, so it wasn't worth not taking it with me, I felt. I was glad that I had a SmartCard for my ticket; that was another reason I didn't need to worry about my phone's battery.

[Bubble]

Well, that's knocked it right out of the park! Almost an hour faster than the previous fastest time (and over 2 1/2 hours faster than the Guinness World Record!). Well done!

I think I was only just over half-an-hour under the current GWR, not 2 1/2 hours under.

Actually I didn't set out to do a record time - only a completion. Having been successful, having gained experience and being able to see how I could improve my route significantly I am keen to have another go ... but I have to confess that I found it a pretty exhausting experience.

Very, very impressed with your time. Outstanding performance.

Re your theoretical minimum, which is very interesting, I hope you have another go because it would be interesting to read the report. I suspect that the fastest possible, and least risk (of missing the last train) option is probably starting at T4 and ending at Amersham or Chesham and I would probably do that (instead of starting at Chesham as I did for my FNC) if trying again. The snag is having to commit to an expensive hotel or two, when there is a significant risk of a completion not being possible due to any of the many reasons that might close part of the network. I don't mind the cost but I'd find the disappointment hard to deal with. My daughter lives in Tooting so I might see if I can do some planning around staying with her. I live some way from London so any attempt is a significant logistical commitment for me.

Good luck if you do go again. Sub-18 would be pretty impressive.

[Bubble]

With regards to the Travelcard, the cost of a TfL day Travelcard is £29, which is the same as the contactless daily cap so from that perspective it won't make any difference to the cost of doing an FNC.

However I think the TfL day Travelcard might be staying. What's under threat is the Day Travelcards you can buy from NR stations outside the Travelcard Zones, which include return fares to London as well as the Travelcard. In future, anyone travelling into London, going round and coming back will need to buy a return to London and then either get a TfL Travelcard or use Oyster/Contactless when they get there, which will be more expensive than now.

Two comments:
Your first point: mine didn't cost £29, it cost £21.50 (purchased from the Chiltern Railways website). This was a z1-6 Day Travelcard loaded onto a Smartcard. (I could have bought a z1-9 one for, I think, £27.70 but Chiltern's website stated that, whilst valid, it would not work the barriers on the Chesham or Watford branches 'for technical reasons'. In fact I didn't need to use the barriers on these branches so could have bought the z1-9 TC, but my Contactless £2.20 plus the £21.50 z1-6 card was cheaper).

The other snag is that the TfL Day Travelcard is at present a paper card, and it can't be purchased on an Oyster (or SmartCard). In actual fact, at least for my own FNC there wasn't a great deal of tapping in and out so perhaps a paper ticket might not be that much of a drag on time, but it would certainly cost precious seconds for those going out-and-out for a WR time. If TfL bring in a DayTravelcard which can be loaded onto Oyster then our worries would be over.

I am not up with the latest news in this area but, thinking about it, a lot of folk travelling into London for a nice day out will need a 'rover' ticket for when they arrive, so I wonder if there will be an inclination to retain the Day TC, simply because it is so convenient for 'normal' people and it is what they need. For the tiny number of us attempting FNCs, it is a god-send, of course, but it wouldn't make commercial sense for the authorities to take us into account when planning their revenue-raising strategies.

[jrparkin]

Replying to jrparkin re battery pack:

I suppose it depends on how much you use your phone, which model you have and how old it is. I have a 3-year old iPhone 11 with a battery whose capacity is now at only 85% of new. During the day I had little time to read the news etc, except in the evening on the long Northern Line and Piccadilly Line hauls, but I used the phone continuously, with GPS on, during every run. I held the phone in my hand and used it like a map. I didn't take paper copies of the WTTs so was continually looking at them on the phone. I regularly checked the TfL Service Status page and found that really helpful in sustaining morale ... I knew that there wasn't major problems that would scupper my completion. I don't do social media so wasn't troubled by that, nor did I do much emailing during the day, though quite a few emails came in. As I pointed out, I didn't need the battery pack to recover from a power crisis, but I had it with me so took the opportunity to charge the phone when it got lowish so that I wouldn't have to worry for the rest of the day. I knew I would need it for the High Barnet to Cockfosters run and suspected that I might need it also after completing the Challenge in order to get home (buying a rail ticket, taxi, something to look at if delayed - I was for an hour - and so on). Would I have coped without a charge? Possibly, just. Was I happier not having to think about the phone's battery? Yes. My pack cost me about £15 and weighed very little, so it wasn't worth not taking it with me, I felt. I was glad that I had a SmartCard for my ticket; that was another reason I didn't need to worry about my phone's battery.

It's a Samsung Galaxy bought in 2020 if you're interested. I was scuppered at the beginning by no signal staff in Zones 7-9, so my plans had to be altered to 'See how many I could get' rather than a completion. Had I not made two or three silly mistakes in the morning I could have got 263 stations as I had good service throughout the day

I had a weekly pass on an Oyster Card, as I was pressure testing the route before the attempt which proved invaluable and despite the cost it certainly paid for itself. Apart from supplies in a small holdall the only other items I had on me was my mobile as a Stopwatch with the toilets map ready to view, a logbook for time stamps and an Underground map, which I lost somewhere halfway round!

[Bubble]

Everyone’s dread, isn’t it … not having the chance to complete due to service status. That’s one of the reasons I was so stressed at the start of my own FNC: on Monday there were several issues on the network. I could have kissed my phone on Tuesday morning when it showed no issues. I found it useful to check throughout the day but all was clear. No doubt about it - luck plays a big part in securing a completion.

[Alan White]

I've offered my congratulations to Bubble privately because we've had prior communication on the question of smart ticketing, but I'll also add congratulations publicly here.

I've looked at starting at Chesham but as Bubble says there isn't really anywhere to stay up there. I've also never come up with a route that seems to work with the constraint of Olympia, not least because of the early last trains to Heathrow. Bubble's success has inspired me to have another look, hopefully without the 30 minute wait

Ending at Epping looks attractive on a map but you only save the Epping-Woodford bit (~15 mins) because you still have to loop around the rest.

There actually is a "direct" bus - the 384 - between Cockfosters and High Barnet but it's only every 20 minutes so the timing has to be right. It takes a roundabout route but most stops are hail-and-ride so it doesn't stop often. But don't try to use it at school times: I did once - thankfully not during a challenge attempt - and it took forever because every few yards a schoolchild would flag it down.

I'd always avoid Mondays: all railways are susceptible to problems because of over-running weekend work or unsuccessful changes. I'd avoid Fridays because the timetabling differences for the Night Tube make planning difficult. I've found Wednesday to be a reliable day. Sorry to anyone who now encounters Severe Delays on a Wednesday.

I wish I'd had a damp flannel this week; that's a great tip.

Toilets: yes, it's essential - especially at my age - to know where the toilets are and when best to fit them into your schedule. Be aware, though, that TfL's map, while useful, is incomplete. It doesn't tell you that all the toilets from Upney to Upminster Bridge close at 3pm; that all the toilets on the northwest part of the Met are only open when no-one needs to use them; that the toilet on the e/b platform at Theydon Bois is closed with a notice telling you to use the toilet on the w/b platform which has a notice telling you that it's closed and to use the toilet opposite; or that Rayners Lane toilet has been closed for years awaiting repairs. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

On phones and apps, yes, I've found a power bank is essential. My phone will last two days with normal use but during a challenge, especially in cases of disruption, the frequent use will reduce the battery life to just a few hours. The best apps I've found (I'm Android) are London Tube Live and Probus London; both are invaluable.

Well done again to Bubble; here's to a reduced time next attempt.

[EastActionWoman]

Re: toilets. I've found this list from last year which is more up to date than the toilet map, and gives opening times. Though I've already found errors - loos at Finchley Road were still open at midnight when I checked recently.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/enhanced-cus ... mation.pdf