I am a big fan of the challenges on the “Top Gear” and “The Grand Tour”, and I like to watch YouTube channels like @pauls_trips, @DennisBunnik and I even supported a legendary Geoff on Patreon in his epic adventure to do @allthestations in the UK.
I always wanted to do these kinds of things, but I had “excuses” to not to do.
While I was watching Geoff on his trip on the longest train. I thought that I really should do some adventure with a challenge. After brainstorming and I realised, I always want to take the longest train in the UK and I always want to take both night trains that are still operating in the UK, and then I got an idea .. how about combining these three things together?
As it turns out it is almost possible … to do that I need
- Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston to Aberdeen
- Longest run a train from Aberdeen to Penzance*
- Night Riveria train from Penzance* to London Paddington
Unfortunately, due to engineering works the longest train is not running until 8 October but so I decided to book tickets, and I will start on 11 October, Thursday and I will finish my adventure on Saturday morning. I will spend 32.5 hours on the train between London Euston and London Paddington. For comparison. I walked from London Euston to Paddington for approximately 40 minutes. Tube took me 15 minutes from Euston and 10 minutes from Euston Square. According to TfL bus need around 28 minutes for this distance during peak time.
My trip itinerary will look like that:
| station | arr | dep | train |
| London Euston | 21:15 | Caledonian Sleeper | |
| Watford Junction | 21:32 | 21:34 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Crewe | 23:46 | 23:50 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Preston | 00:55 | 01:00 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Edinburgh | 03:54 | 04:43 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Inverkeithing | 04:58 | 05:01 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Kirkcaldy | 05:18 | 05:20 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Leuchars | 05:46 | 05:48 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Dundee | 06:05 | 06:07 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Carnoustie | 06:21 | 06:23 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Arbroath | 06:29 | 06:31 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Montrose | 06:47 | 06:48 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Stonehaven | 07:12 | 07:15 | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Aberdeen | 07:37 | > >> | Caledonian Sleeper |
| Aberdeen | >> > | 08:20 | CrossCountry |
| Dundee | 08:36 | 08:38 | CrossCountry |
| Leuchars | 08:57 | 08:59 | CrossCountry |
| Cupar | 09:53 | 09:55 | CrossCountry |
| Ladybank | 10:00 | 10:02 | CrossCountry |
| Markinch | 10:08 | 10:09 | CrossCountry |
| Kirkcaldy | 10:16 | 10:18 | CrossCountry |
| Inverkeithing | 10:31 | 10:33 | CrossCountry |
| Haymarket | 10:48 | 10:51 | CrossCountry |
|
Edinburgh (Waverley)
|
10:55 | 11:06 | CrossCountry |
| Dunbar | 11:26 | 11:28 | CrossCountry |
|
Berwick-Upon-Tweed
|
11:50 | 11:51 | CrossCountry |
| Alnmouth | 12:10 | 12:12 | CrossCountry |
| Newcastle | 12:37 | 12:41 | CrossCountry |
| Durham | 12:52 | 12:54 | CrossCountry |
| Darlington | 13:10 | 13:12 | CrossCountry |
| York | 13:42 | 13:44 | CrossCountry |
| Leeds | 14:07 | 14:11 | CrossCountry |
|
Wakefield Westgate
|
14:21 | 14:23 | CrossCountry |
| Sheffield | 14:53 | 14:55 | CrossCountry |
| Chesterfield | 15:05 | 15:07 | CrossCountry |
| Derby | 15:24 | 15:28 | CrossCountry |
|
Burton-On-Trent
|
15:37 | 15:38 | CrossCountry |
|
Birmingham New Street
|
16:03 | 16:12 | CrossCountry |
|
Cheltenham Spa
|
16:51 | 16:53 | CrossCountry |
| Bristol Parkway | 17:24 | 17:26 | CrossCountry |
|
Bristol Temple Meads
|
17:39 | 17:44 | CrossCountry |
| Taunton | 18:15 | 18:16 | CrossCountry |
|
Tiverton Parkway
|
18:27 | 18:28 | CrossCountry |
|
Exeter St David’s
|
18:40 | 18:46 | CrossCountry |
| Newton Abbot | 19:04 | 19:06 | CrossCountry |
| Totnes | 19:16 | 19:18 | CrossCountry |
| Plymouth | 19:43 | 19:49 | CrossCountry |
| Liskeard | 20:10 | 20:12 | CrossCountry |
|
Bodmin Parkway
|
20:23 | 20:24 | CrossCountry |
| Par | 20:33 | 20:34 | CrossCountry |
| St Austell | 20:39 | 20:41 | CrossCountry |
| Truro | 21:00 | 21:02 | CrossCountry |
| Redruth | 21:16 | 21:18 | CrossCountry |
| Camborne | 21.23 | 21:25 | CrossCountry |
| St Erth* | 21.33 | 21:35 | CrossCountry |
| Penzance* | 21:43 | > >> | CrossCountry |
| Penzance* | >> > | 21:45 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| St Erth* | 21.53 | 21.55 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Camborne | 22:05 | 22:09 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Redruth | 22.13 | 22:16 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Truro | 22.26 | 22.29 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| St Austell | 22.45 | 22.47 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Par | 22.53 | 22.56 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Bodmin Parkway | 23.06 | 23.08 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Liskeard | 23:21 | 23:24 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Plymouth | 23:49 | 23:54 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Totnes | 00:20 | 00:22 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Newton Abbot | 00:33 | 00:36 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Exeter St Davids | 00:56 | 01:12 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Taunton | 01:40 | 01:50 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Reading | 03:57 | 04:26 | Night Riviera Sleeper |
| Paddington | 05:23 | Night Riviera Sleeper | |
Sources:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C78554/2018/10/11/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C78528/2018/10/12/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C77440/2018/10/12/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C40038/2018/10/12/advanced
As you can see, I want to travel to Penzance, but my current plan is to change at St Erth instead. This is due that I will have around 1 minute to change time at Penzance and this will be near impossible.
I am really excited to do it, and I believe this trip should fulfil my urge to train travel for a long time. After the tour, I am planning to write a report about the trip.
So… Can I complete my trip? Can I survive the journey? Can I get to all places on time despite the plague of signal failures, crew shortages happing all the time on British railway? Let’s find out on 11-13 October 🙂
#Dom32HoursOnTrainInUK #CaledonianSleeper @CalSleeper #LongestRunTrain @CrossCountryUK #NightRivera @GWRHelp
Dominik Symonowicz 