The UK’s longest practice journey was taken out of service final 12 months, with practice followers declaring it the “finish of an period”
The UK’s longest practice journey was pulled from schedules final 12 months (Picture: Getty)
As soon as the UK’s longest practice journey, the CrossCountry Aberdeen to Penzance service spanning 775 miles, was discontinued in 2025. Launched in 1921, this service departed Aberdeen at 8:20 am and was scheduled to reach in Penzance greater than 13 hours later at 9:31 pm, after stopping in quite a few British cities, together with York, Leeds, and Birmingham.
The service ran for the final time on 16 Might, previous to which CrossCountry mentioned it was scrapping the journey to make sure a “extra environment friendly service” for its prospects and workers. This noticed the creation of a brand new shorter service, taking 11 and a half hours and terminating in Plymouth, quite than persevering with on to Penzance.
On the day of its remaining journey, practice lovers from up and down the nation descended on Aberdeen as a way to take the complete journey.
Chatting with the BBC, such an fanatic, John Labrow, mentioned: “It is in all probability the longest journey I’ve ever accomplished by practice, it is the final of an amazing period. It is a privilege.”
Whereas practice driver Martin Wallace, who was assigned to the route in 2024, advised the broadcaster he was delighted to be the one driving the route for a remaining time: “It’s extremely thrilling, is not it. The final voyage.”
Taking on 13 hours, it is believed that at the least two of those would truly be spent ready for passengers to depart and alight on the 36 stops alongside the best way.
Saying the route’s cancellation again in 2025, a spokesperson for CrossCountry mentioned: “Amending our Aberdeen to Penzance service from Might 2025 will imply a extra environment friendly timetable for our practice crews and a extra handy service for our prospects, making a day journey from Bristol and the west of England to Penzance extra viable.
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“The brand new timetable may even ship an extra service in every route between Glasgow and the North East of England in direction of Birmingham.”
With the cancellation of this service, it is thought that the UK’s longest direct practice service is now the Caledonian Sleeper’s in a single day practice from London Euston to Fort William, which takes round 12 hours and 45 minutes.
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