Great Western Coffee Shop

What are the longest non-stop runs (in time rather than distance) made by GWR trains?

I have a reason for asking ... will follow up with that based on data received in answer. Thanks!

I would think Reading to Exeter.

Reading to Exeter St Davids via Westbury station (non-stop), Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction and Exeter Central. A regular diversion for the Sunday Night Riviera Sleeper.

Gosh - I had overlooked that.  I was thinking Reading to Taunton in regular service, and Swindon to Paddington and Par to Newquay on 'occasionals'

..mmm.  Think there might be a stop to change drivers somewhere en-route?

Exeter St Davids?  ;)

This one actually might be longer mileage than my first suggestion where I was assuming via the B&H between Reading and Westbury:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C26340/2017/02/05/advanced

No booked passenger or non-passenger stops between Reading and Exeter St Davids, via Swindon, Melksham, Westbury, Castle Cary, the Yeovils and Exeter Central.

Would Reading to Exeter via Swindon and Bristol be any longer?

Non-stop? Which train does that?

The sleeper on a diversion?

OK ... so (daytime trains)

97 minutes - Cornish Riviera (up),  93 minutes down, Exeter to Reading
75 minutes - multiple trains, Reading to Taunton
56 minutes - Capitals United, Swindon to Paddington
53 minutes - Cornish Riviera, Plymouth to Exeter (same train/diagram as first entry here)

Under 45 minutes you start getting quite a few
40 minutes - 13:00 Westbury to Taunton (even though the 08:26 takes just 37 minute!)
39 minutes - 17:42 Paddington to Didcot

Par to Newquay stops to exchange tokens at St Blazey and Goonbarrow Jn.

OK ... background to why I asked the question.

In my youth, train travel comprised suburban commuter runs in south London / north west Kent, and long distance trips - typically with family.  We would settle into our long distance train at Euston, King's Cross, St Pancras or (occasionally) Paddington along with other passengers, and most of us would remain on that train for many, many hours.  Journeys were long, stops were infrequent, and passengers leaving / joining at those intermediate stops were few.

In those days, I can recall walking through the train to the buffet car for cups of coffee, perhaps the odd snack, and the proverbial "British Rail" Sandwich and carrying them back to my party through up to 10 coaches that bucketed and rocked over junctions along the way.  But these days, my journeys have changed. For sure, some are long distance; I'm in Scotland later this seek, for example.  However, gone are the long times between stops and gone for many of us are the larger family group.  Intermediate stops see huge flows of people off and onto the train, and it's no longer the case that those who are seated opposite you as you leave London and the same people who get off the train in front of you in Edinburgh, Liverpool or Minehead.    These days, I am reluctant to leave my seat.   I will do so for a couple of minutes to visit the loo (though even there I'll tend to wait to virtually the end of the journey in case I loose my seat, and I'll take my personal stuff with me; much of that comes from travelling alone, with the rest of it being from knowing some of what goes on, having seen the aftermath of someone having their bag taken off at an intermediate station without their knowledge, and from concern of not being able to get seated again.

So ... the "longest runs" question relates to buffet car logic.


Hmmm ... I don't think a buffet car on an airline was ever feasible, though I do know that on some airlines, first class offers a bar area away from your seat; great to stretch out, etc ... and little danger of losing your place or luggage at an intermediate stop.

I do note that some trains have trolley service and a hot food preparation / special order area where the chap (or chapess) on catering can go and bring you your order at seat through the train.  Perhaps there's sense in the expansion of this - using the train's WiFi and intranet to allow passenger to place their orders. Even if the train's in a  dead zone, this would be self-contained, and being an intranet it would avoid you ordering and paying for food that ends up being delivered to the same seat on the train that;s immediately behind yours!

Isn't it the wrong question though?  How long a train travels without stopping between (say) Bristol Temple Meads and London is irrelevant to a passenger travelling between those two stations and their need (or otherwise) for a catering facility.

I see the point of the question. I have been up and down to Blackpool several times lately (splitting tickets at Cheltenham and New Street to keep the price under twenty quid each way) and the longest stretch there seems to be 45 minutes CNM to BHM. I remain surprised at how many passengers use the intercity services to travel from BRI to BPW, but perhaps I shouldn't be. I've done it often enough to connect with a London train rather than wait at Temple Meads.

Taken off without their knowledge??? Do you mean stolen? But your phrasing suggests some sort of official 'taking off'?

It was probably a theft, but I make no assumption of that - certainly not official in that the removal of the back was news to the train manager who got called.  I have come across instances (airline) where an incorrect bag has been picked up from a carousel ... I should not tell you about customer(s) arriving with us in Melksham having flown into the UK, opening bags and saying "oops - not my stuff" ...

When it happens, you wouldn't know which it was, would you? It would be worse than annoying either way - or if it was a mistake, most plausible if helping someone else with their bags.

I wondered if there was some sort of official policy I wasn't aware of, and if so how specific bags could be associated with particular passengers in their absence. But if it was removed by train staff as part of a policy (security maybe?) then there would at least be a chance of getting it back (presumably).

See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=17832