# MISC | How far can you go by rail in 24 hours?



## Pommy (Jun 13, 2007)

I was intrigued by how far it was possible to go in 24 hours by rail. I have been using this website - 
http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/ConnForm.asp?tt=a&p=MF&cl=E5

I have been working with the stipulation that distance must be measured 'as the crow flys' as I don't feel traveling up and down the same high speed line to be in the spirit of the challenge.

The furthest I have managed to get is Marseille to Norrkoping in Sweeden, a total of 1154 miles or 1857 killometers, using the following trains.

Marseille 18.26 - Paris (Lyon) 21.31
Paris (Nord) 21.55 - Brussels-midi 23.17
Brussels-midi 23.41 - Hamburg 08.12
Hamburg 9.28 - Copenhagen 14.11
Copenhagen 14.23 - Malmo 14.58
Malmo 15.14 - Norrkoping 18.22

I'm not sure if 24 minutes is enough time to transfer between the two Paris stations, but I'd like to try.

The real question is, can anyone get any further?


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

Pommy said:


> I'm not sure if 24 minutes is enough time to transfer between the two Paris stations, but I'd like to try.


No, it isn't.


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## mozatellac (Jan 10, 2008)

24 minutes is a bit short for a transfer between gare de Lyon and gare du Nord, but it can easily be done using RER A & B or even RER D (a bit more risky though, as there is less traffic on that line).

I think I have found a longer trip :
Seville 16.15
Madrid 18.50-19.00
Poitiers 5.58-6.36
Paris 8.15 (Montparnasse) - 8.55 (Nord)
Köln 12.45 - 13.11
Bremen 16.14

Total : 2085 km in 23.59

Any better solutions ? (maybe with the night train Roma - Paris and then Eurostar and British railways ?)


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## Unsing (Apr 15, 2006)

This was the furthest I could find for Japan.

Otoineppu 18:47 - Sapporo 21:50
Sapporo 22:00 - Aomori 5:35
Aomori 5:52 - Hachinohe 6:48
Hachinohe 6:55 - Tokyo 9:51
Tokyo 10:13 - Hakata 15:30
Hakata 16:10 - Shin-Yachio 17:46
Shin-Yachio 17:49 - Kagoshima-Chuo 18:29
Kagoshima-Chuo 18:39 - Usuki 18:47

Total: 2954.6 km in exactly 24 hours

Here is the route (from A to B)


When the entire section of Kyushu shinkansen is complete in 2011, Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo will be linked in an hour or so.


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

Napoli 16:22
Roma 18:16 18:36
Dijon 6:33 7:44
Lille 10:27 11:01
Calais 11:31
London 14:34

2202 km

long changes
quite much time still left


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

Probably some connection to north of England would add few additional kms 

Example:
Napoli - Newcastle upon Tyne: 2433 km by road, 23:02 hours


> Napoli Centrale Tu, 15.01.08 dep 15:48
> Milano Centrale Tu, 15.01.08 arr 22:00
> 
> Milano Centrale Tu, 15.01.08 dep 23:35
> ...


I think, this is close to maximum in Europe.

Also, this search engine is probably the best for train connections
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?newrequest=yes&protocol=http:&


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## mozatellac (Jan 10, 2008)

Shortest distance between :
Napoli & London : 1620 km
Napoli & Newcastle : 1957 km
Otoineppu & Usuki : 1764 km

so Germany / Spain is still a little longer (2085 km), but Italy / UK could have better connections (even if I think that transfer times in Lille & London are actually a bit short to be actually performed)

I used this page to calculate distances : http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

^^ it could be much longer - if you take Eurostar (italian) Napoli - Milano, EN Milano - Paris and ES Paris - London, you make Napoli - London in only 20 hours. and in 4 hours you can still travel a lot!


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## UrbanBen (Apr 7, 2006)

Unsing said:


> This was the furthest I could find for Japan.
> 
> Otoineppu 18:47 - Sapporo 21:50
> Sapporo 22:00 - Aomori 5:35
> ...


So, I actually did that last year. I wanted to see Cape Seta, and have some real Satsuma cuisine in Kagoshima. I was in Japan in March of '04 when the Kyushu Shinkansen opened, and I was vexed that I didn't have a chance to ride then. The other direction, by the way, I used the Sapporo-Tokyo overnight, which was a kick.


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## Shezan (Jun 21, 2007)

once l did Rome to London.
24 hrs almost


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## UT596001 (Mar 29, 2005)

mozatellac said:


> I think I have found a longer trip :
> Seville 16.15
> Madrid 18.50-19.00


Impossible. Madrid have 2 main stations: Atocha and Chamartín. The train Sevilla-Madrid arrives to Atocha, but the train for Paris leaves from Chamartín. They are direct connection with local train, but the time travel are about 20 minutes.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

mozatellac said:


> so Germany / Spain is still a little longer (2085 km), but Italy / UK could have better connections (even if I think that transfer times in Lille & London are actually a bit short to be actually performed)


In Lille it is the same station (don't know, what sort of connection is calculated above), so one half a hour between different platforms is probably enough. Also in London there is only 200 metres between two stations, so 20 minutes should be also enough.



> I used this page to calculate distances : http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm


Those are straight line distances and I wouldn't count them as relevant. Road distances are probably more relevant, because trains don't run in straight line on longer distances.


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## toddhubert (Jan 6, 2008)

From Guangzhou to Beijing by rail is 2294km, in 1997 it took me 26 hours, and 24 hours in 2004, Now i think it'll take around 20 hours. The time will be shorten to 10 hours several years later.


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## Yardmaster (Jun 1, 2004)

Interesting thread. 

From Melbourne's central terminal (Southern Cross) I could travel 1776 km (by route mileage) in 22 hours 49 minutes: To Casino, NSW, almost into Queensland. Since we don't really have what Europeans or Japanese would consider to be "high speed rail", considering the posts above, I'm kinda surprised at this.

This is essentially due to the NSW Government Railway's "Countrylink" services , and, in particular, to a fortuitous connection between services in Sydney. While you can travel from Perth or Bunbury (in the south-west of Australia) to Cairns (in the north-east), services aren't exactly arranged to enable quick transfers: the assumption, is, if you want to get there promptly, you'd fly instead. 

I note that the Japanese examples above here don't actually start off from where you are: they start off from where it was prodigious to start. The best I can see so far is, if I started off in "Bacchus Marsh" (at 18:45), on the west of Melbourne, I could do 1828 km to "Casino" (at 18:34 the next day) in 23 hours 49 minutes: certainly not as fast or as far as the Shinkasen, but connections more or less guaranteed (22 minutes to change platforms at the same station in Melbourne, 19 in Sydney). 

Someone else in this country might be able to outdo me. According to current timetables, one east-bound Indian Pacific does 1711 km between Kalgoorlie & Port Augusta in 21 hours 20 minutes ... the "Tilt train" travels 1680 km on 3'6" track from Brisbane to Cairns (or back) in 23 hrs 55 mins: allegedly the fastest (long-distance) narrow-gauge service in the world.

Just another challenge: anyone else prepared to match that within national borders?


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## funkydory (Feb 21, 2008)

*How far can you go by rail in 24hrs?*

If you are queueing up by rail to get into Birmingham(UK) New Street....24hrs will get you,say,5 yards?:lol: I'm serious!


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## eomer (Nov 15, 2003)

Coccodrillo said:


> No, it isn't.


From Paris-Lyon to Paris-Nord: it's possible to do it in almost than 15' if you got your RER ticket (or a "Navigo" pass) and if you run.
But the best thing is to take a direct train Marseille-Bruxelles without stopping in Paris.


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## test0012 (Dec 28, 2008)

*China*

Train Z61, Beijing - Changchun, 22:40 - 06:30, 1003 km
Train D24, Changchun - Beijing, 07:13 - 13:29, 1003 km
Train D11, Beijing - Shenyang North, 13:55 - 18:06, 703 km
Train D12, Shenyang North - Beijing, 18:26 - 22:37, 703 km

3412 km

Better solutions may exist...


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## railcity (Apr 4, 2007)

x-type said:


> Napoli 16:22
> Roma 18:16 18:36
> Dijon 6:33 7:44
> Lille 10:27 11:01
> ...


Napoli - Edinburgh is possible with around 1 hour changing time in Paris and 40 minutes in London. 

Napoli Centrale Mo, 29.12.08 dep 17:54 
Bologna Centrale Mo, 29.12.08 arr 22:20 
Bologna Centrale Mo, 29.12.08 dep 22:31 
Dijon Ville Tu, 30.12.08 arr 06:33 
Dijon Ville Tu, 30.12.08 dep 06:52 
Paris Lyon Tu, 30.12.08 arr 08:37 
Paris Lyon Tu, 30.12.08 walk 15 min. 
Paris Lyon Banlieue Tu, 30.12.08 
Paris Lyon Banlieue Tu, 30.12.08 dep 08:56 
Paris Nord RER Tu, 30.12.08 arr 09:03 
Paris Nord RER Tu, 30.12.08 dep 09:03 
Paris Nord Eurostar Tu, 30.12.08 arr 09:38 
Paris Nord Eurostar Tu, 30.12.08 dep 09:43 
London St. Pancras International Tu, 30.12.08 arr 11:19 
London St. Pancras International Tu, 30.12.08 dep 11:19 
London Kings Cross Tu, 30.12.08 arr 11:39 
London Kings Cross Tu, 30.12.08 dep 12:00 
Edinburgh Tu, 30.12.08 arr 16:26


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## railcity (Apr 4, 2007)

test0012 said:


> Train Z61, Beijing - Changchun, 22:40 - 06:30, 1003 km
> Train D24, Changchun - Beijing, 07:13 - 13:29, 1003 km
> Train D11, Beijing - Shenyang North, 13:55 - 18:06, 703 km
> Train D12, Shenyang North - Beijing, 18:26 - 22:37, 703 km
> ...


It's not according to the requirements not to use the same line twice. Otherwise it's a simple question of basically only speed.


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## DJZG (Aug 2, 2007)

how far does transsiberian train goes in 24hs? there wouldn't be any loses in changing the train...just sit n drive...


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## CharlieP (Sep 12, 2002)

test0012 said:


> Train Z61, Beijing - Changchun, 22:40 - 06:30, 1003 km
> Train D24, Changchun - Beijing, 07:13 - 13:29, 1003 km
> Train D11, Beijing - Shenyang North, 13:55 - 18:06, 703 km
> Train D12, Shenyang North - Beijing, 18:26 - 22:37, 703 km
> ...


Net distance - 0 km 



> Better solutions may exist...


If we interpret the question as "how far away can you get in 24 hours?", better solutions definitely exist!


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## test0012 (Dec 28, 2008)

Solution:

T504, Qiqihar - Harbin, 11:00 - 13:13, 288 km
D174, Harbin - Shenyang North, 13:18 - 17:24, 546 km
D8, Shenyang North - Beijing, 17:40 - 21:47, 703 km
Z49, Beijing - Nanjing, 22:02 - 07:14, 1162 km
D405, Nanjing - Shanghai, 07:52 - 10:05, 301 km

Total: exactly 3000 km





CharlieP said:


> Net distance - 0 km
> 
> 
> 
> If we interpret the question as "how far away can you get in 24 hours?", better solutions definitely exist!


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## CharlieP (Sep 12, 2002)

Don't forget that distance must be measured "as the crow flies" - Shanghai is 1806 km away from Qiqihar.


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## DJZG (Aug 2, 2007)

hmm... with Trans-siberian you can get just from Moscow to Yekaterinburg in 24h... just around 1700kms...


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## test0012 (Dec 28, 2008)

Solution:

D24, Changchun - Beijing, 07:13 - 13:29, 1003 km
T13, Beijing - Chenzhou, 13:34 - 07:03, 1926 km

Rail distance: 2929 km
Shortest distance: 2292 km



Route: the line in blue



CharlieP said:


> Don't forget that distance must be measured "as the crow flies" - Shanghai is 1806 km away from Qiqihar.


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## curlingstone (Jan 7, 2009)

*Why don't you think about CRH*

Train D22 leaves Changchun Station at 15:18 and arrives at Beijing Station at 21:34,1003km;
Train D305 leaves Beijing Station at 21:44 and arrives at Shanghai Station at 07:43 the next day,1463km;
Train D657 leaves Shanghai South Station at 09:30 and arrives at Hangzhou Station at 10:48,173km(Fron Shanghai Station to Shanghai South Station you can choose Shanghai Metro Line 1 or 3) ;
Train D95 leaves Hangzhou Station at 12:37 and arrives at Shangrao Station at 15:02,384km.
So you travel totally 3023km in 23h44min.:banana:


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## test0012 (Dec 28, 2008)

curlingstone said:


> Train D22 leaves Changchun Station at 15:18 and arrives at Beijing Station at 21:34,1003km;
> Train D305 leaves Beijing Station at 21:44 and arrives at Shanghai Station at 07:43 the next day,1463km;
> Train D657 leaves Shanghai South Station at 09:30 and arrives at Hangzhou Station at 10:48,173km(Fron Shanghai Station to Shanghai South Station you can choose Shanghai Metro Line 1 or 3) ;
> Train D95 leaves Hangzhou Station at 12:37 and arrives at Shangrao Station at 15:02,384km.
> So you travel totally 3023km in 23h44min.:banana:


This is rail distance, not what we are talking about.


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

Wick (Scotland) to Penzance (England)...about 860miles

You have to change trains for times and takes exactly 23:12

PENZANCE Leave 15:43 FIRST GREAT WESTERN 

TIVERTON PARKWAY Arrive 19:18 Leave 19:37 CROSSCOUNTRY

BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET Arrive 22:06 Leave 22:36 LONDON MIDLAND 

CREWE Arrive 23:43 Leave 23:54 FIRST SCOTRAIL 

INVERNESS Arrive 08:30 Leave 10:38 FIRST SCOTRAIL 

WICK Arrive 14:55


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## curlingstone (Jan 7, 2009)

test0012 said:


> Solution:
> 
> D24, Changchun - Beijing, 07:13 - 13:29, 1003 km
> T13, Beijing - Chenzhou, 13:34 - 07:03, 1926 km
> ...


A good answer!


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## UD2 (Jan 21, 2006)

railcity said:


> It's not according to the requirements not to use the same line twice. Otherwise it's a simple question of basically only speed.


If it's a question of only speed, then one could only take the Beijing-Tianjin line over and over again (there are 5 trains each direction every hour), and then grab the first night D train to Shanghai or somewhere, and in the morning take the Shanghai - Hangzhou D train. I don't think you'll get further in 24 hours anywhere else. That is if you don't consider the transfer time between train stations (Beijing South to Beijing Station).


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## Strzala (Aug 16, 2005)

From Polish Mountains (Krynica Zdroj) to Polish Sea (Kolobrzeg) * almost 893 kilometres, *
*23h 26m* and you can be sure it will be late

On this map you have estimate time of that trip for car (13h 21 min)




And here is the polish railways internet timetable for this trip:


:goodnight


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## kajetanek (May 16, 2007)

don't be mad ,we have "very" quickly trains ;D


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## Tagnuzlsx (Jan 11, 2009)

2466http://pagesperso-orange.fr/florent.brisou/Lignes.htmFWIW here are the distances by rail for the routes that have been put forward on this thread (I got them from my European railway timetable 2007 book and this website http://pagesperso-orange.fr/florent.brisou/Lignes.htm)

Seville-Bremen is a total of 2964km (although it is impossible to make)

Napoli-Edinburgh is 2883 km 

Napoli-Newcastle is 2683km 

Marseille-Norrkoping is 2591km

However, I don't really think that the journey should count if you have to use the underground to get from one station to another (Paris), or walk from one station to another (London and Beijing), so in my opinion, the Japanese journey is only one that counts and therefore is the clear winner.

The longest journey I can find in Europe with these new parameters is Napoli Centrale-York (via Sheffield)

1654 Napoli Centrale-Milano Centrale 2229
2335 Milano Centrale-Dijon Ville 0536
0625 Dijon Ville-Lille Europe 0916
1036 Lille Europe-London St Pancras 1122
1155 London St Pancras-Sheffield 1404
1411 Sheffield-Doncaster 1440
1503 Doncaster-York 1526

Total distance 1853km as the crow flies, or 2671km by rail

The train from York carries on to Darlington, and arrives at 1601, which is sligtly over 24 hours. However, it does shoot through (but does not stop at) Northallerton, which is 1900km ATCF and 2719 by rail.

Also, it is possible to get the 1647 from Salerno to Napoli Centrale (arriving 1738), and then the 1754 to Milano Centrale (arriving 2329), this makes for an insanely tight connection at Milano, but if that works out well, you would get a distance of 1940km from Salerno to Northallerton or 2773km by rail.

Some might say though, the connection at St Pancras is not a proper connection, because you have to walk some distance to the Midland Mainline tracks. If that is the case, then the longest journey I have found is from Salerno-Moulin Blanc. This is 1745km ATCF and 2481 km by rail

1544 Salerno-Napoli Centrale 1618
1654 Napoli Centrale-Milano Centrale 2229
2335 Milano Centrale-Dijon Ville 0536
0625 Dijon Ville-Marne-la-Vallee Chessy 0806
0900 Marne-la-Vallee Chessy-Le Mans 1042
1202 Le Mans-Brest 1545

(If you think that stations that the train does not stop at do not count, then the longest would be Salerno-Landerneau (arr 1531). This is 1735km ATCF and 2466km by rail


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## Tagnuzlsx (Jan 11, 2009)

UD2 said:


> If it's a question of only speed, then one could only take the Beijing-Tianjin line over and over again (there are 5 trains each direction every hour), and then grab the first night D train to Shanghai or somewhere, and in the morning take the Shanghai - Hangzhou D train. I don't think you'll get further in 24 hours anywhere else. That is if you don't consider the transfer time between train stations (Beijing South to Beijing Station).


Are you sure?

The longest possible distance to do in 24hrs I have found is in France. It 4161km.



2326 Culmont Chalindrey-Avignon Centre 0423 (I estimate that this train goes through Dijon Ville at around midnight) (527km Dijon-Avignon)
0511 Avignon Centre-Paris Lyon 0845 (617km)
Paris Lyon-Chatelet and Back on the Meteor (5km)
0916 Paris Lyon-Marseille Saint Charles 1235 (750km)
1246 Marseille Saint Charles-Avignon TGV 1321
1332 Avignon TGV-Paris Lyon 1615 (750km)
Gare de Lyon-Chatelet and back on the METEOR (5km) 
1646 Paris Lyon-Marseille Saint Charles 1958 (750km)
Gare Saint Charles-Cing Avenue/Longchamp and back (3km)
2028 Marseille Saint Charles-Paris Lyon 2347 (750km)
Gare de Lyon-Pyramides on the Metor (3km)

Can anyone find a longer distance?


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## 2co2co (Apr 8, 2008)

Does going back and forth on Shanghai Maglev count? If not, I think trans-Siberia or trans-America rails have a better chance for going to one direction for tens of hours.


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## Tagnuzlsx (Jan 11, 2009)

These transcontinental railway lines are not high-speed lines though, and in Russia they stop for hours at major stops.

On the fastest train on the Transsiberian route, 1641km are travelled on the first day, 1661 on the second, 1842 on the third, 1420 on the 4th, 1392 on the 5th, 1470 on the 6th and 261 on the last day.

In America, the fastest transcontinental trains are the "Southwest chief travels 2074 km in a day, the "Silver Meteor" travels 1987km in 24 hours.

As for the Shanghai Maglev, it is open between 06:45 and 2130. If you rode it constantly during that time, allowing 5 minutes between the arrival of the train and the departure of the next one, then you would make 68 journeys and cover 2074km. In real life it would obviously be much less.


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## test0012 (Dec 28, 2008)

Tagnuzlsx said:


> However, I don't really think that the journey should count if you have to use the underground to get from one station to another (Paris), or walk from one station to another (London and Beijing), so in my opinion, the Japanese journey is only one that counts and therefore is the clear winner.


No, my solution (Changchun - Chenzhou) is the clear winner. No walk/subway transfer from one stations to another.


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## Aurelio (Mar 5, 2004)

If you try to start your 24h trip in Europe, I think you should use the new and direct link from Sevilla/Málaga to Barcelona by HSL-AVE. It is about 5h 40 minuts from Málaga to Barcelona, about 1100 Km.
The point is that then you should continue this 24h journey into Europe using the slower French network...


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## Tagnuzlsx (Jan 11, 2009)

That wouldn't work. I think the only places where the LAV network connects with the ordinary Spanish network is at Zaragoza and Tardienta. From there you would have to take the slow train to Barcelona or Vitoria to connect with the rest of Europe. The trains far south of France and the far North of Spain are very slow and infrequent, and the line from Toulouse to Paris (which all the sleeper trains travel over) only has 2 TGV's a day which bypass Paris. Taking all this into consideration, the longest distance I could find was from Aachen West to Zaragoza. This is 1148 km as the crow flies.


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## Aurelio (Mar 5, 2004)

Tagnuzlsx said:


> That wouldn't work. I think the only places where the LAV network connects with the ordinary Spanish network is at Zaragoza and Tardienta. From there you would have to take the slow train to Barcelona or Vitoria to connect with the rest of Europe. The trains far south of France and the far North of Spain are very slow and infrequent, and the line from Toulouse to Paris (which all the sleeper trains travel over) only has 2 TGV's a day which bypass Paris. Taking all this into consideration, the longest distance I could find was from Aachen West to Zaragoza. This is 1148 km as the crow flies.


^^
http://www.descubrelaaltavelocidad.com/default_en.aspx

The LAV network connects the RENFE network in Barcelona for sure since 2008, and from there you can take an Elipsos hotel train (slow night travel) to Paris, Zurich, Turin or Milano, for example... 

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/index....BARCE&D=85200&AF=2009&MF=MM&DF=DD&SF=NaN&ID=s

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/index....BARCE&D=83002&AF=2009&MF=MM&DF=DD&SF=NaN&ID=s

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/index....BARCE&D=83111&AF=2009&MF=MM&DF=DD&SF=NaN&ID=s

http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/index....BARCE&D=87011&AF=2009&MF=MM&DF=DD&SF=NaN&ID=s


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