Crossing North England With as Many Trains as Possible

Today, I travel across North England, from Lincoln to Warrington, with as many trains as possible, whilst still being a valid route on my ticket!
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[@NickBadley]

Clarification on what I mean by "Permitted Route": My ticket was an off-peak Lincoln - Warrington Ctrl/Bank Quay ticket, which would allow me to go between the two stations by "any permitted route". Basically, in other words, any reasonable way to travel between the two that doesn't involve doubling back on yourself or doing a comically indirect route. The valid routes are: (Credit to JackAllStations for supplying this list for me!) Lincoln - Nottingham - Sheffield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Nottingham - Sheffield - Stockport - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Derby - Sheffield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Derby - Sheffield - Stockport - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Wakefield - Huddersfield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Wakefield - Huddersfield - Halifax - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Leeds - Huddersfield - Manchester - Warrington (This one's pretty much the one I did for this video) Lincoln - Doncaster - Leeds - Bradford - Halifax - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Leeds - Bradford - Halifax - Huddersfield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Leeds - Huddersfield - Halifax- Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Sheffield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Doncaster - Sheffield - Stockport - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Worksop - Sheffield - Manchester - Warrington Lincoln - Worksop - Sheffield - Stockport - Manchester - Warrington Hope this clears it up! :)

[@winkiipinkii]

Had to learn the hard way the boundaries of 'any permitted route'

[@Class777]

That’s mad!

[@tomheadington4762]

How can you find what counts as "any permitted route"

[@boove9933]

Should've read this before my comment ooops

[@pamcollins4334]

@@winkiipinkii what happened?

[@BitsOfBen]

I know this would be terribly expensive but what would be fun is to see how many random trains you can get from dawn to dusk. Like start at Manchester Piccadilly and somehow randomly pick a platform, whatever the next train leaves that platform you get and whilst on the train you have to decide which station to get off at, then keep repeating the process again and again until trains finish for the day. It doesn’t matter if the train goes across the country or just local, it can be any train. I know this idea could be risky but it would be fun to see where you end up and how possibly random it could be!

[@TheSpotify95]

yes, I'd love to see this idea too :D

[@philipgay4878]

I don't know if this would be a 'permitted' route - Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury - Tfw; Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton - West Midlands; Wolverhampton to Birmingham N.S. - Avanti West Coast; Birmingham N.S. to Nottingham- Cross Country; Nottingham to Grantham - East Midlands; Grantham to Peterborough - LNER; Peterborough to Ipswich and change for service to Lowestoft - Greater Anglia ..... Coast to Coast 7 train operators

[@AymanTravelTransport]

Central Trains used to do through services that entire way back in the early 2000s

[@Helloitsme1234-c1c]

Where’s Chiltern?

[@philipgay4878]

​@@Helloitsme1234-c1c Good point! slight ammendment could be Wolverhampton to Smethwick Galton Bridge - West Midlands Trains (Though a need to change Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton from West Midlands Trains to Avanti West Coast); Smethwick Galton Bridge to Birmingham Moor Street - Chiltern Trains .... though it is or was only quite a limited service in rush hour. A walk between Moor street and New street, OR, get off at Snow Hill and take the West Midlands Metro!

[@GabrielGame_1]

I'm sorry, but as a person in Ipswich, LNER does not operate at Ipswich.

[@TDlovestrains]

First of all congratulations on 7k subs. I think I have found a journey that uses 8 operations EMR to Saxilby Northern to Retford Hull trains to Doncaster LNER to Wakefield Xcountry to Leeds TPE to Manchester Piccadilly TFW to Crewe Avani to Warrington

[@TheSpotify95]

I'm amazed that using 6 different TOCs actually counts as a permitted route, rather than anything else! Good job!

[@robertwilloughby8050]

I saw the little bit of Dewsbury! Heavy Woollen represent!

[@kieranstravels]

Congrats on 7k Nick! You could've tecnically of gone from Newton to Liverpool, Taken Merseyrail to Hunt's Cross, and then Northern across to Warrington from there, Which would've taken the total to 8/9 depending on how you counted it, But this route works too.

[@caramelldansen2204]

tbf his ticket wouldn't allow for that also I don't think Hunts Cross has an apostrophe ;)

[@kieranstravels]

@@caramelldansen2204 In theory, any permitted would work via liverpool - I did a similar journey from Doncaster, and it was valid via liverpool. As for Hunt's Cross, it seems to vary - Most online sources, As well as Merseyrail onboard information screens say it as Hunt's Cross, While Northern onboard displays, EMR onboard displays, the station signage, and most passenger information screens at stations states it as Hunts Cross.

[@caramelldansen2204]

@@kieranstravels The pinned comment seems to say otherwise. It's my experience that railway stations, for some reason, avoid apostrophes. I wonder why... Hunts Cross station in Hunt's Cross town...

[@kieranstravels]

@@caramelldansen2204 Yeah, it's a bit of a weird one

[@alexanderw2009]

Jees, that's a long way Nick. Well done!

[@MichaelSebastianTodd]

awesome train journey and an awesome mix of operators and train types and im loving the LNER 225 & the TfW 197 keep up the awesome work

[@ianr]

Good video Nick. Congrats on achieving 7k! 👍

[@matthillmedia]

I was made up when you got the class 91 225. My favourite train 😊 Great video Nick.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Would have been even more fun if he caught the TfW MK4 trainset out of Manchester, which is basically an IC225 just pulled by a class 67 diesel instead of a class 91.

[@Sim0nTrains]

0:39 Frick off 170502! That unit just stalks me everywhere, I'm person and on the internet! 😂Great video and I'm sure you didn't had to buy a tram ticket as your ticket if it a off peak or anytime single would had cover the transfer from Victoria to Piccadilly

[@TB76Returns]

"Every train you take. Every video you make. Every EMR, everwhere you are, 170502 is watching you!"

[@ReubenAshwell]

@Barry Maddi-Kinner I'll be sure to look out for it lol. 😂

[@neilwilkins7686]

Another great vlog and I'm loving your different content ideas Nick

[@Thornaby37]

Another challenge Ride as many TOCs and train classes as possible on a cross -London journey with a zone 1 to 6 travelcard

[@Hgplayz451]

Correction Zone 1-9 travel card which has been withdrawn

[@malcolmpurvis]

A great concept and execution! May I suggest that if in the future you make a special deal of the train itself ("I've never ridden an InterCity 225 before") that include a clear shot of the train? Those of us outside of the UK would like to know what you're talking about! Greetings from Australia.

[@OfficiallyDarik]

Amazing video Nick, let’s hope you can reach 10K by the end of May! ❤❤❤

[@lovefive5733]

A great video. I've subscribed. Thank you

[@SamsVlogstrainsmore]

Seems like a cool idea to do for train rides Nick. I enjoyed watching.

[@ThamesNorth]

Congrats on 7K, and great video as always! EDIT: I realised at one point you said ‘InterCity 125’… clearly you meant 225… lol! And it wasn’t corrected in the video either, it was at 1:43

[@NickBadley]

Darn it!

[@mrvwbug4423]

An HST would be quite the catch these days, pretty sure they're only running in Scotland and Cornwall anymore.

[@MrCobo04]

During my time travelling round the UK on business, i ended up travelliing in part on all uk TOCs (plus trams in Sheffield, Manchester and Croydon).

[@TB76Returns]

I had my first ride on a 197 yesterday too! I was going between Chester and Warrington Bank Quay. BTW Nick have you not tried Realtime Trains, as I use it and certain operators give you the allocations for the service

[@NickBadley]

I use RTT a lot, but purposefully didn't here as to not spoil it for me, in case it was a 197!

[@FusionZenFlame]

Yea even I use it to see what train unit I get on when going on a trip. Once I went from Newcastle - York with cross country and it was one of a few HSTs cross country still have.

[@TB76Returns]

@@NickBadley Me too, but it was a good idea for this time. Hint when I checked on RTT for that service, there wasn't a graphic for the 197 (nor TfW's 230) so I could only guess it was that!

[@FusionZenFlame]

@@TB76Returns funny fact it was weirdly a 6 car unit not a 7 car.

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@FusionZenFlameWhere does TfW run anything over 5 cars? I supposed 2x 3 unit 197s for 6. Usually its the 5 car trains that make me happy on TfW because that's usually the MK4s+67s

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video Nick, you really did well at riding plenty of trains you've never been on yet didn't you lol. And those announcements at Man Pic, that must of been really annoying lol

[@ECMLTrains]

This kept me entertained while I stayed in hospital. I'm subbing

[@TreinspotterDaniel]

What a amazing video Nick! Im a new subscriber, Greetings from the Netherlands!

[@FM60260]

Reminds me of my Monday morning college journey. Normally a 4 mile trip on a single bus, but on Monday mornings I would set off at 0700 go a much longer route (5 buses) to get a particular interesting bus and get to college by 1230.

[@michellebell5092]

Well done , top train planning. That was excellent. Do you include the tram? I think you do, simply for the completeness of records.

[@mrvwbug4423]

You might be the first person actually happy to ride a 197 haha. Usually the prize catch for TfW is the 67+mk4s (basically an IC 225, just pulled by a diesel), but those only run Manchester>Cardiff and Holyhead>Cardiff.

[@juliettebravosprteam4072]

Sheffield super tram is actually a train operator on the tram train service between Parkgate - Meadowhall South so you could fit that in

[@mattevans4377]

I don't know how many TOCs it would be, but an interesting journey IMO would be Liverpool to Norwich, without using the EMR service.

[@stanley3647]

Norwich-London Liverpool St. (LNER) Lonon Liverpool St. - London Euston (TfL) London Euston - Liverpool (Avanti) And this propably will be faster as well ;)

[@giannihallett4951]

Awesome video

[@VexSG]

This gives me an urge to do this to some random place lol, great video as always!

[@viaanchoudhury5285]

Ayo r u vexsg scr

[@GamingPanda679]

I discovered your channel a month ago and im loving all the videos, could you do a train sim world 3 video?

[@ankledsquid]

Great vid, mabye missed an opportunity for avanti, mabye merseyrail as well but idk

[@user-yn5ce2ok2d]

These are my favourite trains 🎉❤

[@AngelWedge]

I was doing something like that a while back; but buying advance singles for each leg because I had no idea how to work out whether a route is "permitted". Want to do that again… see if it's possible to try every operator without needing to repeat any of them.

[@stevewareing8525]

Fantastic video Nick and well worked out. On a side note it's just a pity you didn't manage to get to seven operators (Seeing as you didn't count the tram) Considering the fact that we recently lost "Len Goodman" Whose catchphrase on Strictly was *Seven* 🤔

[@ankledsquid]

Mildly fun fact: the emr class 170's used to be west mids railway. They were repainted not long before they went to emr, but they also used to be london midland before that. Hence the green and black stickers on the interior

[@SouthernRailSpotter]

To make this journey longer, take Northern from Manchester to Chester, Chester to Liverpool Lime Street with Transport For Wales or MersyRail , Lime Street to Crewe with London North Western Railway and finally Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay with Avanti West Coast

[@LoneSheWolf09]

Intercity always over the azuma. Much more comfier than the azuma😉. Really enjoyed your video and newly current videos would love to do what your doing love trains myself have done from age of 5. Cannot wait to see more videos very excited!

[@mrvwbug4423]

Just like TfW, MK4s>everything else they run, of course the MK4s are just IC225s hauled by a diesel, some still even have the Virgin livery on them. (the real pecking order for TfW would probably be 67+MK4>231>158>a freight train>197)

[@shawgirl57]

You could of gotten northern from Manchester via the Mid Cheshire line (the slow line to Chester) then get the transport of wales to Warrington. I’m near the mid Cheshire line

[@BritishAdam]

As a Wakefield resident, it's always mega odd to see Wakefield Westgate or Kirkgate pop up on videos. Good choice going via Westgate, Kirkgate is a rather... dreary station.

[@seanmoulton4793]

Potential idea - going in/out in all 6 directions from Crewe NW - towards Chester N - towards Liverpool/Warrington NE - towards Manchester SE - towards Stoke S - towards Stafford SW - towards Shrewsbury Can be a long day but possible - and if timed right can use 5-6 TOCs

[@traintime1223]

Great Challenge!

[@Toasted_IQ]

nick! for a pointless journey do , stockport to stockport station (northern line)

[@rodgermoss8975]

I don't get it , Stockport only has one station.

[@AymanTravelTransport]

Try a 10 operator extravaganza from Warrington to Hastings, starting with EMR from Warrington Central to Manchester Piccadilly, then Transpennine Express to Manchester Airport, then Northern to Crewe, then LNWR to Wolverhampton (split with WMR to Birmingham NS if you count it as separate operator), then CrossCountry to Coventry, then Avanti to Watford Junction, then Southern to Clapham Junction, then London Overground to Peckham Rye, then Thameslink to Orpington, then Southeastern to Hastings

[@goatgamer001]

In Greece it's hard to cross it with one train.

[@stefencooke]

Could this route be done also via Sheffield with u going to Doncaster but it would have probably be less TOC

[@mrkryptic704]

No shot this man got me in his video when I was going home from Uni

[@Senor082GVU]

The tram is classed as a Light railway

[@westernpower52]

Superb video, as usual. I'd love to know how one finds out which are 'permitted routes' - seems to be so veiled in secrecy. By the way: you said 'InterCity 125' which then later changed to 'InterCity 225' and then back to '125'; though I'd had an idea you meant a 225 from the first off. A mere observation and by no means a crticism.

[@callumcohen7007]

Nick you should do A pointles journey from shotton high to low

[@AndrewG1989]

Which train operator you mostly like in the North of England. Northern, TransPennine Express, Merseyrail, Avanti West Coast or does it not really matter as both Northern and TransPennine Express provide most of the services in the North of England.

[@joshuanishanthchristian5217]

I'm no authority at all, but in my humble opinion I've always considered trams to be trains. So for you I count that too!

[@ashleybentham9396]

Would make a great challenge video, to do as many train operators to do aberdeen to penzance in 24hrs. Like to see that video

[@user-ex7rm8mv3s]

do to Heworth metro & train plz

[@Mgameing123]

Penzance to Wick would have more train companies.

[@katiehibbard2727]

I live in Scotter north of Gainsborough

[@DubGathoni]

On the question of Metrolink being a TOC, I would say that it is not based on the fact that the M5000 does not have a TOPS code, unlike the Tyne and Wear or Shefield Super Trams. On the other hand, you have 4/5 of a bingo; one class 225, one class 802, an on time TransPennine Express service and a class 197.

[@lewis72]

I didn't know that InterCity 125s *225s were still operating ! I thought that LNER had sacked them all off for those rock-hard Swiss things.

[@stanley3647]

BTW. Cross Country still using IC125/Class 43 (7car sets)

[@jl3802]

XC and GWR is still using intercity 125. Perhaps you can get on one of them in Bristol ❤

[@Arsenal2]

Why didn’t you go in from warrrington to somewhere with avanti west coast, maybe onto crewe and then a West Midlands railway to solewhere

[@dblissmn]

What about the Ordsall Chord?

[@Arrzarrina]

I would honestly consider something like somewhere in the North East to Bangor. I have vivid memories of 4 exchange journeys while travelling to university from Wales, and Bangor is very much in the middle of nowhere. Another option would be some fiddly journey that requires you to go through London. Some tiny branch line in East Anglia to Bangor will cover most of the country and would probably let you go on half the TOCs in the country!

[@andygeier4733]

It's spelled banger

[@Arrzarrina]

@@andygeier4733 Not sure if I'm missing a joke or whether you're just wrong.

[@tomwatts703]

Lovely video as usual! I'd be interested to know how you found out what routes are 'Permitted', I'm heading home from university myself in a couple of weeks and I'd love to know if I can take a different route to my usual one (XC Turbostars aren't exactly my favourite units 😆)

[@jasonwyland5198]

How did your travel go @tomwatts703

[@353madman]

Could you have not got the alternative Tpex from redcar/Saltburn to Picc

[@RJiiFin]

Doncaster Bestcaster!

[@UKTheStation]

Edingbrough to london paddington

[@kingjet4456]

I get you 6:20 happens to me all the time

[@ivardewit]

how many times do you tranfer if you do your normal route

[@xp_simmervr6940]

This video is great and all, but as a resident of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, I just have to inform you Not a single one of these journeys were in the North :P

[@just_some_guy_innit]

dont think they’ll be happy being lumped together wi the south 💀💀💀💀

[@bozsiland]

Hi Nick! So you are live here in Warrington. Maybe we met earlier, but honestly I need to meet with you. You will my guest for a coffee or tea.

[@billmilligan1705]

What you never got the ScotRail service from Leeds?

[@Filiprurka]

make a video to penzance from leeds bemingham new street or london paddingcto u can go on GWR(great weston railway) or cross country leeds and beminham new steet but u need to stop at EXEter st Davids and then wait to penzance( platform 4b at Exeter st davids) ur the best😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩

[@Spring.gaming.]

Try Warrington Bank Quay to Southampton central

[@Spring.gaming.]

I think it will be 2 or 3 or 4

[@therathergoodengineer9285]

Warrington-Glasgow queen street?

[@mattbainbridge182]

Can you go Grantham to London on hull . Then go from London to yoark on grand centrul 180 then go back to Grantham on a azuma

[@clareedgington4680]

Plymouth to Warrington

[@Monty13Transport]

Can you attempt to do every Northern train in a day?

[@thomarmstrong3538]

Instead of getting tfw to Newton getting it to Crewe and avanti from Crewe to Warrington

[@Pepijntrein]

Can you do this challenge but from like Dover to Kyle of lochalsh

[@class50thrasher]

May i correct you in saying you got an intercity 225 not 125 as the 125 is a hst the 225 being a 91 as i can see those were mark 4 coaches.

[@boove9933]

Lincoln - Newark northgate EMR Newark Northgate - Peterborough LNER Peterborough - Birmingham International Cross country Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street LNWR Birmingham New street - wigan north western Avanti Wigan North Western - Warrington Bank Quay Northern Obviously this implies you don't travel the whole leg of the same journey on the same operator You can probably split another journey up and make 7 but I'm too tired to think of it But I don't know the valid train fare rules

[@321.successmaker]

Amtrak - BrightLine

[@0530evan]

and how are you getting back to LINCOLN???????

[@0530evan]

so are you going to become a "notable resident" of Warrington?????? thanks for these videos......for those of us who will never experience the "views/geography."...of the area.... actually been to Wales on the train from London....it was an interesting journey....interesting geography....

[@gwrydd]

wales is a lovely place but warrington has nothing of interest really

[@0530evan]

but it has nick badley......

[@ripical1708]

He is like Geoff marshals brother lol EDIT: I don’t think Geoff has a brother but nicks videos seem like all the station or Geoff KZbin

[@jaywadd316]

I'd like to see this but the catch is each train has to be a different class of loco 👀

[@EastMidlandsProductions]

Couldn't you have worked it so you managed to maybe get avanti/london midland

[@LeTeeno]

5:40 A Light Rail is not a Tram!

[@jordanjones7172]

i can use 7 operators to get home from sheffield to llandudno

[@hhgttg69]

whereas i have only the one operator in regional Victoria, V/Line. you lucky bugger.

[@alexanderw2009]

For a pointless journey I would get Merseyrail to James street from Liverpool Lime Street and get a taxi to Warrington West and get the northern line back to Liverpool Lime Street. Sorry if you can't.

[@izz3225]

Honestly suprised that TFW train wasn't cancelled with how there running atm 😭

[@sglenny001]

The university of Lincoln

[@railnut21]

Good grief, an actual running TPE train through Doncaster...

[@AFCManUk]

I'd probably be inclined to COUNT the Tram as a Rail Operator.....They run on Rails, don't they? 😁😁

[@SirKenchalot]

Wow, somebody really didn't want to go home.

[@alisonjones2740]

What about Penzance to Warrington Penzance to Plymouth GWR Plymouth to Exeter st David's cross country Exeter st David's to Clapham junction (London) South Western railway Clapham junction London to London bridge southern London bridge to Peterborough Thameslink Peterborough to Grantham EMR Grantham to Leeds lner Leeds to Liverpool lime street Trans Pennine express Liverpool lime Street to Chester Mersyrail Chester to Crewe transport for Wales Crewe to Warrington bank Quay

[@TaylaHolland]

I did not think you were at University, thought you were like 16! You must have young genes

[@sleepyash5730]

go to Liverpool then take mersy rail to to Newton

[@Kristen1995]

Your in leeds

[@paulcawley6330]

I don't think that you need to buy a tram ticket to cross Manchester, if you have a valid train ticket.