John Heaton FCILT, rides Britain’s longest passenger journey, which runs from Aberdeen to Penzance – a distance of 776 miles.
It is just before 08.00 as an insignificant Class 2 local train shuffles unassumingly into a bay platform at Aberdeen station. To the staff it is simply ‘2A01’ and, to its passengers, simply a humdrum commuter service from Dundee. More interested observers might be surprised to note that it is a CrossCountry ‘Voyager’, but few will realise that it is about to perform the longest through journey within Britain, scheduled to cover the 776 miles to Penzance in 13hrs 23min.
Its Edinburgh driver has brought the empty set from Craigentinny depot to Dundee to form the local, and will take the southbound
long-distance runner as far as only Dundee. After taking a 25min turnround in the Granite City, he will be due a second short break.
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