On a recent trip from Poole to Bristol, I went via Southampton on the way there and via Dorchester on the way back. I rushed from one station to the other in Dorchester to catch my train, only to find it had been cancelled and I had to wait an hour for the next one.
Back when SW ran the Saturday special Salisbury - Corfe Castle service it went via Weymouth, and oddly provided Dorchester West with a direct service to Dorchester South.
5:30 There is indeed a version of what you said. Yeovil Railway Centre has a museum in an old Goods shed and runs far more events than you'd be forgiven for thinking. These include all the usual up to mainline Santa specials. In my opinion, it has the best foundation story as it was hurriedly brought into existence when BR announced that they were minded to remove the turntable. We're not having that proclaimed some sterling steam fans and lo the whole enterprise took off. Well worth anyone's support.
A nice jaunt around the south of England I wonder if Yeovil would benefit from an interchange station similar to Worcestershire Parkway where the two routes cross
the easy way to do this would be by reinstate some track on the junction and run the Hart of Wessex trains in and out of the junction station, might screw up the rail center though but its only 8 trains per day.
You were lucky with the train being only slightly late as the line is notoriously bad for timekeeping because of all the single line working west of Salisbury and I should know with all the minutes stood at Crewkerne waiting for the train!
More points for pointless journeys that get delayed. One day you will spend a cold lonely night on a station in the middle of nowhere. Looking forward to that 😁
Hi Nick. I just wanted to say that thanks to you, I’ve been inspired to start a channel for trains and going on trips. I’ve just made my first video like this and uploaded it to my channel. Once again thank you for making such great content.
Nice to see my home town on here. I did Dorchester south to west via Edinburgh 😅. There is the first episode on my channel but I still haven't gotten around to doing the second 🫤.
There used to be a bus service in the BR timetable from Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Bus Station to Yeovil Pen Mill. Long since gone. Bus services from either station are now very limited. You were lucky to get that train. I really enjoyed the video. Nice to see somewhere local on screen.
Many of the rail replacement bus services, by means of which British Railways Board demonstrated the availability of alternative transport, disappeared at privatisation. The bus companies were relieved of the obligation to operate them. Abergavenny Monmouth Road, for example, was served by a twice hourly extension to the 145 Llwynu Estate service. Now it's quicker to walk to the bus station.
At another point in time they used to advise to take a bus from Yeovil Pen Mill to Sherborne and connect with the other line there. Bus there's only 1 or 2 buses per hour, so not sure how practical it would be.
Southern does serve Southampton...... Unless i need to catch it then in which case they'll either stop it in Fareham or cancel it completely 😂 The Portsmouth Great Western Railway services used to operated by 158s but have since been downgraded which sucks if you have to do anything more than about an hour on those trains.
I got a small Pointless Journey to suggest. Both are stations on Greater Anglia. Oulton Broad North - Oulton Broad South (different Lines, North goes into Norwich and the other goes to Ipswich. Could do a loop via London or London/Peterborough to get multiple service providers in)
Please do share your ticketing hacks with us in a special episode one day! I have been on Network Rail and Trainline to work out the route and they deliver nothing!
Totally agree the seats on the SWR 158s are far superior to the ones on the EMR units, however EMR did have one unit on loan from SWR, but I haven't seen it out and about recently. The EMT 158s are being replaced by 170s from various TOCs, the exTfW ones are my preference seating wise. It's just a shame the seat recline on the deregulated first class bits don't work.
Another great video!👍 Just to say....there are no fast or slow services on that part of the West of England Mainline! All services stop at all stations 🙂
The "slow" service would be a different route altogether, going back to Pen Mill, then up through Castle Cary, Bruton, Frome to Westbury, and down the Wessex Mainline to Salisbury. There is a very limited SWR service, I guess to give them access to those towns to/from Waterloo. 🙂
Farnborough Main (SWR) to Farnborough North (GWR) if you fancied doing another one down south. Southampton Cnt is where I'm based, I will keep an eye out just in case you stop by again.
I would support this one! Until I was 10 we lived in the Cove/Farnborough area. Farnborough North was always a bit of a weird backwater, feeling a bit like Farnborough but not really. Surprised it is now GWR!
Haha, once again GWR proves itself as the "Great Way Round"!! I believe that's a local railway heritage society at Yeovil - a friend mention it last year, after seeing it from a railtour. Now, are the trains that connect Pen Mill to the Junction part of this trans-Wilts service (Swindon-Melksham-Westbury-etc)? I guess that would make some sense...
Suggestions for pointless journeys: Canterbury West to East Catford to Catford Bridge Edenbridge to Edenbridge Town Hertford North to Hertford East Leytonstone to Leytonstone High Road😀
If you have time do Farnborough Main to Farnborough North. There are two ways so you could do an alternate return: - Farnborough Main to Basingstoke, Basingstoke to Reading, Reading to Farnborough North - Farnborough North to Guildford, Guildford to Woking, Woking to Farnborough Main
Brilliant video Nick, shame about that delay at Southampton though. I've known Southern go there for years, that service even went all the way to Bornmouth when it was Connex South Central. I wonder why Castle Cary is Castle Scary lol.
If memory is correct I seem to recall back in the 1980s there was a train in the early morning starting from Weymouth which served both Dorchester stations directly. Not sure why.
Hey Nick, remember that time when you went to Anglia? well ive got an idea for you. go to the most mysterious station in britain that only gets a once a day train at 7.26 and that station is Shippea hill
Now go from Cambridge North to Cambridge via an indirect route (go via Norwich or Ipswich). Birmingham New Street to Moor Street/Snow Hill would also be a good idea.
Hello, what you could have done was got the stopping service to Bournemouth if the Weymouth train was even more delayed, as the last Weymouth train you caught in the video would have caught you up at Bournemouth anyway, as it goes through it. Says a service that sometimes starts at Southampton, sometimes starts at Winchester. If it starts from Southampton, it normally stops at Totton, Ashhurst new Forest, Brokenhurst, sway, new Milton, Hinton, Admiral, Christchurch, Poles down and Bournemouth. Apologies for the slight typos in this comment, iOS. Dictation doesn’t know how some of the stations after Christchurch are spelt.
Other ways you could do this: Walk between them. Get the GWR to Weymouth then the SWR to South. Nicks Way: West - Yeovil PM - Yeovil Junction - Salisbury - Southampton - South Theres a reason its called pointless journeys everyone
Hi, nice video. Another pointless journey for you would be Heath Lower Level to Heath Higher Level in Cardiff or even Tyndrum Lower to Upper Tyndrum up in the Scottish highlands?
Dorchester South and Dorchester West stations are very much close to each other. Why not do Yeovil Central-Yeovil Pen Mill and Exeter Central-Exeter St. David’s.
SWR are annoying they constantly doing that. Either it's joining 5 or 4 carrages at Southampton Central along that line you got or divide at Southampton Central.
Two pointless journey you could do is Thorne north to Thorne south that’s only 1.3 miles away from each other and a 30 minute walk but a 36 minute train ride with 1 change also Catford bridge to Catford in London that’s 37 seconds walk away from each other but takes 47 minutes by train
6 hours to go half a mile, I am impressed! even more so as you could have just have changed at upwey. Surely Yeovil has to be a good candidate for a pointless journey?
You almost managed two pointless journeys in one with the Yeovil switch... though using the curve isn't really in the spirit, is it? Those comfy 158 seats are also on Northern's units, but only the 3-car ones. The ones in the middle cars might be even plushier as those cars are ex-TPE.
‘Thank goodness it’s a fast service’ Nick says on a journey specifically designed to be Pointless 😂
Point to Point idea: Gillingham (in Medway) to Gillingham (in Dorset)
On a recent trip from Poole to Bristol, I went via Southampton on the way there and via Dorchester on the way back. I rushed from one station to the other in Dorchester to catch my train, only to find it had been cancelled and I had to wait an hour for the next one.
i like cheese
Another Point to Point you should do is Gillingham (Dorset) to Gillingham (Kent), seeing as you mentioned both stations
i agree! gillingham (kent) is my local station so!
Back when SW ran the Saturday special Salisbury - Corfe Castle service it went via Weymouth, and oddly provided Dorchester West with a direct service to Dorchester South.
thats the one that reverses 3 or 4 times isnt it?
5:30 There is indeed a version of what you said.
Yeovil Railway Centre has a museum in an old Goods shed and runs far more events than you'd be forgiven for thinking. These include all the usual up to mainline Santa specials.
In my opinion, it has the best foundation story as it was hurriedly brought into existence when BR announced that they were minded to remove the turntable. We're not having that proclaimed some sterling steam fans and lo the whole enterprise took off.
Well worth anyone's support.
Try out:
Catford - Catford Bridge
Bromley South - Bromley North
Canterbury East - Canterbury West
Maidstone East - Maidstone West
Gillingham (Kent) - Gillingham (Dorset)
Rainham (Kent) - Rainham (Essex)
A nice jaunt around the south of England
I wonder if Yeovil would benefit from an interchange station similar to Worcestershire Parkway where the two routes cross
And Bristol parkway
the easy way to do this would be by reinstate some track on the junction and run the Hart of Wessex trains in and out of the junction station, might screw up the rail center though but its only 8 trains per day.
You were lucky with the train being only slightly late as the line is notoriously bad for timekeeping because of all the single line working west of Salisbury and I should know with all the minutes stood at Crewkerne waiting for the train!
More points for pointless journeys that get delayed. One day you will spend a cold lonely night on a station in the middle of nowhere. Looking forward to that 😁
Amazing stuff! Glad to see you're in the local area with Southampton! You should try Sway to Swaythling ;) totally not my local station!
Great video, Nick! Sometime it's fun to throw in such a pointless journey!
It seems totally pointless, but it sure looks like a lot of fun!
You should do Bicester village -> Bicester north
Hi Nick. I just wanted to say that thanks to you, I’ve been inspired to start a channel for trains and going on trips. I’ve just made my first video like this and uploaded it to my channel. Once again thank you for making such great content.
Nice to see my home town on here. I did Dorchester south to west via Edinburgh 😅. There is the first episode on my channel but I still haven't gotten around to doing the second 🫤.
I used to use Dorchester West a lot when I worked for West Dorset Hospitals Trust.
There used to be a bus service in the BR timetable from Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Bus Station to Yeovil Pen Mill. Long since gone. Bus services from either station are now very limited. You were lucky to get that train. I really enjoyed the video. Nice to see somewhere local on screen.
Many of the rail replacement bus services, by means of which British Railways Board demonstrated the availability of alternative transport, disappeared at privatisation. The bus companies were relieved of the obligation to operate them. Abergavenny Monmouth Road, for example, was served by a twice hourly extension to the 145 Llwynu Estate service. Now it's quicker to walk to the bus station.
At another point in time they used to advise to take a bus from Yeovil Pen Mill to Sherborne and connect with the other line there. Bus there's only 1 or 2 buses per hour, so not sure how practical it would be.
Loving the pointless journey series
As someone from Westbury it was very fun to qatch this, you see how we suffer down here now. Next time head to exeter, we've got 150s waiting for you
Southern does serve Southampton...... Unless i need to catch it then in which case they'll either stop it in Fareham or cancel it completely 😂 The Portsmouth Great Western Railway services used to operated by 158s but have since been downgraded which sucks if you have to do anything more than about an hour on those trains.
Great video Nick, good itinerary too on a really sunny day ! :)
I got a small Pointless Journey to suggest. Both are stations on Greater Anglia. Oulton Broad North - Oulton Broad South (different Lines, North goes into Norwich and the other goes to Ipswich. Could do a loop via London or London/Peterborough to get multiple service providers in)
That was a nice pointless journey, guessing there be one for Yeovil in the future?
Great video Nick
Please do share your ticketing hacks with us in a special episode one day! I have been on Network Rail and Trainline to work out the route and they deliver nothing!
How about Gainsborough lea Rd to Gainsborough Central
Or Bradford interchange to Bradford Foster Square
Or all the birmingham ones
Awesome as always
You should do a pointless journey Thorne north to Thorne South near Doncaster.
Totally agree the seats on the SWR 158s are far superior to the ones on the EMR units, however EMR did have one unit on loan from SWR, but I haven't seen it out and about recently. The EMT 158s are being replaced by 170s from various TOCs, the exTfW ones are my preference seating wise. It's just a shame the seat recline on the deregulated first class bits don't work.
Another great video!👍
Just to say....there are no fast or slow services on that part of the West of England Mainline! All services stop at all stations 🙂
The "slow" service would be a different route altogether, going back to Pen Mill, then up through Castle Cary, Bruton, Frome to Westbury, and down the Wessex Mainline to Salisbury. There is a very limited SWR service, I guess to give them access to those towns to/from Waterloo. 🙂
Farnborough Main (SWR) to Farnborough North (GWR) if you fancied doing another one down south.
Southampton Cnt is where I'm based, I will keep an eye out just in case you stop by again.
I would support this one! Until I was 10 we lived in the Cove/Farnborough area. Farnborough North was always a bit of a weird backwater, feeling a bit like Farnborough but not really. Surprised it is now GWR!
Hey nick! You should do Wembley Park to Wembley Stadium to Wembley Central, a triple pointless journey!
Been looking forward to this episode. Was fun to see you take a trip around my local area rather than taking the easy route to Upwey 😂
Haha, once again GWR proves itself as the "Great Way Round"!! I believe that's a local railway heritage society at Yeovil - a friend mention it last year, after seeing it from a railtour. Now, are the trains that connect Pen Mill to the Junction part of this trans-Wilts service (Swindon-Melksham-Westbury-etc)? I guess that would make some sense...
Try alexandra palace (near glasgow queen street) to alexandra palace near finsbury park
The best one yet
Suggestions for pointless journeys:
Canterbury West to East
Catford to Catford Bridge
Edenbridge to Edenbridge Town
Hertford North to Hertford East
Leytonstone to Leytonstone High Road😀
You ended up at Yeovil Railway Centre, they do have a Peckett steam loco called Pectin.
If you have time do Farnborough Main to Farnborough North. There are two ways so you could do an alternate return:
- Farnborough Main to Basingstoke, Basingstoke to Reading, Reading to Farnborough North
- Farnborough North to Guildford, Guildford to Woking, Woking to Farnborough Main
You have taken your push bike and cycled between the two Dorchester stations but that would cut out all the fun !!
Pretty wild pointless journey but a great route!
1 minute!!! excited for this one :D
Great video Nick👍
Brilliant video Nick, shame about that delay at Southampton though. I've known Southern go there for years, that service even went all the way to Bornmouth when it was Connex South Central. I wonder why Castle Cary is Castle Scary lol.
If memory is correct I seem to recall back in the 1980s there was a train in the early morning starting from Weymouth which served both Dorchester stations directly. Not sure why.
or how? Would have to be a very complex route
Hey Nick, remember that time when you went to Anglia? well ive got an idea for you. go to the most mysterious station in britain that only gets a once a day train at 7.26 and that station is Shippea hill
hehe
happy lunar new year!
if you ever come to hong kong, do a pointless journey from tsim sha tsui and east tsim sha tsui
You should do rainham Essex to rainham Kent
Great vid. I have a good one Sudbury Hill Harrow (Chiltern railways) to Sudbury Hill (Piccadilly line)
Amazing video
What about Canterbury west to Canterbury east?
Can you do you Livingston North to Livingston South?
Talking about pointless railway journeys i once had to go through 5 counties to go from devon to dorset as my train was cancelled 😂😢
Try Canterbury East to Canterbury West
Did you have a bet or arrangement with Jen to slip in a Costa into the video? 😂
I love the Heart of Wessex and West of England lines
Now go from Cambridge North to Cambridge via an indirect route (go via Norwich or Ipswich). Birmingham New Street to Moor Street/Snow Hill would also be a good idea.
Hi Nick I was wondering could you do a pointless journey video on Bloxwich North to Bloxwich I would really appreciate it if you could do that
Dunno if it would be worth going between the 2 St Budeaux stations in Plymouth?
Hello, what you could have done was got the stopping service to Bournemouth if the Weymouth train was even more delayed, as the last Weymouth train you caught in the video would have caught you up at Bournemouth anyway, as it goes through it. Says a service that sometimes starts at Southampton, sometimes starts at Winchester. If it starts from Southampton, it normally stops at Totton, Ashhurst new Forest, Brokenhurst, sway, new Milton, Hinton, Admiral, Christchurch, Poles down and Bournemouth. Apologies for the slight typos in this comment, iOS. Dictation doesn’t know how some of the stations after Christchurch are spelt.
How about Gillingham with a guh to Gillingham with a juh - or the other way round - or places with almost identical names?
Almost looked like the north, lol. Considering all the 2 and 3 car DMUs you were on.
Other ways you could do this:
Walk between them.
Get the GWR to Weymouth then the SWR to South.
Nicks Way:
West - Yeovil PM - Yeovil Junction - Salisbury - Southampton - South
Theres a reason its called pointless journeys everyone
Nick, Please a Point to Point video going from Heworth in York to Heworth In Gateshead
You shoudld try Birmingham New Street to Birmingham Moor Street by train.
would love to see glasgow central/queen street high level to low level
Could you do Dorking (Main) to Dorking Deepdene as a pointless Journey
Is there an interesting route around London to get from Kings Cross to St. pancras?
Hi Nick,
You should do St Paul’s in Birmingham to St Paul’s tube station 😅
Hi, nice video. Another pointless journey for you would be Heath Lower Level to Heath Higher Level in Cardiff or even Tyndrum Lower to Upper Tyndrum up in the Scottish highlands?
Maybe you should visit Chetnole International, its a huge station
Dorchester South and Dorchester West stations are very much close to each other. Why not do Yeovil Central-Yeovil Pen Mill and Exeter Central-Exeter St. David’s.
SWR are annoying they constantly doing that. Either it's joining 5 or 4 carrages at Southampton Central along that line you got or divide at Southampton Central.
May i suggest again langley - langley green
I’ve been begging for this for years. Please please please can you do Farringdon (Tube) To Farringdon (Thameslink & Elizabeth Line)???
A good pointless journey here is London Waterloo Mainline station to Waterloo tube station on the London Underground
you could do a pointless journey from birmingham moor street or snow hill to birmingham new street
Or Curzon Street to New Street
Two pointless journey you could do is Thorne north to Thorne south that’s only 1.3 miles away from each other and a 30 minute walk but a 36 minute train ride with 1 change also Catford bridge to Catford in London that’s 37 seconds walk away from each other but takes 47 minutes by train
6 hours to go half a mile, I am impressed! even more so as you could have just have changed at upwey. Surely Yeovil has to be a good candidate for a pointless journey?
Idea for a pointless jpurney (if you havent done yet) Southend central to southen victoria
You almost managed two pointless journeys in one with the Yeovil switch... though using the curve isn't really in the spirit, is it?
Those comfy 158 seats are also on Northern's units, but only the 3-car ones. The ones in the middle cars might be even plushier as those cars are ex-TPE.
Canterbury West to East?
Plymouth is in the south West bc I live near there
Delays always on SWT around Southampton use them all the time..
Nat will need to sort them out when she starts working for them
wheres farnborough main to north?
I'd like to suggest a pointless journey from Kings Cross to St Pancras International.
Good video , how do you create the animation that in the video shows a few times like at 5:12?
Gillingham to Gillingham point to point
brilliant pointless journey
Hertford East to Hertford North could be interesting.
Pointless Journey Suggestion : London Waterloo To Waterloo East
Easy get a SWR to Vauxhall then the Victoria Line to King's Cross then Thameslink or Northern Line to London Bridge then a SE to Waterloo East.
Why not try the Warringtons, St Helens, Runcorn
Ah yes, most of the class 166s running in the west country have manky first great western interiors even though most have been repainted
How do u get dark mode on rtt
Do Gillingham to Gillingham
nicee :)
"Lots of planets have a southeast"
⭐️
Woah, a pointless journey within a pointless journey!
What was your name for the lady on the p.a? I've always called her Ann Ouncer!
Pointless journey suggestion for you: either Ash to Ash Vale or Ash Vale to North Camp.
slick sponsorship, nice