UK’s longest train route with 36 stops across the country & breathtaking views is cancelled for good after a century
BRITAIN'S longest direct train journey is due to reach the end of the line tonight.
The cancellation of the extraordinary journey from the north of Scotland to the south of England was announced earlier this year.
Today marks the last trip along the historic route which was established more than a century ago.
Running from Penzance to Aberdeen the once daily service was the UK's longest direct train journey.
The service began running in October 1921 and takes more than 13 hours covering 775 miles.
The journey will now run to Plymouth only with passengers hoping to travel onwards having to change train.
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It was stopped during the pandemic but was reinstated in 2023.
The new route will stop in Edinburgh instead of Aberdeen reducing it by 80 miles.
Still the longest direct route in the UK the Penzance to Edinburgh service will cover 695 miles.
Great Western Rail still runs trains to Penzance so rail passengers will still be able to make the journey to the Southern tip of Cornwall.
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Train enthusiasts boarded the last train travelling the route in Aberdeen at 8.20am this morning.
The trip is expected to arrive in Penzance at 9.31pm tonight.
One passenger, Michael Cleaver, said: "This is a historic moment. I hope it all goes to plan and the train does not get cancelled or delayed.
"The danger of going on the last train is just that it is the last train, there is no opportunity for a re-do."
Tickets on the new service to Edinburgh can be purchased for as little as £78.60.
The route, despite being reduced, still boasts some of the most scenic views in the country.
When the closure was announced a Crosscountry spokesperson told local media: "The changes will mean a more convenient service to Penzance for customers; a day trip from Bristol and the west of England become much more viable thanks to the new timetable.
"There will also be considerable operational efficiencies for us arising from the newly-timed services.”
The final train to travel the route today will stop at Taunton, Cheltenham, Derby, York and Newcastle.
Lucky travellers will get to see scenic views along the way including Bamburgh Castle and the Dawlish seawall.
By comparison, the UK's shortest train ride operates across just 0.8 miles.
The tiny route has a one carriage train running in Stourbridge.
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Though long, the UK's longest direct route doesn't come close to the worlds longest train journey.
This would take 21 days, cover 12,000 miles, cost £1,000 and see travellers taken from Portugal all the way to Singapore.
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
"After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass." - Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
"Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you're whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too - as you'll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way." Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
"Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord." - Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
"From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond." - Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
"The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city's high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I've witnessed anywhere." - Ryan Gray