Nearest tube

People like to put "nearest tube" in publicity, and they often show "nearest rail" as well, by which they mean non tube rail. This can often get confusing. Eastbury House, for example. The nearest "tube" (ie Underground) is Upney, but it's a bit of a schlep to EH and there's no direct bus. If you're coming eastbound, you're better off getting a 287 or 368 from Barking Station.

Now Barking is denoted as "nearest rail". I don't know why the distinction is made generally, but Barking is one stop from Upney on the District line, and if you were going to Upney eastbound, the change at Barking is no big deal - its just across a platform in many cases. On these days of Oyster PAYG especially, who is going to travel only by "Tube" or only by "Rail", unwilling to change between the two?

So the nearest isn't always the best. This gets quite complicated in the case of Aldersbrook. It serves as an example as I have been working out public transport routes to the stop called Park Road but all the stations are possibly a bit too far to walk. It is served directly by buses 101 and W19  but also 308 (nearby). So I wanted to explain the logic of working out what stations to include and what not to. (It's all a but silly because with on line journey planners you can work out the best route for you, taking into account engineering works. Static public transport information is osolescent, really, at least for one off events).

It's difficult for me to genericise the algorithm for working out these links, so I'll use the actual example.

So we want to find the stations on different lines served by each bus that are nearest, checking in both directions of each bus route, unless it would be better to continue by train to another station, but bearing in mind that the bus may serve other stations along the line but still may be worth catching direct.

The 101 serves Wanstead, but no other station on that section of its route, so Wanstead makes it onto the list. In the other direction we come to Manor Park, on the NXEA line between Liverpool St and Shenfield, so that's on the list. Next it serves East Ham Station, on a different line, so that's on the list, and then it serves Beckton, on yet another line, so that's on the list. Next it serves Cyprus Station. This is borderline, becuse I don't know if it's quicker to do Cyprus to Beckton by DLR, or get the bus, but as the bus is direct, it is possibly more convenient. Similarly, the 101 next serves Gallions Reach - similar problem but oddly the bus goes Beckton - Cyprus - Gallions wherear the train goes Beckton - Gallions - Cyprus!

The W19 serves Walthamstow Central for both the Victoria Line (which is of doubtful benefit given its interchanges) but the NXEA line from Chingford qualifies it.Next, it calls at Leytonstone. Although Wanstead is nearer, it's not by much, so probably best to change at the first of the two reached.

On the other section of the route it serves Manor Park (see above) and that's it for stations.

The 308 serves Wanstead (see above) like the 101. On the other section it serves both Wanstead Park (London Overground) and nearby Forest Gate (same line as Manor Park, one stop west). Continuing it serves Maryland again on the same line, so you wouldn't get off the train to catch it there, but there again you may not get on the train here only to catch the 308 later. Then it comes to Stratford which is served by so many lines it may be convenient to change there for the bus, even though a train would take you nearer (would depend on what train you were on). Then it comes to Leyton. Again you might get on the 308 at Leyton, but you probably wouldn't get off the train at Leyton to get it, as it is calls at Stratford on its way to the venue.

Not very simple!

Train timetable and fares websites

Thanks to The Fare Dealer Barry Doe for this information in Rail magazine issue 696.

brfares.com - enables looking up of fares without selecting trains. Barry says that some of the validities information is not accurate.

trains.im - full schedules of direct trains stopping points. In detailed mode it shows the full working timetable with passing points and distances.

opentraintimes.com - Barry says this is similar to the above. I don't see the point of it in that case, but at the time I tried it it wasn't finding my test stations.