UK's Longest Direct Train Route Ends May 2025

Colchester train station in Essex boasts the UK's longest platform at 620 meters, taking approximately 8 to 10 minutes to walk from end to end. However, due to its divided structure, it does not hold the record for the longest uninterrupted platform, a title claimed by Gloucester station at 602 meters. The station, opened in 1843, features a Victorian ticket office and serves as a hub primarily for Greater Anglia trains connecting Norwich and London to Colchester. Meanwhile, the UK's longest direct train journey from Aberdeen to Penzance will be discontinued in May 2025, after over 100 years of service, with the last trip scheduled for May 16. This 774-mile journey has been a scenic route through numerous cities, but will be shortened in the new timetable, limiting service to Plymouth instead. Travel experts express sadness over the discontinuation, although they anticipate improvements in service efficiency for other routes.