The UK’s longest direct rail route has been cancelled after 104 years.
The route, which was established in 1921, started in Aberdeen in the northeast of Scotland before travelling 775 miles to Penzance in Cornwall.
The CrossCountry train embarked upon its final journey on Friday May 16, departing the Scottish city at 8.20am and arriving in the far west of Cornwall more than 13 hours later at 9.31pm.
The packed train stopped at 35 stations along the way, including Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, Bristol, Taunton and Truro as it wound its way across the country to reach its final destination.
Passengers spent a total of two hours in stations as passengers alighted and disembarked at each station.
CrossCountry confirmed the major timetable change as part of its biannual timetable review, stating that the decision to end the service was aimed at a “more efficient timetable”.
The challenge of keeping such a long journey on time was also cited by rail chiefs as a justification for its cancellation, in addition to the fact that most customers only made short journeys along the route.
From Monday the train will run as far as Plymouth, an 11.5-hour journey, and there will be connecting trains on the main line through Cornwall.
The service was also removed from the timetable during the pandemic, terminating at Plymouth during 2020.
It was reinstated as the full Aberdeen to Penzance route in May 2023.
Train driver Martin Wallace was only assigned to the route in August 2024, telling the BBC that he was delighted to be part of the historic trip.
“It’s very exciting, isn’t it,” he said, just before departing. “The last voyage.”
A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “Amending our Aberdeen to Penzance service from May will mean a more efficient timetable for our train crews and a more convenient service for our customers, making a day trip from Bristol and the west of England to Penzance more viable.
”The new timetable will also deliver an additional service in each direction between Glasgow and the north east of England towards Birmingham.“
Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said: “As an advocate for rail travel, it’s a touch sad that the longest direct train in the UK is being curtailed – but the number of people who actually travelled the 13-and-a-bit hours from northeast Scotland to southwest England was minuscule.
“Fortunately, the main line through Cornwall from Plymouth to Penzance will remain well served, and if the CrossCountry core is better served due to the redeployment of rolling stock and staff, that will be a net gain.”
