A raily great achievement

And

A railway mega fan has travelled to almost every train station in the UK – in just six weeks.

David Jones, 34, from Blyth, Northumberland, spent 441 hours and covered 9,846 miles seeing more than 2,500 stations in “the UK’s longest commute” to raise money for charity.

After completing his grand tour at Inverness station on March 31, he said: “I feel a sense of achievement for what I have done. Smashing the money target is just fantastic.”

David set out on the mammoth challenge on February 19 and averaged around 62 stations a day. He planned to travel by train to every station and snap a picture of its sign on stopping there. From sleeper trains to small coastal stations, he spent five months strategically planning his route through the UK.

After spending 10.5 hours a day sitting on trains, David would recharge at hotels or occasionally snooze through the night on a sleeper train.

In total, he visited 2,542 of Britain’s 2,580 stations after flooding prevented some stops.

He had started at Three Bridges, home to the Sussex Rail Operating Centre where he works as a control room train services manager for Govia Thameslink Railway.

He was able to cut the cost of his travel thanks to his background in the rail industry.

David took on the challenge to raise cash for Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Children’s Intensive Care Unit at Oslo’s University Hospital, where a friend was treated. In total, he raised £2,460 which will be divided between the charities.

His favourite station was St Ives in Cornwall, which he praised for its fine views.