Four Friends Race Through 70 Train Stations in 12-Hour Adventure!

A group of four friends, Alex Manners, Max, Ben, and Luke, decided to take on a unique challenge: visiting 70 railway stations in the West Midlands in just 12 hours. They began their journey early in the morning at Earlswood station, near Solihull, and finished at Coventry Arena by 8 PM. The friends were thrilled when they completed their goal, describing themselves as 'absolutely buzzing' with excitement and pride.

Alex, who is autistic like his friends, works with train companies to make travel more accessible for everyone. He explained that while some people have tried similar challenges on the London Underground, this was their own adventure across the West Midlands. Ben, who is especially passionate about trains, organized the schedule for the day. The group took many photos and videos throughout their journey, planning to create a film to share on YouTube. Their story quickly gained attention online, with a video about their trip being viewed around 100,000 times.

Alex said that he enjoys working with train companies and wants to highlight both the challenges and strengths of autism. He believes their achievement shows what autistic people can do when they work together. One of the highlights of their day was riding the shuttle train from Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town. They also visited major stations like Wolverhampton and Walsall, and even stopped at Dorridge, which is served by two different train companies. The only real problem they faced was a long red signal at Canley, which forced them to take a taxi to Coventry to finish on time. Alex was surprised by how popular their video became and hopes to repeat the adventure when new stations open. Their journey is a great example of teamwork, friendship, and the joy of exploring new places.