London - Manchester - Ely - London

[Mark_re]

Dear all,

On Thursday next week, I need to travel London (Balham, strictly), to Manchester, arriving by 1345. I then need to leave Manchester after 1615 travelling to Ely. I then want to return from Ely around 2200 back to Balham. These times are subject to change, so I would prefer to avoid advances.

I've been playing around with routeings and I'm struggling to find anything that can be done on one ticket. Is this possible? I'm sure I remember via Ely being a valid route for North East - London tickets, so I have been trying stations that would allow travel 'both ways', like London - Halifax, but I can't find any that are valid via Ely.

Failing a one-ticket solution, could anyone advise on the best two-ticket solution?

Only a network railcard held.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Dear all,
On Thursday next week, I need to travel London (Balham, strictly), to Manchester, arriving by 1345. I then need to leave Manchester after 1615 travelling to Ely. I then want to return from Ely around 2200 back to Balham. These times are subject to change, so I would prefer to avoid advances.
I've been playing around with routeings and I'm struggling to find anything that can be done on one ticket. Is this possible? I'm sure I remember via Ely being a valid route for North East - London tickets, so I have been trying stations that would allow travel 'both ways', like London - Halifax, but I can't find any that are valid via Ely.
Mark

I think Huddersfield might work, although you get "no tickets available" via Ely on the TOC sites.
However, the Routeing Guide offers maps EY+TP which seems to show that a routeing via Ely/Cambridge is OK.
The SSR from Balham at £106.50 lets you leave Euston after 0926 and appears to let you break your journey in Manchester.
Returning from Huddersfield via Leeds/Peterborough/Ely also lets you break anywhere, and there don't appear to be any late arrival restrictions into London.
You are not tied to any particular trains (after the Euston start time)
I'm not too familiar with these routes, no doubt somebody will confirm if I'm right.

 

[Romilly]

I have wondered about Chinley. There is a direct Manchester-Norwich train at 1643 which calls Chinley at 1709, then Sheffield, Chesterfield etc and Ely at 2013.

A London-Chinley via Manchester Off Peak Return is £78.20. A London-Chinley via Chesterfield (& Ely) Super Off Peak Return is £88.30.

Perhaps someone with more experience of change-of-route excesses could advise whether you could buy the £78.20 and pay an excess to come back via Chesterfield & Ely.

 

[Hadders]

I think Huddersfield might work, although you get "no tickets available" via Ely on the TOC sites.
However, the Routeing Guide offers maps EY+TP which seems to show that a routeing via Ely/Cambridge is OK.
The SSR from Balham at £106.50 lets you leave Euston after 0926 and appears to let you break your journey in Manchester.
Returning from Huddersfield via Leeds/Peterborough/Ely also lets you break anywhere, and there don't appear to be any late arrival restrictions into London.
You are not tied to any particular trains (after the Euston start time)
I'm not too familiar with these routes, no doubt somebody will confirm if I'm right.

Are you using the latest version of the routeing guide as I can't see a map combination of EY+TP listed for a London to Huddersfield journey and map EY is 'East Midlands to York' via the Midland Mainline?

A Balham-Huddersfield ticket is valid via Manchester and it is valid via the East Coast Mainline into Kings Cross but it is not valid via Ely or Cambridge as far as I can see from the latest version of the maps. Historically I believe this journey would have been valid via Ely and Cambridge into Liverpool Street but this seems to have been removed (probably in the recent 'pruning' exercise that took place).

Interestingly maps EE and ER look as though they permit travel into Liverpool Street but when you zoom in closer the routes are curtained at Cheshunt!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Are you using the latest version of the routeing guide as I can't see a map combination of EY+TP listed for a London to Huddersfield journey and map EY is 'East Midlands to York' via the Midland Mainline?

A Balham-Huddersfield ticket is valid via Manchester and it is valid via the East Coast Mainline into Kings Cross but it is not valid via Ely or Cambridge as far as I can see from the latest version of the maps. Historically I believe this journey would have been valid via Ely and Cambridge into Liverpool Street but this seems to have been removed (probably in the recent 'pruning' exercise that took place).

Interestingly maps EE and ER look as though they permit travel into Liverpool Street but when you zoom in closer the routes are curtained at Cheshunt!

Sorry, I meant ER+TP, and I'm using the original on-line edition, not the latest.
The ER map I have shows Peterborough-Ely-Cambridge-London (KGX/LST).

 

[Hadders]

I have wondered about Chinley. There is a direct Manchester-Norwich train at 1643 which calls Chinley at 1709, then Sheffield, Chesterfield etc and Ely at 2013.

A London-Chinley via Manchester Off Peak Return is £78.20. A London-Chinley via Chesterfield (& Ely) Super Off Peak Return is £88.30.

Perhaps someone with more experience of change-of-route excesses could advise whether you could buy the £78.20 and pay an excess to come back via Chesterfield & Ely.

This would work but as there is only a route:+via Chesterfield ticket from Balham the OP would need to get a separate ticket from Balham to/from Euston/Kings Cross.

The OP could purchase a London Terminals-Chinley super off-peak return route:via Chesterfield for £73.00 and excess the outward portion to an off-peak return route:via Manchester which would cost half the difference between the fares, ie £2.60.

If doing this the OP must make sure they take a train that calls at Chinley.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Sorry, I meant ER+TP, and I'm using the original on-line edition, not the latest.
The ER map I have shows Peterborough-Ely-Cambridge-London (KGX/LST).

The latest maps are here. There seem to have been some problems lately with old version of the maps still being accessible.

http://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps

 

[Romilly]

The OP could purchase a London Terminals-Chinley super off-peak return route:via Chesterfield for £73.00

Indeed. My apologies for mistakenly confusing Balham-Chinley (via Chesterfield) with London-Chinley (via Chesterfield) prices.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The latest maps are here. There seem to have been some problems lately with old version of the maps still being accessible.
http://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps

Yes thanks, I new it would catch me out one day!
The new EY rather wipes out anything via Leeds and Cambridge.

 

[Mark_re]

How about a Cheshunt - Manchester off-peak return at £85? That seems to allow travel via London and the WCML or Ely and across. Do you think that works for my journey?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I was being a bit slow - of course I'd then need a Cheshunt - Balham ticket.