Preston to Nottingham via Birmingham

[WestCoastTravel]

Good afternoon,

On Wednesday and Thursday this week i'm doing a liitle bit of travelling round for work and have following travel plan travelling to and from Preston:

Meeting in Witton (Birmingham) at 1100 on Wednesday (18/03/2009)
Meeting in Langley Mill starting at 1730 on Wednesday, travel back Thursday afternoon about 1600. (19/03/2009)

The question is how can I do this in the chepaest way without having to buy singles between each location? I'm just looking to purchase tickets on the day.

My only idea to date is to buy an off peak return between Preston and Tamworth, breaking my journey at Witton on the outward leg and then completing my journey to Tamworth in the afternoon, then getting an off peak return between Tamworth and Nottingham. I haven't checked the validity of this on NFM02 yet, but I believe the ticket from Preston - Tamworth is valid via Birmingham, unless anybody can advise any different. I look forward to the responses.

Regards,

WestCoastTravel.

 

[ashworth]

I don't know whether this is any help.
A return ticket from Preston to Leicester is valid via Birmingham and it is also valid via Sheffield (including Nottingham and Langley Mill).
You could then do Preston-Birmingham, Birmingham-Langley Mill (changing at Leicester and Nottingham) and Langley Mill-Preston (changing at Sheffield and Manchester) or you could do Langley Mill-Preston changing at Leeds only. Both routes seem to valid according to Trainline.
The only problem is that I am not sure whether you can do half a return journey one day and complete it the next. Otherwise a single from Leicester to Langley Mill would do.

 

[clagmonster]

Yes, you can do the overnight break of journey on the return portion of a saver.
You would also need at day return Birmingham-Witton, although as Duddeston and Aston are part of the Birmingham group, I think you can get away with an Aston-Witton day return.

 

[John @ home]

from Preston:

Meeting in Witton (Birmingham) at 1100 on Wednesday (18/03/2009)
Meeting in Langley Mill starting at 1730 on Wednesday, travel back Thursday afternoon about 1600. (19/03/2009)

The question is how can I do this in the chepaest way without having to buy singles between each location? I'm just looking to purchase tickets on the day.

My only idea to date is to buy an off peak return between Preston and Tamworth, breaking my journey at Witton on the outward leg and then completing my journey to Tamworth in the afternoon, then getting an off peak return between Tamworth and Nottingham.

Preston (Lancs) to Witton (West Midlands) to arrive before 1100 on Wed 18 Mar 2009
08:17 Preston (Lancs) – Wolverhampton 09:31 VT
09:49 Wolverhampton – Witton (West Midlands) 10:27 LM
Preston (Lancs) to Witton SOS £35. FOS £73.

Witton (West Midlands) to Langley Mill to arrive before 1730 on Wed 18 Mar 2009
14:46 Witton (West Midlands) – Birmingham New Street 14:58 LM
Then either
15:03 Birmingham New Street – Chesterfield 16:02 XC
16:22 Chesterfield – Langley Mill 16:40 NT
or
15:19 Birmingham New Street – Nottingham 16:35 XC
17:11 Nottingham – Langley Mill 17:31 NT
Witton to Langley Mill SOS £30. FOS £60.

Langley Mill to Preston (Lancs) to depart after 1600 on Thu 19 Mar 2009
16:32 Langley Mill – Sheffield 17:17 NT
17:40 Sheffield – Manchester Piccadilly 18:36 EM
18:46 Manchester Piccadilly – Preston (Lancs) 19:33 TP
Langley Mill to Preston (Lancs) SOS £33. No walk-on First Class fare.

Total cost buying Single tickets = £35 + £30 + £33 = £98.

The validity of a £38.70 SVR Preston – Tamworth on the 08:17 from Preston is debatable. Restriction 2R is “For Journeys TO or VIA Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, [etc.]: OUTWARD and RETURN Journeys - Valid on services which are scheduled to arrive at or after 1030.” A customer could reasonably interpret that to mean “Valid on services which are scheduled to arrive at Tamworth at or after 1030”, but neither the VT or NXEC sites will sell a SVR for the 08:17, presumably because it arrives at Wolverhampton and Birmingham before 10:30, despite the Tamworth arrival time being 10:36.

The SVR Preston – Leicester suggested by Ashworth has a Restriction 2V, which is “OUTWARD & RETURN JOURNEYS By any train except those scheduled to depart before 0930”, so that can’t get you to Witton by 1100.

The best I can come up with is:
Preston – East Midlands Parkway SOR £53 [1] plus
Birmingham – Witton CDR £1.60,
a total of £54.60 if you go to Langley Mill via Nottingham. If you choose to go via Chesterfield, you need an extra two singles Chesterfield - Langley Mill + back at £6.70 each, making a total of £68.

John

[1] The £42.50 SVR is “By any train except those timed to depart Mondays-Fridays before 0900.”

 

[ashworth]

Going back to my idea of getting a return from Preston to Leicester (out via Birmingham and return via Sheffield).
Even an Anytime Return is only £66 which is far cheaper than singles.

 

[WestCoastTravel]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'll probably take the East Midlands Parkway option, with the additional ticket from Birmingham to Witton. However one more question, would the outward ticket from Preston be valid with a break of journey at Witton, using a london midland service travelling from Stafford to New Street via Hednesford?

Thanks,

WestCoastTravel