Petery's West Midlands Day Ranger

[PeterY]

I'm getting rather hooked on Rovers and Rangers, now that I got my Senior Rail card discount. My old Network Card was very restrictive.

Today (19th May) I treated myself to a West Midlands day ranger. Hemel Hempstead to Northampton where the Ranger kicked in. Northampton, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Dorridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stourbridge Jct via Henley-in-Arden. Stourbridge Jct to Stourbridge Town and return. I returned back to Moor street and walked across to New Street, Nuneaton and back to Coventry, then home.

For me, lots of new lines bashed.

Rail miles with Rover 182 total for the day 264.

Value wise, (Senior card prices) West Midlands Ranger at £17.50 is a lot more expensive than a Anglia Plus day ranger at £12.50. nonetheless still good value for both tickets.

New class traveled on 139.

Next plan is a Lincolnshire day ranger but I know I'll have to do that,one Saturday before the end of June.

 

[DavidGrain]

Did you take a Cross Country train from Coventry to Leamington or the new WMR service since the reopening of Kenilworth station last month?

 

[PeterY]

I used Cross Country, I even got a seat . The reason being is I'd of missed the train to Dorridge if I'd used LNWR service.

 

[Kite159]

A varied day in the West Midlands

 

[PeterY]

Next plan is a Lincolnshire day ranger but I know I'll have to do that,one Saturday before the end of June.

I've given up the idea of a Lincolnshire day ranger. However much I tried playing around with Realtimetrains and National Rail and not being able to use ECML (Virgin). Trains were rather sparse around the Sleaford and Lincoln area, with long waits.

 

[Kite159]

Lincolnshire, the region of the rubbish connection

 

[DavidGrain]

Your West Midlands trip covered the southern half of the region. I presume you have previously done the northern half to Stafford and Stoke. It would require an overnight stay in Wolverhampton to do the direct 'parliamentary' train from Wolverhampton to Walsall but if necessary you could always take the bus between the two places if you needed to make a connection. I once (accidentally) travelled a non-stop train from Wolverhampton to Birmingham which went via the Bescot and Soho Loop route. Trains from Birmingham to Rugeley usually take the Soho route to Walsall whereas trains to Walsall usually take the Aston route.

 

[cactustwirly]

Lincolnshire, the region of the rubbish connection crap train service

Fixed that for you!

 

[PeterY]

Lincolnshire, the region of the rubbish connection

100% agree. Spent about an hour and nothing connected. A waste of a valuable bashing day.

Your West Midlands trip covered the southern half of the region. I presume you have previously done the northern half to Stafford and Stoke. It would require an overnight stay in Wolverhampton to do the direct 'parliamentary' train from Wolverhampton to Walsall but if necessary you could always take the bus between the two places if you needed to make a connection. I once (accidentally) travelled a non-stop train from Wolverhampton to Birmingham which went via the Bescot and Soho Loop route. Trains from Birmingham to Rugeley usually take the Soho route to Walsall whereas trains to Walsall usually take the Aston route.

So instead of Lincolnshire, I've sat here and worked out a plan for the northern half of the Midlands to include, which won't be until 16th June
Rugeley to New Street. (New line)
New Street to Redditch. (New branch)
Redditch to Lichfield. (New line)
Lichfield to Tamworth.
Tamworth to New Street (Part new)
New Street to Worcester (Part new)
and work my back to Hemel Hempstead.

 

[Kite159]

If you can build in the 1544 Worcester Shrub Hill to Birmingham New Street service, as that gets routed via the Camp Hills Line rather than the more usual via University.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P83409/2018/06/02/advanced

 

[DavidGrain]

Double check your Rugeley TV to New Street timings before you buy your ticket as some days (particularly Sundays) electrification work north of Walsall means that some trains are running on rubber tyres. The Rugeley trains are normally the only scheduled trains over the Soho Loop (except for some others at beginning and end of day). If you can find a train over the Camp Hill line as Kite159 suggests that would be good as normally only XC trains run this way and these will not be covered by your ticket as first stop is Cheltenham

 

[DavidGrain]

An afterthought. Have you done all three sides of the Worcester triangle? Also be aware of engineering work in the Worcester area but this could be finished before your trip.

 

[PeterY]

Thank you for all the advice.

An afterthought. Have you done all three sides of the Worcester triangle? Also be aware of engineering work in the Worcester area but this could be finished before your trip.

So far only the south side.

I tend to do rovers on a Saturday with a very early start but try to get home between 7 and 8 in the evening. I also double check "The Plan" a day before I leave.

I tend to worry more about LNWR having staffing issues, which happened Saturday. (19th May)

So far I've only done the south side of the Worcester triangle. Later in the year, I can plan another trip to get all the missing bits.

It's going to take me a lot of years (if I'm still around) to complete the UK system but I'm not rushing it. On the whole, I'm pleased with what I've done this year, so far.

 

[DavidGrain]

PeterY. If you are free next Saturday (26th May) how about a trip Hemel-Nuneaton-Birmingham. You should be able to do this on a Day return ticket Hemel-Birmingham as this routing, for reasons better known only by themselves, is often offered to me by Virgin. Because of engineering diversions, I can guarantee that this will cover lines you will not have travelled on before and may never get the chance to do so again.

Landor St Jn - St Andrews Jn Freight only
St Andrews Jn- Lifford East Jn The Camp Hill line normally only used in passenger service by XC trains to/from Bristol and West Country (There are plans to re-open this line for local passenger traffic, but then they have been talking about it for years)
Lifford East Jn - Lifford West Jn normally only used by ECS workings