LM Great Escape - 23rd to 31st Oct

[Pumbaa]

Yep, it's back. Just in case you'd thought they'd finally stopped scrimping for cash and email addresses...

http://www.londonmidland.com/news/latest-news/go-anywhere-on-london-midland-for-just-10-a-day/

Banner sometimes flashes up on home page to get the vouchers from, just click refresh repeatedly to get it up.

 

[bnm]

http://www.londonmidland.com/tickets-and-fares/great-escape/?=

 

[Matt Taylor]

Printed my voucher, I guess I don't need to exchange it until the day of travel?

 

[RJ]

Printed my voucher, I guess I don't need to exchange it until the day of travel?

Correct.

 

[lemonic]

Is a break of journey allowed with this offer, if the normal ticket offered (such as an Off Peak Day Return) would offer a break of journey? It isn't mentioned that it isn't allowed in the terms and conditions of promotion.

Actually, reading again, so is this ticket just basically a London Midland Day Rover or do an origin and destination have to be specified?

 

[Pumbaa]

Nope - an issuing point obviously, but as its a rover, break your journey as you please. No peak time in evening either, definitely annoying the Euston punters with that!

 

[lemonic]

Nope - an issuing point obviously, but as its a rover, break your journey as you please. No peak time in evening either, definitely annoying the Euston punters with that!

Thanks for clearing this up.

 

[sinobi]

I have to do Euston-Crewe 4 times during the week of this offer. Anyone an opinion on whether it's worth paying £20 for first class on any of the journeys? (Final one will be Crewe-London on the Sunday late pm - wondering how busy it gets & will I want some space?) Doesn't look like you get much extra in First.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I have to do Euston-Crewe 4 times during the week of this offer. Anyone an opinion on whether it's worth paying £20 for first class on any of the journeys? (Final one will be Crewe-London on the Sunday late pm - wondering how busy it gets & will I want some space?) Doesn't look like you get much extra in First.

Larger, recling seat, and a table.

 

[wintonian]

I have done it First class, not being sure of if there would be any overcrowding at some point during the day and I can safely say that in no way is it worth it, IMO even First class on SWT is better, but only due to the fact the seats are in better condition.

 

[sinobi]

Thanks - gonna print 1st & standard vouchers & see how it goes the first time. Journey takes twice as long as Virgin so want to use time to get college work done, a table & quiet time might be useful.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

LM First Class here:

http://www.londonmidland.com/tickets-and-fares/tickets-and-fares/first-class-travel/

 

[Mojo]

If you end up on a 350/1 you get tables anyway in Standard.

 

[GodAtum]

Anyone got any ideas of where I could visit on their network with a 1st class ticket? I'm thinking of going Euston - Stoke - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Euston?

What trains would that take me on?

 

[Mojo]

Euston to Stoke would be a 350, Stoke to Stafford another 350, Stafford to Wolverhampton yet another 350, Wolverhampton to Birmingham a 170, a 323 or a 350, Birmingham to Euston a 350.

Me and a forum Mod got lucky earlier in the year when we did one and the LM service from Stafford to Euston was cancelled, and they let us use Virgin trains!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Anyone got any ideas of where I could visit on their network? I'm thinking of going Euston - Stoke - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Euston?

What trains would that take me on?

Desiros thorughout (Class 350s), hopefully you will get /01 and not /02s

 

[GodAtum]

Thanks for the info

I'm been looking up times:

London Euston 0946
Stoke On Trent 1213

Stoke on Trent 1254
Stafford 1312

Stafford 1343
Wolverhapton 1356

Wolverhapton 1459
Euston 1749

Lots of waiting! Is there much time to pass the time at these places?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Thanks for the info

I'm been looking up times:

London Euston 0946
Stoke On Trent 1213

Stoke on Trent 1254
Stafford 1312

Stafford 1343
Wolverhapton 1356

Wolverhapton 1459
Euston 1749

Lots of waiting! Is there much time to pass the time at these places?

You could get a LM service from Stafford-Bhm N St direct (twice an hour) or get another two LM services from Wolves to Bhm N St earlier, and change at New St (there's 2tph from there)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
ALternative timings:
Stafford: 1343
Bhm N St: a) 1417
Bhm N St: d) 1453
Euston: 1719

 

[Pumbaa]

Thanks - gonna print 1st & standard vouchers & see how it goes the first time. Journey takes twice as long as Virgin so want to use time to get college work done, a table & quiet time might be useful.

Definitely get the 1st ticket - Sunday services are packed on the TV line. I'm doing it far too regularly at the moment, and yesterday didn't get a seat until Lichfield.

Don't expect a /1 on Sunday, in my experience its predominantly /2 to get extra seats along the line.

 

[43167]

out on the 27th. Going to do the Stratford on Avon line which ive never done.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ok. I wont be going to Stratford due to weeklong engineering work. So a chance to score some LM units I think.

 

[sinobi]

Definitely get the 1st ticket - Sunday services are packed on the TV line. I'm doing it far too regularly at the moment, and yesterday didn't get a seat until Lichfield.

Don't expect a /1 on Sunday, in my experience its predominantly /2 to get extra seats along the line.

V useful - thanks. Suspected that about the Sunday, good to know.

 

[tannedfrog]

Hi, does anyone know how to find a route specifying London Midland only?

Thinking of London - Liverpool - Worcester - London on Saturday

 

[MCR247]

Desiros thorughout (Class 350s), hopefully you will get /01 and not /02s

The first class is the same, if not better in the /2s as it is newer

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The first class is the same, if not better in the /2s as it is newer

Ah, didn't know there was no First difference, just so long as he isn't in standard on a /2...

 

[43167]

Been on mine today. Got moneys worth easy.

Crewe-Rugby via Stoke
Rugby-New Street
New Street-Great Malvern (brief break at University)
Great Malvern-Worcester FG
Worcester FG-Smethwick GB
Smethwick GB-New St
New St-Rugeley TV (in 4 legs. New St-Tame Bridge, Tame Bridge-Walsall, Walsall-Hednesford, Hendsford-Rugeley TV)
Rugeley TV-Lichfield TV
Lichfield TV-New St
New St-Crewe

Excellent day out. About 10 winner units & visited 6 stations for 1st time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Hi, does anyone know how to find a route specifying London Midland only?

Thinking of London - Liverpool - Worcester - London on Saturday

Looking at LM's route map would be the best way I would have thought.

Euston-Liverpool
Liverpool-Smethwick Galton Bridge
Smethwick GB-Worcester (which station is your choice)
Worcester-New St
New St-Euston via Northampton

2 routes between Worcester & Birmingham. The Hereford-New St service goes via The Licky. Moor St/Snow Hill service via Kidderminster.

 

[Mojo]

Just request London Midland only from the appropriate dropdown on the Advanced Search of the National Rail journey planner

 

[tannedfrog]

oh dear, I told three Spanish friends about the offer and that they could do a day trip from London to Liverpool for £10

Unfortunately they hadn't fully grasped that it was London Midland only and ended up on a Virgin train

sorry if the conductor dealing with them was you

 

[MCR247]

What happened?

 

[yorkie]

Probably let off, or asked to change at somewhere like Stafford. Railway staff are asked to show discretion to foreigners, especially if they do not speak good English. I think ATOC would get into a lot of trouble if they allowed the horror stories that we hear about to appear to become big stories in the media in other countries, as it may put people off travelling to this country. Worryingly some of the stories are already appearing worldwide, though not as big stories. The media are realising that this country has some absurd rules and a ticketing system that many guards do not understand, yet customers are expected to understand or can be severely penalised.

My bet would be that they were asked to change at Stafford, and no further action taken.

 

[Crossover]

Me and a friend used it yesterday - think we did pretty well visiting some of the places we haven't yet got to round the Birmingham area.

Stafford to Rugeley Trent Valley (350/1)
Rugeley Trent Valley to Hednesford (RR Coach - NatEx VW8)
Hednesford to Walsall (170/5)
Waited for >30 mins on a 323 while stuck at Walsall due to problems
Walsall to Birmingham (Travel West Midlands Bus 51)
Birmingham Moor Street to Stourbridge Junction (150)
Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town (139 002)
Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction (139 002)
Stourbridge Junction to Kidderminster (150)
Kidderminster to Worcester Foregate Street (150)
Worcester Foregate Street to Great Malvern (170/6)
Great Malvern to University (170/5)
University to Birmingham New Street (323)
Birmingham to Stafford (350/1)

The TWM bus was covered because of the signalling problems allowing LM customers to use that service for onward travel.

The initial idea was to go to New St, changing at Walsall to go in via Aston etc and then out to Hereford. Due to the problems we had, we got off the TWM bus just opposite Moor Street so did the loop the opposite way round to planned. Due to time we just went as far as Great Malvern (lovely station, I may add, though a bit quiet, and I just missed the HST due to our train that we came in on being in the opposite platform!)

Left Stafford at 10.21, left Walsall about 2.5 hours after that (lol!!!) and got back to Stafford about 18:15