Travelling to London 27th December

[jmr82]

Hi all, booked to go to London from Wakefield Westgate on the 27th on the 09:59 azuma which is now looking unlikely, whilst LNER haven't published their timetable for this day I've noticed you can't buy a LNER ticket on that day before 12pm. We're booked in first class and got a very good early advance ticket so would like the journey to be as comfy as possible. Currently LNER are saying that trains will start later on this day.

So I have a few options:

Wait for the updated timetable on the 19th December (that's currently when LNER will release their provisional timetable on this day, with changes allowed to be made on the 22nd Dec) and risk having to pay more for the ticket change if the price goes up and possibly that the trains after 12pm get booked up anyway.

Change the ticket now to the 12:58 which is showing available as to book now for a cost of £39.00 and take a gamble this service will be running, this is also a 225 which i'd probably prefer!

Make a seat reservation on the 12:58 above and just get on with my ticket I currently have for the 09:59 without paying the extra fee to change it now (is this a risk?)

Could it make any difference as to what would have a better chance of running, ie. I believe the 225's are at Leeds so these may be easier to instate into service so more likely they will run on that day?

Appreciate any input on what would be recommended!

All the best!

 

[Haywain]

There will most likely be trains before midday from Wakefield but these will not be released for booking until sometime next week (I think Tuesday has been mentioned). This is due to the heavy workload of the various planning teams due to the strikes.

 

[jmr82]

Many thanks, i’ve rearranged it to around lunchtime anyway as the 225 currently has loads of availability, and I think it’s a better train anyway!

Thanks for the advice though, hopefully the journey down is as good as can be give. the strikes the days before.

 

[Haywain]

it’s a better train anyway

I can’t argue with that!

 

[jmr82]

So after changing the tickets to the 225 with very good seats, when I've logged into LNER this morning to print the tickets the seat map is now showing an azuma layout where the seats are obviously different and all over the place! Still showing as an LNER Intercity 225 on the train info though, just spoke with LNER and they cant help all they say is sets are subject to change!

Realtime trains for the 12:58 27th December Wakefield Westgate to london is showing as an electric locomotive which i'm assuming is a 225.

What would be the most trustworthy thing to tell if this will be a 225 seems as the horses mouth (LNER) can't tell me!

Desperate to make this trip comfortable what with travelling with kids and don't want them spread out in random seats through the coach!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What would be the most trustworthy thing to tell if this will be a 225 seems as the horses mouth (LNER) can't tell me!

I don't wish to dash your hopes, but at the moment if you attempt to book this train on LNER.com, although the journey planner claims it's a 225, when reserving seats it gives you the options of the following coaches:

M L K J H(Quiet Zone) G(Foodbar) B A

Which, with the addition of non-reservable Coach C (which isn't shown for that reason), would be the layout of a 9-carriage Azuma.
Also, Mark 4 sets do not have a Coach A in their formation.

Similarly, the 1328 while down as a 225 also in the journey planner, the reservations offer M K H G(Foodbar) F + E D B(Foodbar) A, which again with the addition of non-reservable Coach C would make up a 10-carriage Azuma.

 

[jmr82]

Yep I thought that - so either the LNER website is incorrect in one way, especially as the realtime trains shows an electric locomotive (225) on the altered 27th December timetable: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C11662/2022-12-27/detailed or they won't be running any 225's on that day.

It may be safer me moving to an azuma i'm thinking to get the reservations,.

Thanks for the help.

Jamie

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

A MK4 set would show as M L K H(Foodbar) F E C D B(Quiet Zone), with Coach C again possibly not shown.
Some MK4 sets also have a coach taken out and will show with seven segments, or eight if they decide to reserve C instead of the missing coach.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Yep I thought that - so either the LNER website is incorrect in one way, especially as the realtime trains shows an electric locomotive (225) on the altered 27th December timetable: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C11662/2022-12-27/detailed or they won't be running any 225's on that day.

It may be safer me moving to an azuma i'm thinking to get the reservations,.

Thanks for the help.

Jamie

Yes, while either can be wrong I'd suggest that the reservation layout is more likely to be correct than the RTT Pathing or the advertisement shown in the LNER journey planner.

 

[jmr82]

Yes, while either can be wrong I'd suggest that the reservation layout is more likely to be correct than the RTT Pathing or the advertisement shown in the LNER journey planner.

Many thanks buddy I'm thinking the same as it would cause them a problem to then honour all the reservations on a mk4 given different seat nuumbers and the like.

 

[jmr82]

Even stranger if I try and move to the 13:58, this shows as a 10 car azuma but only shows 8 coaches available to book! Also the same with the 13:28, shows as a 9 coach azuma but only 8 coaches available to book on. On second thoughts i'm going to give it a couple of days and see if anything changes, all seems a bit broken at the moment, maybe they're just finalising their timetables due to the strike earlier in the day.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Even stranger if I try and move to the 13:58, this shows as a 10 car azuma but only shows 8 coaches available to book! Also the same with the 13:28, shows as a 9 coach azuma but only 8 coaches available to book on. On second thoughts i'm going to give it a couple of days and see if anything changes, all seems a bit broken at the moment, maybe they're just finalising their timetables due to the strike earlier in the day.

That's down to the non-reservable coaches, which (on a 9 car certainly) is C.

 

[jmr82]

That's down to the non-reservable coaches, which (on a 9 car certainly) is C.

Makes sense... every day is a learning day!

 

[Haywain]

Realtime trains for the 12:58 27th December Wakefield Westgate to london is showing as an electric locomotive which i'm assuming is a 225.

What would be the most trustworthy thing to tell if this will be a 225 seems as the horses mouth (LNER) can't tell me!

I have no doubt that the reservation system would be the one to trust. If the normal 225 working has been replaced with an Azuma there is no reason for the schedule to be changed as the same timings will be maintained. The information indicating what traction might be used doesn't preclude a different train type being substituted.

 

[jmr82]

I have no doubt that the reservation system would be the one to trust. If the normal 225 working has been replaced with an Azuma there is no reason for the schedule to be changed as the same timings will be maintained. The information indicating what traction might be used doesn't preclude a different train type being substituted.

Many thanks - that’s the one we will trust then, I thought it’d have been easier to run the 225’s also as they are based at neville hill

 

[Haywain]

I thought it’d have been easier to run the 225’s also as they are based at neville hill

If only things were that simple!