How to find the best route via a certain operator?

[Joseph T]

I'm planning on going to an event at the NEC in Birmingham next year and I intend to use Chiltern Railways as my primary means of travel. Unfortunately, even when choosing MYB as the starting point, most if not all the routes recommended by Google Maps use Avanti, and the first route I can find that uses Chiltern involves a transfer to a XC service (which I wish to avoid esp if what I hear abt them and Chiltern are to be believed) at Banbury. The next one involves going all the way to BMO, then a walk to nearby BHM (which I also wish to avoid due to hearing that it's very hard to navigate) and catching another service (Avanti/WMR/LNR) to Birmingham International.

Is there a way to find the best trips from London to the NEC that (ideally) primarily use Chiltern or any other operator?

 

[htafc]

(which I wish to avoid esp if what I hear abt them and Chiltern are to be believed)

What are you referring to?

 

[Joseph T]

What are you referring to?

CrossCountry

 

[Gaelan]

I'm planning on going to an event at the NEC in Birmingham next year and I intend to use Chiltern Railways as my primary means of travel. Unfortunately, even when choosing MYB as the starting point, most if not all the routes recommended by Google Maps use Avanti, and the first route I can find that uses Chiltern involves a transfer to a XC service (which I wish to avoid esp if what I hear abt them and Chiltern are to be believed) at Banbury. The next one involves going all the way to BMO, then a walk to nearby BHM (which I also wish to avoid due to hearing that it's very hard to navigate) and catching another service (Avanti/WMR/LNR) to Birmingham International.

Is there a way to find the best trips from London to the NEC that (ideally) primarily use Chiltern or any other operator?

TrainSplit, or this forum's booking site (identical, but the forum gets a cut) have an option to limit operators when searching for tickets.

 

[Joseph T]

TrainSplit, or this forum's booking site (identical, but the forum gets a cut) have an option to limit operators when searching for tickets.

Just tried it multiple times but it won't bring up any results at all regardless of what date I choose.

 

[JonathanH]

Is there a way to find the best trips from London to the NEC that (ideally) primarily use Chiltern or any other operator?

Chiltern don't serve the NEC directly. The choices as you will have seen are:

a) taking Chiltern to Leamington Spa, where you must change to CrossCountry to go direct to Birmingham International or West Midlands Railway to Coventry for a second connection to Birmingham International

b) taking Chiltern to Birmingham Moor Street, walking to Birmingham New Street (which is relatively simple) and taking another operator's service to Birmingham International

or c) taking Chiltern to Solihull and using a bus (X12) to reach the National Exhibition Centre. The X12 takes about 30 minutes and runs half hourly.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Concur with @JonathanH. Getting to Birmingham International by rail from some origin station on the Chiltern Main Line (but avoiding both Cross Country and Avanti as well as a cross Birmingham walk) will almost certainly require using West Midlands Trains for the section from Leamington Spa to Coventry, and then a different West Midlands Train from Coventry onward to Birmingham International.

 

[Joseph T]

a) taking Chiltern to Leamington Spa, where you must change to CrossCountry to go direct to Birmingham International or West Midlands Railway to Coventry for a second connection to Birmingham International

Both XC and WMR each cost £18.40 return between LMS & BHI, with XC taking 23 mins average while WMR takes 56 mins average. Which one's better for the trip in terms of comfort and service offered by each for their respective journey times?

 

[JonathanH]

Both XC and WMR each cost £18.40 return between LMS & BHI, with XC taking 23 mins average while WMR takes 56 mins average. Which one's better for the trip in terms of comfort and service offered by each for their respective journey times?

You can buy a through ticket from Marylebone to Birmingham International routed via High Wycombe using Chiltern to Leamington Spa, then just taking the first connection to Birmingham International. This is £36.40 for a super off peak return and £58.00 for an off peak return.

There really isn't any need to overthink connections in terms of comfort and service.

 

[xotGD]

Bus from Solihull?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Bus from Solihull?

Think @JonathanH mentioned that possibility upthread.

 

[Joseph T]

a) taking Chiltern to Leamington Spa, where you must change to CrossCountry to go direct to Birmingham International or West Midlands Railway to Coventry for a second connection to Birmingham International

Both XC and WMR each cost £18.40 return between LMS & BHI, with XC taking 23 mins average while WMR takes 56 mins average. Which one's better for the trip in terms of comfort and service offered by each for their respective journey times?

Edit: accidentally posted twice.

 

[30907]

T

Both XC and WMR each cost £18.40 return between LMS & BHI, with XC taking 23 mins average while WMR takes 56 mins average. Which one's better for the trip in terms of comfort and service offered by each for their respective journey times?

Edit: accidentally posted twice.

The only tickets I can find for that route are valid on any train and the return fare is £9.80 (assuming you are staying overnight) or £9.40 (same day), both after 0930.
However, the fares from Marylebone to Leamington and to International are the same, so you are unlikely to save by splitting at LMS.

You are more likely to get a seat on LNR than XC. From Coventry you can also use Avanti on a flexible ticket. I would go to LMS and take the first train you can get a seat on!

(If there is a disability issue rather than one of comfort, you can always book assisted travel.)

 

[Joseph T]

*Follow-up from my last thread.

I'm planning on going to Birmingham via Chiltern for an event sometime between 25-28th May next year which, iirc, is the month in which the lease for the Silver Sets expires. Are there any known or rumoured dates for when that happens and/or possible lease extensions for while their replacements are yet to arrive?

 

[yorkie]

Both XC and WMR each cost £18.40 return between LMS & BHI, with XC taking 23 mins average while WMR takes 56 mins average. Which one's better for the trip in terms of comfort and service offered by each for their respective journey times?

What time/day are you travelling?

If the XC service is 8 car you will be fine; if it's 5 car you might be okay depending on time of day. If it's a 4 car then forget it. On the plus side, you can reserve seats on XC, though there is no guarantee you can get to the seat.

West Midlands Trains (who operate trains branded WMR and LNR; it's all one company, just using multiple brand names) do not have any reservations, but their trains are more spacious than XC and they are less likely to be full and standing or leave people behind.

I'd say the seats are more comfortable on XC, so at quiet times I'd choose to use XC, wheras at busy times you really don't want to be on a packed XC Voyager.

 

[Joseph T]

What time/day are you travelling?

If the XC service is 8 car you will be fine; if it's 5 car you might be okay depending on time of day. If it's a 4 car then forget it. On the plus side, you can reserve seats on XC, though there is no guarantee you can get to the seat.

West Midlands Trains (who operate trains branded WMR and LNR; it's all one company, just using multiple brand names) do not have any reservations, but their trains are more spacious than XC and they are less likely to be full and standing or leave people behind.

I'd say the seats are more comfortable on XC, so at quiet times I'd choose to use XC, wheras at busy times you really don't want to be on a packed XC Voyager.

I think I may be travelling at around 10-11am outbound and 6-7pm or later on return.

 

[Joseph T]

If the Silver Sets aren't available when I travel, how can I tell what Clubman subclass(es) will be on my train?

From what I heard, the 168/3s apparently have terrible seating. And RTT doesn't tell you the subclass of your train.

 

[Gaelan]

If the Silver Sets aren't available when I travel, how can I tell what Clubman subclass(es) will be on my train?

From what I heard, the 168/3s apparently have terrible seating. And RTT doesn't tell you the subclass of your train.

Generally - and Wikipedia's indicates 168s are no exception - the fourth digit of the TOPS number is the subclass, so 1683xx are the 168/3s.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Should be an interesting journey, this, if the OP wants to avoid certain classes of Chiltern train, and just about anything operated by Avanti or Cross Country. Doesn't leave too much by way of alternative. Maybe instead of starting at Marylebone, it might be better to get a direct West Midlands Train from London Euston through to Birmingham International. Could then be done as a £29 Super Off Peak Return (Route 'WMR & LNR ONLY').

 

[sprinterguy]

If the Silver Sets aren't available when I travel, how can I tell what Clubman subclass(es) will be on my train?

From what I heard, the 168/3s apparently have terrible seating. And RTT doesn't tell you the subclass of your train.

RTT does provide unit details for Chiltern services (They're back after a few days missing), so it can be possible to identify the likely booked unit sub-type (to the extent of identifying 2, 3 or 4-car class 168s) by looking at the services at the time of day you're interested in on at least two comparable days of the week (weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays) earlier in the same timetable period. Preferably as close to your date of travel as possible.

For example, while 168/3s currently strengthen some services on the Marylebone - Birmingham route, after a cursory search I can only find one northbound train within those services formed solely of 168/3s on weekdays during the current timetable period (The 15:02 London Marylebone - Birmingham Moor Street).