High Speed Train - St Pancras or Stratford International

[beanwalls]

Hi All,

I’ve got to start regularly going to Ashford International from where I am in Norwood Junction.

I can get a direct Thameslink train to St Pancras, but also go via the Overground / Underground to Stratford (London) and walk to Stratford International.

The only reason to do Stratford is because there might be more options of connecting trains without having to wait around - and it might be a little cheaper!

My question is - does anyone think one route is better than the other?

AND - does anyone know if I buy a ticket to/from St Pancras International, can I choose to get on/off at Stratford International instead?

I’m new to this high speed route, so any advice welcome - thanks!

 

[notadriver]

I would go to/from St Pancras. The walk to the Thameslink train is much shorter plus getting on at St Pancras gets you the choice of seats.

 

[beanwalls]

There is also the fact that it doesn’t seem possible to get one National Rail ticket from Norwood Junction to Ashford International via the high speed train route.

Which is odd coz it seems the fastest and one of the simplest routes to take - yet it doesn’t come up as a suggested route at all.

The cheapest (and only) way to do it seems TfL contactless from Norwood Junction to St Pancras, and then National Rail ticket from there to Ashford.

I was hoping it would be cheaper to get one ticket for the whole journey using my network rail card, but it doesn’t seem like an option.

 

[beanwalls]

I would go to/from St Pancras. The walk to the Thameslink train is much shorter plus getting on at St Pancras gets you the choice of seats.

Thanks. I saw that the walk to the train is shorter. But it is almost double the cost to go to St Pancras, and there is only two trains from Norwood Junction per hour.

 

[30907]

There is also the fact that it doesn’t seem possible to get one National Rail ticket from Norwood Junction to Ashford International via the high speed train route.

Where have you looked?

A £52 "Anytime Day Return "+ Any Permitted" is valid according to RailUKTickets.
You can use Thameslink or Underground to cross London, or make your way to Stratford International if you want to try it out.

 

[paul1609]

P

Hi All,

I’ve got to start regularly going to Ashford International from where I am in Norwood Junction.

I can get a direct Thameslink train to St Pancras, but also go via the Overground / Underground to Stratford (London) and walk to Stratford International.

The only reason to do Stratford is because there might be more options of connecting trains without having to wait around - and it might be a little cheaper!

My question is - does anyone think one route is better than the other?

AND - does anyone know if I buy a ticket to/from St Pancras International, can I choose to get on/off at Stratford International instead?

I’m new to this high speed route, so any advice welcome - thanks!

Personally I'd recommend changing at London Bridge on to the classic Kent Coast services from Charing X/ Canon St. The theoretical time advantage of the high speed line from South London will be negated by avoiding the core trundle on Thameslink and the higher frequency of fast services from Norwood Junction to London Bridge. In reality the time difference will be a couple of minutes either way and the premium fare isn't worth it. The classic services even stopping every station from Tonbridge are still good performers with comfortable trains and largely friendly staff.

 

[beanwalls]

Where have you looked?

A £52 "Anytime Day Return "+ Any Permitted" is valid according to RailUKTickets.
You can use Thameslink or Underground to cross London, or make your way to Stratford International if you want to try it out.

£52 is insane. It’s £28 return on the high speed train. And either £3.60 each way on Norwood Junction to St Pancras, or £1.90 each way between Norwood and Stratford.

 

[beanwalls]

P

Personally I'd recommend changing at London Bridge on to the classic Kent Coast services from Charing X/ Canon St. The theoretical time advantage of the high speed line from South London will be negated by avoiding the core trundle on Thameslink and the higher frequency of fast services from Norwood Junction to London Bridge. In reality the time difference will be a couple of minutes either way and the premium fare isn't worth it. The classic services even stopping every station from Tonbridge are still good performers with comfortable trains and largely friendly staff.

I’ve tried doing similar from Bromley South or Beckenham Junction. Both less than 30min bus ride away.

I can’t get any of the Trainline type apps to give me a route via London Bridge either. They just suggest via London Victoria or change at Penge.

I don’t quite get why what seems like the simplest routes with least changes aren’t being offered..

 

[beanwalls]

The via LB route appears on forum ticket site, but it’s very expensive. It is cheaper to use contactless between NJ and LB - but even then it still makes it over £30.

LB to Ashford is reasonable but then the additional cost of the NJ leg is a lot and I don’t quite understand why. I was expecting just a couple of pounds more if all on same ticket but it’s not unfortunately..

 

[30907]

£52 is insane. It’s £28 return on the high speed train. And either £3.60 each way on Norwood Junction to St Pancras, or £1.90 each way between Norwood and Stratford.

What ticket is that? Advance fares for specific trains start at £15.20 each way officially.

BTW you are quoting offpeak TfL fares - I have quoted for peak travel, assuming you needed that.

As for why Trainline don't give you a St Pancras option, I don't know.

 

[beanwalls]

What ticket is that? Advance fares for specific trains start at £15.20 each way officially.

BTW you are quoting offpeak TfL fares - I have quoted for peak travel, assuming you needed that.

As for why Trainline don't give you a St Pancras option, I don't know.

Peak for high speed just seems to be the morning I think. I’d only ever be travelling afternoon and evening.

£27 return from St Pancras to Ashford International on Trainline app. But it won’t offer me the whole journey from Norwood Junction, so the only option seems to be contactless single fares each way.

 

[miklcct]

P

Personally I'd recommend changing at London Bridge on to the classic Kent Coast services from Charing X/ Canon St. The theoretical time advantage of the high speed line from South London will be negated by avoiding the core trundle on Thameslink and the higher frequency of fast services from Norwood Junction to London Bridge. In reality the time difference will be a couple of minutes either way and the premium fare isn't worth it. The classic services even stopping every station from Tonbridge are still good performers with comfortable trains and largely friendly staff.

I second this. The low speed route is much shorter as you can change direct at London Bridge for Norwood Junction.