Chester to Reading: most reliable route to take?

[leejayd]

Does anyone know the most reliable journey to take? Chester to Stafford to Reading seems brittle

Surprised ‘reliability’ isn’t a search option

 

[The Planner]

Does anyone know the most reliable journey to take? Chester to Stafford to Reading seems brittle

Surprised ‘reliability’ isn’t a search option

Short of going via London, you are beholden to XC.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Does anyone know the most reliable journey to take? Chester to Stafford to Reading seems brittle

Surprised ‘reliability’ isn’t a search option

You have two "fast" options, Chester -(Avanti)- Stafford -(CrossCountry)- Reading
OR Chester -(Avanti)-Euston-(Tube)-Paddington-(GWR)-Reading

If the Stafford - Reading CrossCountry is cancelled, you should be able to get the ex-Scotland Avanti to Birmingham where you can connect to the Birmingham -Reading CrossCountry (which usually comes from the East, usually Newcastle or Derby).

Your options depend on what tickets you use.

 

[zwk500]

Does anyone know the most reliable journey to take?

Go early in the morning, before things have a chance to get too stuffed...

 

[Djgr]

Does anyone know the most reliable journey to take? Chester to Stafford to Reading seems brittle

Surprised ‘reliability’ isn’t a search option

Ignoring cost, I would go via London.

An alternative route, if you don't need to go via Stafford, would be Chester to Newport on TfW and then GWR to Reading. This might offer attractive (split) fares.

 

[FenMan]

I'd look at the two hourly TfW service to Birmingham International.

There is a pretty robust same platform change at Wolverhampton onto the Manchester - Bournemouth XC train or, if the XC service has been cancelled, continue to New Street and get the next train to Reading from there.

You may need to put in Gobowen as a via point to get this route to show up.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Short of going via London, you are beholden to XC.

Can be done avoiding both XC and London, albeit with multiple changes necessary and extended journey times quite likely.

 

[Kite159]

Can be done avoiding both XC and London, albeit with multiple changes necessary and extended journey times quite likely.

Agreed, such as TfW from Chester to Hereford on one of the 2 hourly Cardiff bound services for a West Midlands towards Worcester & GWR towards Reading (unless the OP times it for just a single change at Hereford for a Hereford - Paddington train).

 

[jfollows]

Chester to Reading “any permitted” is valid on routes shown at https://rgpp.iblocks.co.uk/maps:

• LONDON
• RJ
• BC+RB
• CH+BC+RB

so not via Hereford and/or Newport on a single ticket.

There is no “any permitted” ticket anyway, only “via London” and “not via London”. So the latter is allowed on the last three routes shown on the maps, the former on all of them because it’s more expensive.

The shortest route is via Crewe and Birmingham, so doesn’t add any more options to the ones shown on the maps above.

I’d go via London to avoid XC every time.

 

[The Planner]

Can be done avoiding both XC and London, albeit with multiple changes necessary and extended journey times quite likely.

So not really a proper option.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So not really a proper option.

Chester to Birmingham New Street (via Shrewsbury) with TfW. Or with Avanti to Stafford and then another Avanti (or West Midlands Trains) to Birmingham New Street. Walk over to Birmingham Moor Street. From there to Banbury with Chiltern. From Banbury to Didcot Parkway with GWR. Then another GWR from Didcot Parkway to Reading. Avoids XC & London. A proper option, IMHO.

 

[The Planner]

Chester to Birmingham New Street (via Shrewsbury) with TfW. Or with Avanti to Stafford and then another Avanti (or West Midlands Trains) to Birmingham New Street. Walk over to Birmingham Moor Street. From there to Banbury with Chiltern. From Banbury to Didcot Parkway with GWR. Then another GWR from Didcot Parkway to Reading. Avoids XC & London. A proper option, IMHO.

No one in their right mind is going to walk across to Moor St and then change twice.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

No one in their right mind is going to walk across to Moor St and then change twice.

It's an alternative and avoids being "beholden to XC", or travelling via London, as was previously mentioned. No-one in their right mind travels standard class with XC, if they can possibly help it.

 

[AndrewE]

It's an alternative and avoids being "beholden to XC", or travelling via London, as was previously mentioned. No-one in their right mind travels standard class with XC, if they can possibly help it.

I thought you were going to say "No-one in their right mind travels first class with XC because it's odds-on that you won't be able to get into the coach!" But maybe it is worth booking just so that you get most of your money back... Friends who live in Worcester who are using [first class] trains now rather than driving are finding that lots of their journeys turn out to be free...

 

[cle]

via Newport would be the scenic way - but is at least one change. And sounds like a fare faff (split?)

Same with Wolverhampton/Intl - Intl gives the full Oxford service and chance of same platform but avoids New St.

Stafford is probably the move though., bleak and unreliable as it is. London, only if you want the break / something edible on your travels.

 

[befated]

Intl gives the full Oxford service

The Reading - North East XC services run nonstop between New St and Leamington via Solihull (IIRC because there aren't any paths available via Coventry) so you'd have to change at New St to have access to them.

But personally I'd avoid XC altogether by going via either Newport or London.

 

[D1537]

No one in their right mind is going to walk across to Moor St and then change twice.

To avoid XC I'd do a lot more than that, frankly.

 

[AndrewE]

To avoid XC I'd do a lot more than that, frankly.

yes, paying more and taking longer going via Salop and Newport (Gwent) would be my choice - if the Borders train could be trusted (They seem to have been pretty good today!)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

GWR have good fares from Shrewsbury via Newport to Reading and beyond as far as Hayes (but not all the way to Paddington).
I've done Chester to Reading before via Newport, using TfW's premier service to Newport and picking up GWR from there to Reading.
Day return Chester-Shrewsbury £26.10, Super Off Peak Return Shrewsbury-Reading (via Newport) £78.20.
There are the usual GWR off-peak time restrictions.
What's surprising is that the TfW Shrewsbury-Newport Off-Peak return fare is itself £76, so you are getting the 100-mile fast GWR leg for £2.

 

[The Planner]

Everyone here isn't thinking like a normal customer though.

 

[AndrewE]

Everyone here isn't thinking like a normal customer though.

I think they are thinking like informed buyers. Knowledgable, experienced and (from bitter experience) know what spoils journeys so they are able to weigh up the the benefits and downsides of the different options and balance them against the prices.

 

[frodshamfella]

Unless you are going 1st class on XC , I would go via London. Standard on XC is very often ridiculously overcrowded, nowhere for luggage. It's pretty unpleasant.

 

[ChrisC]

No one in their right mind is going to walk across to Moor St and then change twice.

I certainly would if I wanted a seat and had any luggage which I want to keep in sight. Even a small case will not fit on the overhead rack on a Voyager. I do everything I can to avoid travelling on a Voyager when I have luggage.

 

[Djgr]

GWR have good fares from Shrewsbury via Newport to Reading and beyond as far as Hayes (but not all the way to Paddington).
I've done Chester to Reading before via Newport, using TfW's premier service to Newport and picking up GWR from there to Reading.
Day return Chester-Shrewsbury £26.10, Super Off Peak Return Shrewsbury-Reading (via Newport) £78.20.
There are the usual GWR off-peak time restrictions.
What's surprising is that the TfW Shrewsbury-Newport Off-Peak return fare is itself £76, so you are getting the 100-mile fast GWR leg for £2.

And TfW offers good fares from the likes of Chester to the West Country travelling via Newport

 

[317 forever]

The nicest route would be via Hereford and Ledbury line.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The nicest route would be via Hereford and Ledbury line.

I think the fares I quoted via Newport are also valid via Hereford, Worcester and Oxford, but the connections at Hereford aren't as good.

 

[leejayd]

If I was on my own I would do Hereford line with break in journey. May need to chance it via stafford..