Bournemouth to Exeter (Any)

[faringdon]

Hi,
Some of the Bournemouth trains to Exeter seem to go via Reading.
Do you know why they all just dont go via Dorchester?
Trying to work out which is the cheapest way.
Some seem to go up to Wesstbury and then to Exeter.
Travel time could be any time, but probably on weekends.

 

[Gloster]

Hi,
Some of the Bournemouth trains to Exeter seem to go via Reading.
Do you know why they all just dont go via Dorchester?
Trying to work out which is the cheapest way.
Some seem to go up to Wesstbury and then to Exeter.
Travel time could be any time, but probably on weekends.

Do you mean ‘ fares ‘ rather than ‘ trains ‘? There have never been trains from Bournemouth to Exeter.

Routing via Dorchester is going to involve at least two changes, possibly three, and a slow journey with infrequent trains over the Dorchester-Yeovil/Castle Cary section.

 

[redcaboose]

The cheapest, easiest and quite likely fastest way to do this is to get the X3 bus to Salisbury and then SWR to Exeter; one bus, one train.

The X3 is a fast bus which runs both early and late, half hourly in the middle of the day, hourly on Sundays, and stops right outside Salisbury station.

 

[Watershed]

There are 5 different geographical fare routes for this journey. From highest to lowest price these are:

• via Reading but not via London
• via Salisbury and Westbury
• via Southampton and Honiton
• via Yeovil and Westbury
• via Dorchester and Honiton

The last one is particularly slow as you have to change 3 times and use the infrequent Weymouth-Yeovil service, and then the very infrequent Yeovil Pen Mill-Yeovil Junction service (or else take the bus or walk 45 minutes).

Under the normal hourly West of England line timetable, changing at Southampton and Salisbury (the middle fare) has around the same journey time as changing at Reading (sometimes additionally at Basingstoke).

Under the current 2-hourly slowed-down WoE timetable, changing at Southampton and Westbury is generally the quickest alternative to changing at Reading in hours where there is a 'missing' train.

 

[redcaboose]

There are 5 different geographical fare routes for this journey.

Is there not also a possible route via Basingstoke (but changing there and then going via Salisbury)? Probably never faster than changing at Southampton & Salisbury, though.

I would have thought the Salisbury-Exeter direct fare +£3 for the bus from Bournemouth would be the cheapest way to do this journey. Between Salisbury & Bournemouth, the direct bus can be faster than taking two trains via Southampton.

On Salisbury-Exeter, it can be worth checking for split ticketing opportunities.

 

[Watershed]

Is there not also a possible route via Basingstoke (but changing there and then going via Salisbury)? Probably never faster than changing at Southampton & Salisbury, though.

I would have thought the Salisbury-Exeter direct fare +£3 for the bus from Bournemouth would be the cheapest way to do this journey. Between Salisbury & Bournemouth, the direct bus can be faster than taking two trains via Southampton.

On Salisbury-Exeter, it can be worth checking for split ticketing opportunities.

That's a possible route but it doesn't come up as a fastest route in journey planners as far as I can tell. Perhaps there are particular times of the day, e.g. early or late, that the connections work out well.

The "via Southampton & Honiton" fare would be valid via Basingstoke and Honiton on paper and is likely to be accepted in practice, however journey planners won't validate it because there is a hidden restriction barring travel via Basingstoke (which is not enforceable in practice because it isn't mentioned anywhere publicly).

 

[Acathater]

Whatever you do, don't choose the walk between the two Yeovil stations
It's close to two miles along a 60mph narrow sunken holloway road with no pavement.

 

[Titfield]

There are two stations in Dorchester so a walk between the two would be required.

 

[Gloster]

There are two stations in Dorchester so a walk between the two would be required.

It used to be acceptable to travel to Upwey, the next station south from the two Dorchester stations and used by trains that serve both, and cross over there. However, it was not permitted to go right through to Weymouth.

 

[redcaboose]

It used to be acceptable to travel to Upwey

I believe there is a permanent easement for that.

However, it always seems to put you one train behind on the Bournemouth line.

The interchange between the Dorchester stations is one of my pet hates. The usual scenario is sitting in Maiden Newton waiting for the oncoming train to clear the section, monitoring the progress of the Bournemouth train on a flaky phone signal, then arriving late into DW with just enough time to tempt me into trying the connection, but never enough to actually make it. Plus it's usually dark, raining, and there's a nasty step off the pavement at the first traffic lights out of DW that I always seem to stumble over. Get to DS, locked up early as seems to be usual, soaking wet, 37 mins to the next train and wondering why I didn't just stay on to Upwey.

I've been doing this most years at Christmastime on a FOSS rover, and the Heart of Wessex line is definitely worth including, but the best way is to break at Dorchester and have a walk round this nice Dorset market town. There's a good 'spoons; though unfortunately right at the other end, nowhere near either of the stations.

I've never tried to interchange between the two Yeovil stations; the hourly bus is a circular route which only really works one way round, and never seems to connect with anything useful. And just looking at the walk on Google Streetview is enough to put me off attempting to go that way.

 

[Mainline421]

It used to be acceptable to travel to Upwey, the next station south from the two Dorchester stations and used by trains that serve both, and cross over there. However, it was not permitted to go right through to Weymouth.

There is (unless it has changed but that seems unlikely since it has existed for many years) an easement in the Routing Guide that allows double backing all the way via Weymouth, you don't need to change at Upwey unless it's saves time to do so.

 

[redcaboose]

There is (unless it has changed but that seems unlikely since it has existed for many years) an easement in the Routing Guide that allows double backing all the way via Weymouth, you don't need to change at Upwey unless it's saves time to do so.

Very helpful for the mobility impaired, or anyone just wanting to avoid the footbridge at Upwey.

Plus you could actually do something useful with a break at Weymouth; Upwey is bleak on a wet winter's night.

 

[6PAN]

Another option using a bus would be train Bournemouth to Dorchester South, X51 bus to Axminster, then train to Exeter. The bus from Dorchester to Axminster runs every 2 hours and takes 2 hours, however the journey is quite scenic. Timetables can be found at https://www.firstbus.co.uk/wessex-dorset-south-somerset/plan-journey/timetables

 

[redcaboose]

Another option using a bus would be train Bournemouth to Dorchester South, X51 bus to Axminster, then train to Exeter.

Good spot.

Just one bus, so only £3 if you need to pay, though there is sometimes a bit of a dwell at Bridport. The bus runs from station forecourt to station forecourt.

And you can get an evening out single for both train legs after 12.00.

Bournemouth-Dorchester South £11.50
Axminster-Exeter £8.80

with a further discount for railcards.

If you can make the timings work, that looks to be the least costly option, and cheaper than my earlier suggestion of Salisbury-Exeter.

 

[jfollows]

It used to be acceptable to travel to Upwey, the next station south from the two Dorchester stations and used by trains that serve both, and cross over there. However, it was not permitted to go right through to Weymouth.

See https://iblocks-rg-publication.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/group_stations.pdf

GROUP STATIONS

Some stations are grouped together to improve interchange between trains by offering
customers access to a wider choice of train services and station facilities. A customer may travel
via any station in such a group, including doubling back, provided that the group is on one of the
permitted routes between their origin and destination stations. This extended availability is for
interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part
of a group.

See https://iblocks-rg-publication.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrg_instructions.pdf

 

[redcaboose]

"This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part
of a group."

What does it say about a break of journey at one of the group stations?

 

[jfollows]

"This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part
of a group."

What does it say about a break of journey at one of the group stations?

Nothing
I would have quoted more if it did.
But what is ”break of journey” these days? I see no reason not to break a journey at one of the group stations if the ticket allows it.

 

[redcaboose]

But what is ”break of journey” these days?

That's a good question, deserving of its own thread. On a Rover ticket where more than one train is used, is that one journey, or two, or more? And is there a difference between a 10 second cross platform interchange, or an hour's break for a meal. Does it matter if you leave the station, or not?

Fortunately a whole lifetime of travelling by train suggests that the vast majority of railway staff use common sense and discretion; I've never had any problems or issues.

One definition could be leaving station premises between, but not at either of, the origin and destination, and returning after the first connecting service has departed.

In the OP's example, going into Weymouth for a bite to eat and returning an hour later to continue the journey? That would definitely be permitted at Dorchester on a ticket allowing a break of journey.

 

[jfollows]

I don’t see why breaking a journey in Weymouth as you describe would either be prohibited or cause a problem.

 

[redcaboose]

I don’t see why breaking a journey in Weymouth as you describe would either be prohibited or cause a problem.

No more do I; it's reasonable that someone making a journey of that length would want to stop for a meal, especially given the lack of on board catering or meaningful station facilities on that route.

But in a similar situation last year with a permitted doubleback, stopping for a meal in Eastbourne on a Hastings - Brighton journey, my ticket wouldn't open the barriers at Eastbourne, either out or in. The gateline staff let me through straight away on sight of the ticket, however.

 

[Kilopylae]

my ticket wouldn't open the barriers at Eastbourne, either out or in. The gateline staff let me through straight away on sight of the ticket, however.

That's no indication of validity - the barriers are programmed in mysterious ways. You wouldn't necessary expect the barriers to be programmed to accept tickets at a station where the ticket was only valid to double back for interchange purposes.