Advice on commuting from Grantham

[Bplmurphy]

Hi apologies if this is the wrong place to post, I'm a newbie. Seriously considering moving to Grantham and am just wondering how the commute in to Kings Cross would be? Fine with costs / times etc.

But specifically am concerned about seat availability. Obviously not expecting a carriage to myself but just wondering how busy would the trains be by the time they reached Grantham having had multiple stops from Leeds / Newcastle.

My main wish is that it would be a fairly civilised affair and you'd be able to find a seat without too much hassle.

If anyone out there has any commuting experience about this line then it would be gratefully received.

RE: return journey. I gather it's packed to the rafters till Peterborough but if you're at Kings Cross early enough and are a bit nifty you can grab a seat? Is that right?

Thanking you all hopefully in advance.

P.S. I know Virgin trains has a seat availability thingy on their website but it seems to give only a vague indication and I'd rather have hard evidence from those on the front line as it were.

 

[thenorthern]

It is definitely possible and there are many people who do it and if you look for advance fares Hull Trains do some good deals on tickets.

Not sure about passenger numbers though.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Not sure whether the timetables have changed but you very often used to get a couple of trains towards Peterborough/London on the hour mark, EMT, EC and First Hull then for 55 minutes nothing which I always found annoying

 

[PavlosA]

Hey

Not wanting to create a new thread, just a quick question on Grantham commuting.

Grantham to London Terminals annuals show as valid to Kings Cross, Moorgate, Old Street and Liverpool Street. What are the routes to Liverpool Street?

Thanks
Pav

 

[Romilly]

I think that you can go:

Grantham-Peterborough-Ely-Cambridge-Liverpool Street

or:

Grantham-Peterborough-Finsbury Park-Tottenham Hale-Liverpool Street

 

[dzug2]

Via Peterborough/Cambridge I think

 

[PavlosA]

Cheers both

 

[westv]

If your're commuting then get an annual ticket. You can (or you used to be able to) book a 3 month block of seat reservations on VTEC in advance.
I don't think HTs offers that option

 

[Romilly]

Following on from my previous post, not all journey planners show my second suggested route (Grantham-Finsbury Park-Tottenham Hale-Liverpool Street) as valid.

As regards trains via Cambridge, on a weekday evening there are Liverpool Street to Ely trains at 1707 and 1807, from where there are then through trains to Grantham. Not necessarily the speediest option, although if the OP works near Liverpool Street it may be that avoiding the underground goes some way towards balancing out the extra time spent on National Rail.

 

[westv]

There's no way I would travel regularly Grantham to Liverpool St without using the tube. It'll take forever. Kings X to Aldgate used to take me usually less than 30 mins and that's further along the line than Liv St.

 

[Hadders]

An annual ticket from Grantham to London Terminals is valid on the Underground to Old Street and Moorgate via the Metropolitan or Northern Lines. You cannot alight at any intermediate stations.

 

[westv]

An annual ticket from Grantham to London Terminals is valid on the Underground to Old Street and Moorgate via the Metropolitan or Northern Lines. You cannot alight at any intermediate stations.

Moorgate is a short walk to Liverpool St.