All Line Rail Rover Plan Advice

[duffman82]

Hi Folks of rail forums, I just thought I'd ask your advice.
I've finished planning my All Line Rail Rover and I was wondering if i could have some input on it. I'm doing it the week of the 23.05.11 till 29.05.11!


Day 1
Merseyrail 507/8
Kirkdale: 07.57
Liverpool Lime Street: 08.18

Virgin Trains 390
Liverpool Lime Street: 08.48
Stafford: 09.35

London Midland 350
Stafford: 09.48
Birmingham New Street: 10.17

Chiltern Railways 67 + LCHS
Birmingham Moor Street: 10.55
London Marylebone: 12.55

Underground to Paddington

First Great Western HST
London Paddington: 14.06
Penzance: 19.30

First Great Western Night Riviera
Penzance: 21.45
London Paddington: 05.21

Day 2
First Great Western HST
London Paddington: 08.45
Cardiff Central: 10.46

Arriva Trains Wales 142
Cardiff Central: 11.18
Rhymney: 12.18

Arriva Trains Wales 142
Rhymney: 12.29
Cardiff Queen Street: 13.24

Arriva Trains Wales 121
Cardiff Queen Street: 13.36
Cardiff Bay: 13.40

Baycar
Cardiff Bay: 13.45
Cardiff Central: 14.00

Arriva Trains Wales Class 57/67 LCHS
Cardiff Central: 16.15
Crewe: 18.43

Virgin Trains 390
Crewe: 19.16
Liverpool Lime Street: 19.51

Merseyrail 507/8
Liverpool Central: 20.10
Kirkdale: 20.20

Day 3
Steve's Train
Virgin Trains
Liverpool Lime Street: 12.48
London Euston: 14.56

South-eastern High Speed 395
London St Pancras International: 15.42
Ashford International: 16.20

Southern 377
Ashford International: 16.32
Brighton: 18.20

Southern Express 442
Brighton: 19.10
East Croydon: 19.52

First Capital Connect 377/319
East Croydon: 20.10
London St Pancras International: 20.40

First Scotrail Caledonian Sleeper
London Euston: 21.15
Aberdeen: 07.35

Day 4
East Coast HST
Aberdeen: 09.52
Edinburgh: 12.25

First Scotrail 332 - Bathgate
Edinburgh: 13.07
Glasgow Queen Street: 14.13

First Scotrail 380
Glasgow Central: 15.00
Johnstone: 15.15

First Scotrail 318
Johnstone: 15.35
Glasgow Central: 15.52

Virgin Trains 390
Glasgow Central: 16.40
Preston: 19.09

Northern 153
Preston: 19.42
Ormskirk: 20.12

Merseyrail 507/8
Ormskirk: 20.20
Kirkdale: 20.41

Day 5
Merseyrail 507/8
Kirkdale: 07.57
Liverpool Lime Street: 08.18

First Transpennie Express 185
Liverpool Lime Street: 08.22
York: 10.36

Grand Central HST
York: 10.53
London Kings Cross: 12.53

Underground To Liverpool Street

NXEA LCHS
London Liverpool Street: 13.30
Ipswich: 14.43

NXEA 321
Ipswich: 14.52
Shenfield: 15.50

NXEA 315
Shenfield: 15.59
Southend Victoria: 16.34

C2C 357
Southend Central: 17.40
London Fenchurch Street: 18.40

Underground to Waterloo

South West Trains 444
London Waterloo: 19.30
Southampton Central: 20.49

Day 6
Red Funnel Ferries
Southampton Ferry Port: 09.00
East Cowes: 10.00

Island Buses Route 4
East Cowes: 10.20
Ryde Bus Station: 10.50

Island Line 483
Ryde Esplanade: 11.10
Shanklin: 11.30

Island Line 483
Shanklin: 11.40
Smallbrook Junction: 11.55

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Smallbrook Junction: 12.21
Wootton: 12.49

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Wootton: 12.57
Havenstreet: 13.03

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Havenstreet: 13.11
Wootton: 13.16

Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Wootton: 13.24
Smallbrook Junction: 14.28

Island Line 483
Smallbrook Junction: 14.55
Ryde Pier Head: 15.02

Wightlink
Ryde Pier Head: 15.47
Portsmouth Harbour: 16.09

Southern 377
Portsmouth Harbour: 16.30
Brighton: 17.48

Southern 377
Brighton: 18.32
Ashford International: 20.18

South-eastern 375
Ashford International: 20.30
Folkestone Central: 20.48

Day 7

Stagecoach bus 102
Folkestone Bus Station: 09.50
Hythe Light Railway Station 10.07

RHDR Train 1
Hythe Station: 10.30
Dungeness: 11.32

RHDR Train 1
Dungeness: 11.42
New Romney: 12.08

RHDR Train 2
New Romney: 12.25
Dungeness: 12.55

RHDR Train 1
Dungeness: 13.42
Hythe Station: 14.50

Stagecoach bus 102
Hythe Light Railway Station: 15.22
Folkestone Bus Station: 15.44

Rail Replacement Bus
Folkestone Central: 16.33
Ashford International: 17.03

South-eastern High Speed 395
Ashford International: 17.13
London St Pancras: 17.50

Virgin Trains 390
London Euston: 18.20
Crewe: 20.12

Arriva Trains Wales 158
Crewe: 20.27
Chester: 20.48

Merseyrail 507/8
Chester: 21.00
Moorfields: 21.41

Merseyrail 507/8
Moorfields: 22.12
Old roan: 22.28

 

[HST Power]

Looks good to me!

 

[First class]

Yes, looks good, BUT:

KIRKDALE (like several Merseyrail stations) may not know how to issue the ticket! Good bet says they will just say buy it at the other end and let you get on the train...

Merseyrail staff are not trained with regards to recognising/issuing rangers/rover products other than the Saveaway. Some staff will try and be successful, others may not be so helpful.

Incidentally, ALRs will work the Merseyrail ATGs fine. You must use the ATGs on Merseyrail. Not sure about Chester though!

Also experience tells me that C2C are also very poor with regards to rover knowledge. They stopped me using mine a year or two back and I had to get a manager down.

 

[duffman82]

Yes, looks good, BUT:

KIRKDALE (like several Merseyrail stations) may not know how to issue the ticket! Good bet says they will just say buy it at the other end and let you get on the train...

Merseyrail staff are not trained with regards to recognising/issuing rangers/rover products other than the Saveaway. Some staff will try and be successful, others may not be so helpful.

I'm going to buy a single to Lime street just because of that reason! I tried to get a Lancashire day ranger from kirkdale once they looked clueless lol!

 

[lemonic]

Just a minor point, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, I think that the 14:52 Ipswich-London Liverpool Street (via Shenfield) service is booked for a Class 360 not a Class 321, as are most of the trains that run from London and terminate at Ipswich. Of course this could potentially change with the timetable change from Sunday. Also, the Shenfield to Southend Victoria train will be a Class 321 not Class 315.

 

[duffman82]

Just a minor point, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, I think that the 14:52 Ipswich-London Liverpool Street (via Shenfield) service is booked for a Class 360 not a Class 321, as are most of the trains that run from London and terminate at Ipswich. Of course this could potentially change with the timetable change from Sunday. Also, the Shenfield to Southend Victoria train will be a Class 321 not Class 315.

Thanks for that, I was just guessing which they may be!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ashford Intl to Brighton is 171 I think owing to lack of juice rail east of Ore.

 

[transportphoto]

Yes, looks good, BUT:

KIRKDALE (like several Merseyrail stations) may not know how to issue the ticket! Good bet says they will just say buy it at the other end and let you get on the train...

May it be worth trying to get some 'instructions' on how to issue the rover (I don't know what system they use) to give the clueless staff if they say they can't do it?

It may hold up the queue but its better than paying out more and trying claim it back from MR later?

That or buy the rover a week in advance (say a week) and also take the opportunity to get some reservations?

 

[lm321412]

Don't get your hopes up for the 121, hasn't been out since November!


Usually covered by a 153...

 

[Lrd]

Irrelevant, but if you end up on the Red Falcon from Southampton to East Cowes, you may get me working onboard!

Totally jealous of your ALR as well :P

Just, one note, is it not LHCS (Loco Hauled Coaching Stock) instead of LCHS as you have mentioned? Or am I getting confused?

 

[ainsworth74]

Just, one note, is it not LHCS (Loco Hauled Coaching Stock) instead of LCHS as you have mentioned? Or am I getting confused?

I suspect it's a typo everywhere else I've seen it used it's been LHCS.

 

[duffman82]

Ashford Intl to Brighton is 171 I think owing to lack of juice rail east of Ore.

Thanks for the info! Yeah it was a typo sorry!

 

[dcd]

If I were doing the island line I would get the train to Portsmouth and Southsea and go by Hovercraft to Ryde.

For anyone that is interested here is my plan for my next ALR

 

[duffman82]

Irrelevant, but if you end up on the Red Falcon from Southampton to East Cowes, you may get me working onboard!

I'll keep a lookout