Bank Holiday Chaos and Ticket Validity

[parkender102]

Hi

Having endured the chaos on a journey from London to Chester yesterday due to the works being carried out North of London I have a question regarding returning to London later today (Monday 25 August - Bank Holiday). I have not made any seating reservations as it was virtually impossible to move around the train to find your seat on the Virgin XC service from Reading to Stafford. We did get to our reserved seats but as I'm travelling alone today I'm not too fussed as a lot of sub 1 hour sections.

I have a return ticket to London - Off Peak Return purchased on East Coast Trains website. Routing on website says I have to use the route Chester-Crewe-Rugby-Coventry-Oxford-Paddington. Other options are Crewe to Nuneaton. However there is a route via Nuneaton-Leicester-St Pancras but I am not sure whether this route would be valid on this ticket. That route is around an hour quicker than the other route.

So am I likely to be charged extra for the Leicester to St Pancras leg? If so I'm inclined to just purchase a ticket for that leg anyway as the price for the Chester-Crewe-Nuneaton-Leicester-St Pancras route is double the cost of the other route at the moment.

I can scan ticket or provide more details after I've picked up from the station in around an hour.

 

[mm333]

http://www.trainscanbecheaper.info/PermittedStations.aspx says that for Chester-London maps EJ+BG+MM are permitted. EJ is Chester-Nuneaton via Stafford or Stoke. BG will get you from Nuneaton to Leicester and then MM will get you down to St Pancras.

 

[parkender102]

http://www.trainscanbecheaper.info/PermittedStations.aspx says that for Chester-London maps EJ+BG+MM are permitted. EJ is Chester-Nuneaton via Stafford or Stoke. BG will get you from Nuneaton to Leicester and then MM will get you down to St Pancras.

Thanks for that. I've just checked my account and it gives the validity of the ticket as:

15:5520:3044:35hrs
CTR→PAD
17:5522:3944:44hrs
CTR→PAD
18:5523:2644:31hrs
CTR→PAD
19:5500:3444:39hrs
CTR→PAD

all Crewe - Rugby - Coventry - Oxford - Paddington routing. However I've just picked up my ticket and it says 'Route - any permitted' - so I'm inclined to go with the Leicester Route.

 

[LowLevel]

I very much doubt any WCML tickets will be questioned by XC or EMT staff today.

 

[parkender102]

I very much doubt any WCML tickets will be questioned by XC or EMT staff today.

Our tickets yesterday were never checked on the 3 hour train journey from Reading to Stafford - probably more to do with the Train Manager unable to physically negotiate from one end of the train to the other due to passengers/luggage in the aisles/vestibules!:roll:

 

[razor89]

Virgin website actually recommends going via Leicester from Chester. if you're worried about being pulled I'd suggest printing off the diversions map from the virgin site and taking it with you.

 

[parkender102]

Virgin website actually recommends going via Leicester from Chester. if you're worried about being pulled I'd suggest printing off the diversions map from the virgin site and taking it with you.

Thanks for the info - have printed the page you mentioned and will take it with me.

 

[bb21]

I think EMT is a good choice as the services tend not to be as busy as other alternatives for whatever reason. Yesterday the XC service (Manchester - Bournemouth) I was on was completely wedged, leaving people behind even after First was declassified, but the Turbo between New Street and Stansted and the EMT between Leicester and London were practically empty. If you time yourself well and get a service from Nottingham you are almost guaranteed a wide choice of seats.

Btw Virgin have not operated to Reading for the best part of seven years.

 

[bengolding]

Virgin are stopping the hourly Liverpools at Nuneaton and Leicester has 4 tph to St Pancras. Try to get the xx59 HST from Nottingham which should be less cosier than the Sheffield services. The only problem you may have is boarding an already busy 2 car XC 170 at Nuneaton!

 

[parkender102]

I think EMT is a good choice as the services tend not to be as busy as other alternatives for whatever reason. Yesterday the XC service (Manchester - Bournemouth) I was on was completely wedged, leaving people behind even after First was declassified, but the Turbo between New Street and Stansted and the EMT between Leicester and London were practically empty. If you time yourself well and get a service from Nottingham you are almost guaranteed a wide choice of seats.

Btw Virgin have not operated to Reading for the best part of seven years.

OK - will do - not a good day for travelling what with the miserable weather today! Yes it was a Virgin Cross Country service I was on yesterday from Reading - think Bournemouth to Manchester - travelling in the opposite direction to you!

 

[Sacro]

Yes it was a Virgin Cross Country service

Virgin haven't operated it since November 2007