Cheapest London to Newport Ticket FOR 7th feb

[MCW]

Hello all,

bit rushed, but my mate is a sailor on a merchants ship and he is coming home tomorrow, he arrives at Heathrow airport (he's being flown back) at 16:50, he says he will need 30 -40 minutes to clear baggae and customs and that lark and will get the Heathrow Express to London. He needs the quickest train possible from paddington to Newport after 1730hrs.

the cheapest fare me and my mates turned up for him was £98 or something like, and he reckons he paid £56 last time,

Just wondered if there was any advice?

cheers,

Bruce

 

[bb21]

He needs the quickest train possible from paddington to Newport after 1730hrs.

Sorry but 40 minutes to clear everything at Heathrow is very tight. You will need more time than that. If you miss your train on an Advance ticket then you'll have to pay £10 per ticket to get it changed.

Advance fares are no longer available as they are bookable until 1800 the day before (if available).

A Super Off-Peak Single between London and Newport is £37.50 and is valid at 1901 or later so the first direct train is the 1915 from Paddington.

An Off-Peak Single is £48.50 and will allow him to get the train 30 minutes earlier.

An Anytime Single is £98.50, valid on any train.

 

[MCW]

Think the 19:15 one would suit him better anyway mate. we've got him to give himself more time, and get something to eat whilst he's at it

cheers

 

[bb21]

These tickets do not have to be bought in advance so he can buy them when he turns up at Paddington.

 

[soil]

Why is he getting the very expensive Heathrow Express?

I would take the local bus or taxi to Hayes & Harlington, and buy a super-off-peak single to Newport. This costs £36, and is valid on the 18:14 from Hayes & Harlington, or later, connecting into the 19:11 from Reading to Newport (which is the 18:45 from London, which would be £48.50 from Reading).

There is also Railair bus to Reading, which is about £18 I believe; from there a super-off-peak single is £30.50, and you can take the 19:11 again or later. You can buy a through ticket Heathrow Bus - Reading for £46.40, although I suspect it is more convenient to pay on board.

In Reading I recommend Tutu's Ethiopian Table for a tasty well-priced meal. Total hipster hang out, but the food is cooked by an Ethiopian lady (thankfully not hipsters!), and they have a very good range of beers.

 

[Greenback]

I agree with soil, I see no need to use the Heathrow Express, I would never travel into Paddington when returning to South Wales from Heathrow!

 

[island]

Sorry but 40 minutes to clear everything at Heathrow is very tight. You will need more time than that. If you miss your train on an Advance ticket then you'll have to pay £10 per ticket to get it changed.

That is not correct. The passenger would need to purchase an entirely new ticket as an Advance ticket has no value after the departure of the first booked train and there are no facilities to amend Advance tickets at Heathrow Airport.

 

[LexyBoy]

I would take the local bus or taxi to Hayes & Harlington, and buy a super-off-peak single to Newport. This costs £36, and is valid on the 18:14 from Hayes & Harlington, or later, connecting into the 19:11 from Reading to Newport (which is the 18:45 from London, which would be £48.50 from Reading).

I don't think this is correct. A Hayes & Harlington (HAY) - Newport (NWP) SSS takes restriction YW. The first train permitted from HAY is therefore the 1932 which would connect with the 2041 to NWP (arr. 2203).

In practice I would expect it to be accepted on the train to Reading (not that there will be any ticket checks) but not on the 1911 from Reading since that is barred by departure time from Paddington. The 1941 would be valid.

A combination of HAY-Didcot Parkway Off Peak Day Single and Didcot-Newport Super Off Peak Single comes to £40.90 and is valid throughout the evening peak. It is necessary for the train to call at Didcot (which the 1911 doesn't). Maybe more useful if they get out early and wish to travel soon.

I think the most convenient option will be the Railair bus - I don't know if through tickets can be bought onboard though.

 

[jkdd77]

I don't think this is correct. A Hayes & Harlington (HAY) - Newport (NWP) SSS takes restriction YW. The first train permitted from HAY is therefore the 1932 which would connect with the 2041 to NWP (arr. 2203).

In practice I would expect it to be accepted on the train to Reading (not that there will be any ticket checks) but not on the 1911 from Reading since that is barred by departure time from Paddington. The 1941 would be valid.
which the 1911 doesn't). Maybe more useful if they get out early and wish to travel soon.

I think it would be valid on the 1911 from Reading as per:

"OUTWARD TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS apply from the stations listed below. Tickets are valid:
On services timed to depart
London Paddington between
1010 and 1501, and from 1901.
On services timed to depart
Reading between 1030 and
1530, and from 1901."

The 19:11 from Reading clearly meets the second stipulation relating to travel from Reading, and so it is irrelevant whether the train departed from London Paddington before 19:00.

The unregulated SSS carries the same restriction code as the regulated SSR, which is obliged by fares regulation to allow travel from Reading after 19:00, which is why the second paragraph is written as it is- indeed, the timings of the restrictions from Reading was recently changed for this very reason, having previously stated "from 1931".

Both NRE and Webtis journey planners show the Hayes and Harlington- Newport SSS as being valid on the 18:14 from H & H, connecting into the 19:11 from Reading, which is slightly odd, since the 18:14 from H & H left Paddington during the 'barred' period.

However, the sentence "Outward Travel Restrictions apply from the stations listed below" in the restriction code could be interpreted to mean that the restrictions are only intended to apply for actual travel from London Paddington and Reading, and not for those boarding at intermediate or subsequent stations.

In any case, if the journey planners show the ticket as being valid, then a passenger ought to be entitled to rely on this.

 

[soil]

I don't think this is correct. A Hayes & Harlington (HAY) - Newport (NWP) SSS takes restriction YW. The first train permitted from HAY is therefore the 1932 which would connect with the 2041 to NWP (arr. 2203).


In practice I would expect it to be accepted on the train to Reading (not that there will be any ticket checks) but not on the 1911 from Reading since that is barred by departure time from Paddington. The 1941 would be valid.

NRE and FGW say that it is valid on the 18:14 from HAY, connecting into the 19:11 from Reading.

As I understand it with FGW, they enforce the restriction quite literally.

"Outward travel restrictions apply from the stations listed below."

"Travel from stations not listed above: Super Off-Peak tickets from stations not listed are valid for connections into trains departing as shown above."

The stations listed are Paddington, Reading, Waterloo and to arrive Salisbury.

So if you depart Hayes, the Paddington restriction doesn't apply. And if you depart Reading, which of course you do, then only the Reading restriction applies, not the Paddington restriction as well.

 

[jkdd77]

NRE and FGW say that it is valid on the 18:14 from HAY, connecting into the 19:11 from Reading.

As I understand it with FGW, they enforce the restriction quite literally.

"Outward travel restrictions apply from the stations listed below."

"Travel from stations not listed above: Super Off-Peak tickets from stations not listed are valid for connections into trains departing as shown above."

The stations listed are Paddington, Reading, Waterloo and to arrive Salisbury.

So if you depart Hayes, the Paddington restriction doesn't apply. And if you depart Reading, which of course you do, then only the Reading restriction applies, not the Paddington restriction as well.

I didn't spot this, but that reinforces my conviction that the SSS ticket from Hayes & Harlington is indeed valid on the 18:14 connecting into the 19:11.

A cheaper split, if avoiding London, would be:
Heathrow- Hayes & Harlington SDS £5.60
Hayes & Harlington- Swindon SSS £18.10 (the restriction code is essentially the same for evening travel from Reading)
Swindon- Newport CDS £16.90
Total: £40.60 (saving £1 on splitting at H & H only)

If using the Railair bus service:

Heathrow Bus- Swindon SSS rte 'Railair' £29.20
Swindon- Newport CDS £16.90
Total: £46.10

 

[LexyBoy]

I stand corrected! My fault for not reading through the text properly - the wording is rather different to usual! And I didn't notice that both Paddington and Reading restrictions end at 1901, usually those from stations down the line echo the restrictions from the terminus.

 

[soil]

I didn't spot this, but that reinforces my conviction that the SSS ticket from Hayes & Harlington is indeed valid on the 18:14 connecting into the 19:11.

A cheaper split, if avoiding London, would be:
Heathrow- Hayes & Harlington SDS £5.60
Hayes & Harlington- Swindon SSS £18.10 (the restriction code is essentially the same for evening travel from Reading)
Swindon- Newport CDS £16.90
Total: £40.60 (saving £1 on splitting at H & H only)

The bus is cheaper and more frequent than the train from Heathrow to Hayes.

 

[LexyBoy]

I stand corrected. I'd not noticed the "connecting into" text and just looked at the times, assuming it be applied in the usual format. Also unusual that there are different trains permitted depending on whether you're joining at Paddington or Reading.

Of course if it's shown on a journey planner then it should be fine.

 

[island]

Heathrow Rail to Hayes & Harlington £5.60 SDS (or bus)
Limehouse LTS to Radley £25.90 CDS, valid via London, Hayes & Harlington, and Newport S Wales, restriction W1 any train after 0930.
Total £31.50.

 

[soil]

I suspect there might be some difficulties using a Limehouse - Radley ticket on a Reading - Newport train beyond/not calling at Didcot

 

[island]

That doesn't mean it isn't valid though.

 

[LexyBoy]

Why not just go for a London-Radley at £23.40?

 

[island]

It has an evening peak restriction up to and including the 1941 Reading to Swansea.

 

[LexyBoy]

Derp.

I'll stop posting now