Choosing a route operated by particular TOC(s)

[thomasthetank]

Does anyone know of any app or website that allows train passengers to choose their journey from Point A to Point B AND choosing their preferred TOCs? For example, can anyone tell me how to get from Aberdeen to London Paddington using only First trains?

Thank you in advance for all who make informed and helpful comments

 

[maniacmartin]

The closest I know of is WebTIS MixingDeck sites such as East Coast, Southern etc , which after searching allow you to click the tiny "select a route" button on the left, and choose which route restriction on your ticket you want - which isn't quite what you're asking for.

The problem with your example of Aberdeen to Paddington is its not one of the fast journeys into London Terminals - as such the journey planners will ignore it, especially if it can't be completed in one day. It might not even have any valid through tickets (although I'm guessing you are a First employee using staff travel privileges).

National Rail Enquiries allows you to restrict to a single operator under "More options, railcards & passengers", but doesn't allow you to search for a group of operators all owned by the same parent company.

What I'd recommend is using maps to find the rough route you wish to take, then divide this into sections and search for each separately. The maps from Project Mapping (large PDF - needs Adobe Reader and won't work in some third-party PDF software) are handy as the lines are colour coded by TOC.

At a cursory glance I don't believe there is a route Aberdeen to Paddington only on First TOCs, but there is one into Kings Cross on First Hull Trains. (Aberdeen - Edinburgh - Carlisle - Manchester - Sheffield - Doncaster - Kings Cross)

 

[thomasthetank]

Thank you Martin. There's plenty of food for thought there.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There is also the Sleeper train into Euston, however, you can get from Aberdeen to Paddington by First group trains, it is rather long though....

Aberdeen-Edinburgh/Glasgow-Manchester-Doncaster-Kings Cross-St Pancras-Redhill/Gatwick-Reading-Paddington

(there is also a limited service via Brighton...)

 

[LE Greys]

There is also the Sleeper train into Euston, however, you can get from Aberdeen to Paddington by First group trains, it is rather long though....

Aberdeen-Edinburgh/Glasgow-Manchester-Doncaster-Kings Cross-St Pancras-Redhill/Gatwick-Reading-Paddington

(there is also a limited service via Brighton...)

I'm not sure about the Doncaster-King's Cross bit, but you could do Aberdeen-Euston and walk to St Pancras. Actually, you could do Wick-Penzance via First only, most of that on sleepers, but that would be showing off. Almost like the 'Week on British Rail' stunt they did in the '80s, when they still had the Hotels Division.

 

[yorkie]

Doncaster - Kings Cross is First Hull Trains.

A lot of people do that route! I've even been on trains when First Group staff have said they are going from London to Scotland, when on a train heading west from Doncaster to Manchester.

 

[LE Greys]

Doncaster - Kings Cross is First Hull Trains.

A lot of people do that route! I've even been on trains when First Group staff have said they are going from London to Scotland, when on a train heading west from Doncaster to Manchester.

<smacks forehead> I saw one of them go through Stevenage earlier today as well.

 

[Clip]

<smacks forehead> I saw one of them go through Stevenage earlier today as well.

You think thats bad, I read the first two posts and wondered why no one mentioned Grand Central from York

 

[thomasthetank]

<scratch head> lots of great ideas. A BIG thank you to you all. I'm wondering which is best? I am willing to put my hand in my pocket if it makes efficient time savings. Would it perhaps be better for me to use company privileges to Edinburgh, Glasgow or even Manchester and then use a different TOC to Paddington, to keep costs down?
I guess I am revising my question to say which is the most direct route, by using my company benefits to my advantage; yet willing to use other TOCs?
Thanks again. I feel privileged to be part of such a helpful community.

 

[Clip]

If you have staff benefits - work for first group do you not have a PRIV? Or do you work in some non rail division of First?

 

[Trainfan344]

<scratch head> lots of great ideas. A BIG thank you to you all. I'm wondering which is best? I am willing to put my hand in my pocket if it makes efficient time savings. Would it perhaps be better for me to use company privileges to Edinburgh, Glasgow or even Manchester and then use a different TOC to Paddington, to keep costs down?
I guess I am revising my question to say which is the most direct route, by using my company benefits to my advantage; yet willing to use other TOCs?
Thanks again. I feel privileged to be part of such a helpful community.

You could use company privileges to Edinburgh, Cross Country down to Reading and then First Great Western to Paddington.

 

[thomasthetank]

Clip - yes, bus driver at the moment.
Trainfan344 - thanks, but that does not reduce my costs any than going direct.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

<scratch head> lots of great ideas. A BIG thank you to you all. I'm wondering which is best? I am willing to put my hand in my pocket if it makes efficient time savings. Would it perhaps be better for me to use company privileges to Edinburgh, Glasgow or even Manchester and then use a different TOC to Paddington, to keep costs down?.

I'd think paying for Edinburgh-Newcastle and York-Doncaster (and using First Group for travel to Edinburgh and between Newcastle and York and Doncaster and Kings Cross) would be cheaper than Preston/Manchester/Sheffield-London, but if you pay nothing on First group, the Sleeper from Edinburgh/Glasgow would probably be even less (you'd be paying for a berth if you wanted to sleep on it).

 

[34D]

and then use a different TOC to Paddington, to keep costs down?

It is possible to walk from kings cross to Paddington (else you can take the tube or a bus between the two). I wouldn't get hangups over arriving into Paddington by rail.

 

[Lewisham2221]

It depends what sort of price tag you put on your time. The First only route from Aberdeen to King's Cross takes about 12 hours, but, throwing in a random date of 1st March, your staff travel offer will mean you'd pay less than 1/5 of the advance fare for a faster journey.

 

[thomasthetank]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. This is now solved, because of all your help and advice.

Is there a way that the moderator can end the thread, please?

 

[bb21]

Moderators do not normally need to end a thread. If the discussion is naturally complete then the thread will drift down the list and eventually disappear off the first page. Periodically old threads are locked.