Connection timing?

[chuckles1066]

Another newbie question, sorry

If I pump Patchway - Bath Spa into the FGW website, leaving after 8.30a.m, it tells me I can do:

8.40 Patchway - Bristol Temple Meads
9.05 Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa

But there's a 9.00 service that calls at Bath Spa?

Why isn't that the recommended option? (I'm sure there's a reason)

 

[tony_mac]

For most stations you must allow a minimum of 5-minute connection times, but this is longer for larger stations.

For Bristol, it is 10 minutes.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/bri/details.html

 

[ChrisTheRef]

The train arrives in Bristol at 0853. The 7 minute connection time isn't long enough for National Rail to guarantee you'll make the connection - even though in reality you may well do so.

Every station has a "minimum connection time". Bristol Temple Meads' is 10 minutes, so you'll only get departures from 0903 onwards.

 

[Chapeltom]

You can sometimes manipulate the connections time to make journeys a bit quicker.

I went from Formby to Chapel en le Frith and it gave me this, I wanted to leave at 1710 onwards..

1758 to 1842 - FBY to Liverpool S.P
1903 to 1941 - Liverpool S.P to Manchester Picc
1952 to 2038 - Manchester Picc to Chapel.

I instead did this:

1713 to 1740 - Formby to Moorfields (walk to P3 is a long way!)
1746 to 1748 - Moorfields to Liverpool L.S (ran from low level to high level)
1752 to 1841 - Liverpool L.S to Manchester Picc
1852 to 1938 - Manchester Picc to Chapel

I could have walked the 0.5 miles in 12 minutes, decided not to do though as I didn't have a map of Liverpool with me instead almost bust a gut to do it by train instead!