Exeter Central-Brighton fares advice

[EXD]

I'm making this query on behalf of two other people (both adults) who I know.

They want to travel from Exeter Central to Brighton via Clapham Junction after 11:00 on the 6th of February, and return after 13:00 on the 8th. They are only interested in off-peak fares, not advance. One of them has a Network Railcard.

So, what's the cheapest possible fare for them?

 

[pkkelly]

Going via Clapham Junction, I really don't think they will do much better than the Off-Peak Return at £51.15 after railcard discount. I have tried splitting at a few places but that is no cheaper, presumably because all variants are priced by SWT.

However, if they can avoid travelling via Clapham Junction they could get:

1. Exeter Central to Salisbury Off-Peak Return via Honiton - £26.55

2. Salisbury to Brighton Off-Peak Return via Barnham - £19.15

Totalling £45.70.

 

[island]

Via Westbury and Salisbury is the cheapest through ticket at £39.60 per person with a Network Railcard. There's an awful lot of routes for this journey, so I'm not going to suggest splits. I suggest specifying one or two of the routes that they would prefer to use.

 

[EXD]

Via Westbury and Salisbury is the cheapest through ticket at £39.60 per person with a Network Railcard. There's an awful lot of routes for this journey, so I'm not going to suggest splits. I suggest specifying one or two of the routes that they would prefer to use.

I think they would prefer to take a direct train from Exeter to Clapham Junction and another one from there to Brighton to minimise changes. Pkkelly's post would indicate that there isn't really a better option than the normal return, but thanks for trying.

 

[pkkelly]

Via Westbury and Salisbury is the cheapest through ticket at £39.60 per person with a Network Railcard.

I don't believe that this is correct! Avantix Traveller NFM 11 does indeed show this fare, but I believe it is a victim of a longstanding bug in this software which allows Network Railcard discount to be applied in situations where the discount is not valid - specifically where both ends of the journey are in the Network area but the journey goes outside the area and comes back in again. Westbury is definitely outside the Network area. I have also come across this with fares from Manningtree to Cambridge travelling via Ipswich.

I don't believe that you will find a journey planner that offers this £39.60 fare, let alone be able to buy the ticket at this price. Certainly NRE refuses to apply the discount and quotes the full fare - £60.

 

[island]

I don't believe that this is correct! Avantix Traveller NFM 11 does indeed show this fare, but I believe it is a victim of a longstanding bug in this software which allows Network Railcard discount to be applied in situations where the discount is not valid - specifically where both ends of the journey are in the Network area but the journey goes outside the area and comes back in again. Westbury is definitely outside the Network area. I have also come across this with fares from Manningtree to Cambridge travelling via Ipswich.

I don't believe that you will find a journey planner that offers this £39.60 fare, let alone be able to buy the ticket at this price. Certainly NRE refuses to apply the discount and quotes the full fare - £60.

I was thinking that to be honest! My knowledge of UK geography isn't the best.

 

[dzug2]

How about 1126 Exeter to Salisbury arr 1316 dep 1359 arr Brighton 1614

return at 1659 same route arriving Exeter at 2144?

Giving the split fares in #2

OK infrequent but there will be many more services with one additional change at Southampton

 

[EXD]

How about 1126 Exeter to Salisbury arr 1316 dep 1359 arr Brighton 1614

return at 1659 same route arriving Exeter at 2144?

Giving the split fares in #2

OK infrequent but there will be many more services with one additional change at Southampton

Hmm, I've asked them and they want to limit the journey to one change and have flexibility, so via Clapham Junction would seem to be the only option.

 

[LondonJohn]

Hmm, I've asked them and they want to limit the journey to one change and have flexibility, so via Clapham Junction would seem to be the only option.

I personally would not change at Clapham Junction for a journey such as that. Its not so bad on the service to Brighton as the train could be full to say East Croydon or something like that but on the return boarding an Exeter train at Clapham Junction is not something that I would like to try without a seat reservation which is not possible on that route,.

I have many a time been on Southampton/Salisbury trains out of Waterloo that have been full on departure to pull in at Clapham Junction platform 9 I think with a platform load of people wanting to join.

 

[paul1609]

I personally would not change at Clapham Junction for a journey such as that. Its not so bad on the service to Brighton as the train could be full to say East Croydon or something like that but on the return boarding an Exeter train at Clapham Junction is not something that I would like to try without a seat reservation which is not possible on that route,.

I have many a time been on Southampton/Salisbury trains out of Waterloo that have been full on departure to pull in at Clapham Junction platform 9 I think with a platform load of people wanting to join.

I was about to say the same a same or across platform change at Salisbury then a same platform change at Fareham is probably easier than the scrum down the subway at Clapham Junction to find you have to stand till Haywards Heath.