Fort William to London Euston Saturday 3rd May 2025

[philosopher]

I am planning to travel from Fort William to London on Saturday 3rd May 2025, which is the May bank holiday weekend. My preference would be to travel to Glasgow Queen Street on the 07:44 train and then on the Avanti service from Glasgow Central at 12:40. Does anyone know if either of these trains would be impacted by engineering works? As it is the May bank holiday weekend, I imagine there is quite a high chance of engineering works on that date, but I can’t find any engineering work information for more than 12 weeks out.

 

[3RDGEN]

I am planning to travel from Fort William to London on Saturday 3rd May 2025, which is the May bank holiday weekend. My preference would be to travel to Glasgow Queen Street on the 07:44 train and then on the Avanti service from Glasgow Central at 12:40. Does anyone know if either of these trains would be impacted by engineering works? As it is the May bank holiday weekend, I imagine there is quite a high chance of engineering works on that date, but I can’t find any engineering work information for more than 12 weeks out.

If you try booking the Cally Sleeper for Friday, Sunday & Monday 2nd, 4th & 5th May 2025 the timings and stopping patterns indicate they are running via the ECML. Cally Sleeper may do those timings for every Bank Holiday weekend just incase so they can do bookings a year in advance but it implies there is some block on the WCML that Bank Holiday weekend but it's very early to confirm.

 

[philosopher]

If you try booking the Cally Sleeper for Friday, Sunday & Monday 2nd, 4th & 5th May 2025 the timings and stopping patterns indicate they are running via the ECML. Cally Sleeper may do those timings for every Bank Holiday weekend just incase so they can do bookings a year in advance but it implies there is some block on the WCML that Bank Holiday weekend but it's very early to confirm.

I noticed this too, hence my suspicion there is engineering works that weekend.

The cheapest and quickest option that tends to come up on rail planners is to travel via Edinburgh on Lumo to Kings Cross using split tickets. However this only has a 12 minute connection at Queen Street for the service to Edinburgh which means I would have to buy an expensive on day ticket if the Fort William to Queen Street service is more than a few minutes late.

 

[30907]

I noticed this too, hence my suspicion there is engineering works that weekend.

The cheapest and quickest option that tends to come up on rail planners is to travel via Edinburgh on Lumo to Kings Cross using split tickets. However this only has a 12 minute connection at Queen Street for the service to Edinburgh which means I would have to buy an expensive on day ticket if the Fort William to Queen Street service is more than a few minutes late.

Unless you have a deadline for arrival in London, it would be sensible to aim for a later train from Edinburgh.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

There's also a fairly well progressed aspiration for the Caledonian Sleeper to call at Birmingham International from May 2025, currently waiting final regulatory approval.

This could cause a minor recast of the timetable and restrict diversion routes in the future.

Manchester may follow.

 

[Vexed]

There is a bank holiday possession for West Coast South scheduled in for late evening on Saturday 3rd until the early morning of Tues 6th. Sleeper to Kings Cross as mentioned above and day trains terminating at Milton Keynes on Sunday and Watford Junction on bank holiday Monday.

There is also a weekend possession Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th just north of Carlisle to a few miles north of Gretna Junction but details are lacking for that one.

The ECML should be clear if there are WCML blocks.

This is from the Engineering Access Statement published a couple months ago so it's still open to changes or could already out of date!

 

[Hadders]

The cheapest and quickest option that tends to come up on rail planners is to travel via Edinburgh on Lumo to Kings Cross using split tickets. However this only has a 12 minute connection at Queen Street for the service to Edinburgh which means I would have to buy an expensive on day ticket if the Fort William to Queen Street service is more than a few minutes late.

If a Scotrail train is delayed causing you to miss your Lumo train then you are entitled to catch the next Lumo train. If this would cuase a delay of more than 60 minutes (which it would) then Scotrail would be obliged to re-route you under the Passenger Rights and Obligations Legislation.

 

[philosopher]

Thanks all for your advice, I will wait and see what happens nearer the time. If I am entitled to catch the next Lumo train due to a Scotrail delay, it would make sense for me to go with that option if part of the WCML is shut that Saturday.