Help With Journey Plan Please

[nroberts2]

I want to go from Tilbury in Essex to Nottingham, can anyone help plan my route please? I don't travel by train so need it the easiest way possible. Having done a search myself on travel line it says c2c train to Fenchurch Street station then Farringdon station train to St Pancras then on to Nottingham. Is there a way with less changes? And is St Pancras the same as St Pancras International station? I can't seem to find an answer on Google. Then a different route plan site said there's a direct train from London Fenchurch street station direct to Nottingham Station, so wouldn't need the Farringdon station part, however now it's not coming up. I looked at a taxi from Fenchurch street to St Pancras but would be too expensive as aa route planner says 20 minutes journey. Are farringdon or St Pancras over ground or underground? Please help advise?

 

[JonathanH]

Probably easiest is to travel from Tilbury Town on c2c, change at Barking or West Ham for the Hammersmith & City Line underground to get direct to Kings Cross St Pancras, then walk through St Pancras station to the train to Nottingham, which departs from the High level platforms on the west side of St Pancras Station.

If the train from Tilbury Town goes via Upminster and then goes to Fenchurch Street, it is cross platform interchange at Barking onto the Hammersmith & City Line in most cases.

The best exit at King's Cross St Pancras is the way out in the middle of the platform, as this goes direct into St Pancras.

 

[zwk500]

And is St Pancras the same as St Pancras International station?

Yes, they are the same station. King's Cross St Pancras tube station is also integrated into the St Pancras International mainline station (although it's a bit of a walk).

Then a different route plan site said there's a direct train from London Fenchurch street station direct to Nottingham Station, so wouldn't need the Farringdon station part, however now it's not coming up.

There is no direct train from Fenchurch Street to Nottingham.

Are farringdon or St Pancras over ground or underground?

Farringdon is below ground level and has trains by both the London Underground and mainline Thameslink (sorry this isn't more helpful). St Pancras has platforms both above and below ground, as well as a separate London Underground station shared with King's Cross. The train from Farringdon would arrive at a below-ground platform at St Pancras, the Nottingham train will leave from a platform on the upper level.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Agree that the simplest is changing at Barking or West Ham to the Hammersmith & City Line, which will take you direct to Kings Cross St Pancras.
If there ever were trains from Frnchurch Street to Nottingham, it was a very long time ago.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Alternatively, Tilbury Town to Fenchurch Street then taxi across the City to St. Pancras. Departures for Nottingham will usually be from platforms 2-4 at St. Pancras.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I can understand why journey planners give confusing results.
I used to work in Basildon, and needed to go by train to various places in London.
Here's my take on Tilbury to St. Pancras:
Stay on the C2C all the way to Fenchurch Street. Exit the platform by the exit down the stairs towards the rear of the train and walk to Tower Hill. Easy walk. I've done it dozens of times. Follow the crowd. Lots of people doing it. Catch Circle Line train to Kings Cross/St. Pancras. Job done.

Others have suggested changing at Barking for the Hammersmith & City. It is not a cross platform transfer because the H&C starts from a bay platform. The cross-platform transfer is onto the District line. Also H&C are infrequent off-peak, and slow.
TFL's journey planner suggests changing at Limehouse for the DLR, then at Bank onto Northern for Kings Cross/St Pancras. I've done that change at Limehouse, down a lot of stairs and then up just as many. The change at Bank is not very nice either.

 

[Hadders]

I think the most straightforward way for someone not used to travelling by train will be to:

Take c2c from Tilbury Town to West Ham. This takes about half an hour.

At West Ham change to the London Underground's Hammersmith & City Line - you want a train with a Hammersmith as the destination, the trains run every few minutes but do make sure you get a train towards Hammersmith rather than a District Line train which leave from the same platform (the underground actually operates above ground at West Ham and is alongside the c2c platforms - you take stairs (or lift) down to the concourse and then back up again to the adjacent platform). There are staff at West Ham who can point you in the right direction if necessary although the signage is pretty good.

The H&C Line will take you directly to Kings Cross St Pancras Underground station. This takes about 25 minutes and there are 10 intermediate stations that the train calls at. The train will start overground but after a short while go into tunnels although this part of the Underground network is not actually that deep.

When you arrive at Kings Cross St Pancras station get off the train and follow the signs to St Pancras station. Once inside St Pancras station proper look for the signs to the East Midlands Railways platforms which are on the first floor of the station.

 

[JonathanH]

Others have suggested changing at Barking for the Hammersmith & City. It is not a cross platform transfer because the H&C starts from a bay platform. The cross-platform transfer is onto the District line. Also H&C are infrequent off-peak, and slow.

The H&C almost always reverses in the sidings at Barking now rather than the bay platform. It runs as frequently from Barking to King's Cross St Pancras as the Circle Line does from Tower Hill, that is once every ten minutes.

On weekdays, the only starters from Barking platform 3 (the bay) I can see in the working timetable are at 0645, 0736 and 2154. All other H&C trains leave from platform 6.

It is true that it takes some time to get to Kings Cross from Barking. 35 minutes may seem fairly slow, but it depends also on convenience of interchange. Trains on the H&C line generally leave Barking at xx04, xx14, xx24, xx34, xx44, xx54 past each hour off peak.

 

[JBuchananGB]

The H&C almost always reverses in the sidings at Barking now rather than the bay platform. It runs as frequently from Barking to King's Cross St Pancras as the Circle Line does from Tower Hill, that is once every ten minutes.

Thank you for the clarification. It is quite a while since I went that way. Perhaps the change at Barking from C2C to H&C is the simplest if not the quickest route from Tilbury to St. Pancras, then.

 

[nroberts2]

Thank you very much everyone for your train travel advice.

 

[30907]

Thank you for the clarification. It is quite a while since I went that way. Perhaps the change at Barking from C2C to H&C is the simplest if not the quickest route from Tilbury to St. Pancras, then.

...and all trains outside the rush hour take the Chafford Hundred route so provide the cross platform interchange at Barking.