HFD > PAD OPR query

[Techniquest]

Hi all,

On Friday I intend to get an Off Peak Return from Hereford to London Paddington of Route Evesham restriction. I have the fares and all that, don't worry, but I see on the FGW website mention of restriction relaxations for Hereford to Reading or London Route Evesham tickets to allow travel via Newport during the upcoming blockade.

At the end of the thread is an attached .GIF of the screen grab from the relevant page of the FGW website for reference.

This suits me just fine as there is a HST back from Paddington at 1815 via Cheltenham Spa to Hereford on Saturday, but this is where I am curious:

The FGW site is being ambiguous in that it doesn't say whether it's just Hereford to Reading or London season tickets that are relaxed or whether tickets such as an Off-Peak Return are also valid this way. It's also a bit strange in that it says that passengers can travel via Newport, but then has a direct HST via Cheltenham.

My only other thought is that I will be wanting to go to St Pancras a couple of hours after arrival into London. However, even though my Hereford to London Terminals ticket is supposedly valid to terminals other than Paddington (Waterloo comes to mind and Victoria would be a helluva push), I see no way of getting to St Pancras as my terminal of choice. Which is annoying, but what can you do!

My queries, therefore, are:

a) Is my Hereford to London Terminals Route Evesham Off-Peak Return indeed valid via Newport on Saturday?

b) Is the same ticket valid on the 1815 London Paddington to Hereford (via Cheltenham Spa) due to the blockade? Obviously normally this train would not exist/go this way but this is not a normal day.

c) Can I get to London St Pancras Domestic on this ticket?

I'd rather avoid the walk if I can help it, but in order to avoid ching on buses/trains/tubes in London I plan to walk. Not to mention such an option allows me to spot some of Stagecoach and First's London fleets at the same time!

Finally, I would ask of the forum's routing guide gurus for help with the following routing query:

Aside from the Route Evesham Off-Peak Return mentioned above, there is an Off-Peak Return (with no routing restrictions) at £56 or so that intrigues me. Now since the routing guide has changed I'm completely stuck working out all of the valid routes. I know it should be valid on the following:

Hereford to London Paddington via Evesham
Hereford to London Paddington via Newport
Hereford to London Paddington via Worcester and Stroud
Hereford to London Waterloo via Newport and Salisbury

But I wonder whether it's valid via any more 'exotic' routes. The dream route for me would be Hereford > Birmingham New Street > Leicester > London St Pancras, however I am in serious doubt as to that even approaching validity!

If any of the gurus with the routing guide can assist with this query, I would be of massive appreciation!

Thanks to everyone in advance for help with these queries. Better to ask especially with the Route Evesham Off-Peak Return rather than get chung on Saturday!

 

[yorkie]

No you can't get to St Pancras on a "London Terminals" ticket.

Yes you can avoid Evesham on a via Evesham ticket. The FAQ is badly worded but it appears to allow it on the longer distance journeys but someone going from east of Ledbury to Reading/London is not allowed to go the long way round - this doesn't affect you.

FGW are accepting tickets a long way round but sadly that doesn't mean you can go via Birmingham....unless there is a suicide on the main line or something, then it'd be reasonable!

 

[Techniquest]

Glad to hear it. I couldn't find anything on journey planners that confirmed or denied the option.

So there's no chance in hell of an exotic routing via Birmingham on the Any Permitted? Shame.

Thanks for your help yorkie, most appreciated!

 

[yorkie]

You could perhaps get away with it, but as for whether it's valid, permitted routes are on maps maps BD+LW+WW BD+MW+WX CE+WR CS CS+WX WR so you can see if any of them go via Brum.

Hereford-London is £37.60 Any Permitted Y-P.
Hereford-Watford Jn is £37.55 Not London, £41.60 +Any Permitted.

So if you want to go via Brum and back via Newport you can buy a ticket to Watford (Not London) then pay the excess (£4.05) for the return portion to a +Any Permitted and you can then do a circular route for £39.60 which is only £2 more than the Evesham-London Any Permitted fare and includes travel on LU.

It's even cheaper to Harrow, both SVR tickets being £36.95 to go via London or to avoid London (whether you are issued a Zero excess or not is debateable.) Bizarrely this is cheaper than a Hereford-London yet includes 2 free trips on LU.

You'll need to get a London Midland south of Watford (or Milton Keynes) if you get the Harrow ticket (and, arguably on the Watford ticket too as it would be set down only but it's unlikely that would be enforced).

 

[Techniquest]

Thanks for that yorkie, will try and get a look at those in a bit then.

EDIT: Annoyingly FGW's journey planner (I use them purely because it lets me search for fares using a New Deal photocard) insists on returning via Birmingham and Virgin. Not necessarily what I want! More so it refuses to display the fares page!