Ipswich - London

[EPC]

Is there a trick to getting a more affordable fare from Ipswich in to Marylebone? Will just need to travel once weekly to school.

 

[yorkie]

At what times?

And what discounts do you qualify for?

 

[EPC]

Whoops- sorry. Would need to be in London roughly 9-5 so before and after then. I'm not sure I'd qualify for any discounts as a part time student?

 

[TheEdge]

The most common (possibly only?) useful split I ever saw as 5 years as a GA conductor was Ipswich - Manningtree, Manningtree - London.

Doesn't always work so check carefully and be very careful on evening trains, a fair few London - Ipswich (Norwich) services skip Manningtree in the evening.

 

[JBuchananGB]

It looks as though you can get advance purchase singles for this trip. I just looked up for 12 July and you could get round trip for £69 this way, arriving MYB 8.58am, returning departing 17.25. So if you know your dates and can book in advance, you can save about £15 compared to the Anytime return.

 

[hounddog]

The most common (possibly only?) useful split I ever saw as 5 years as a GA conductor was Ipswich - Manningtree, Manningtree - London.

Doesn't always work so check carefully and be very careful on evening trains, a fair few London - Ipswich (Norwich) services skip Manningtree in the evening.

I use that one when visiting family in Ipswich at short notice if I can't find suitable advances. I think it only works because of the Network Railcard discount which only applies London to Manningtree. (As an aside when I tried putting London-Ipswich into trainsplit last year - I haven't tried the new version - it didn't give me any splits at all). Of course that won't work to arrive at 0900.

 

[TheEdge]

I use that one when visiting family in Ipswich at short notice if I can't find suitable advances. I think it only works because of the Network Railcard discount which only applies London to Manningtree. (As an aside when I tried putting London-Ipswich into trainsplit last year - I haven't tried the new version - it didn't give me any splits at all). Of course that won't work to arrive at 0900.

I think GA have managed to tidy up the loophole that made it work all the time. As you say it does only seem to work now when certain conditions are met.

 

[30907]

Assuming the OP is under 26 at the start of the academic year they can use a Young Person's Railcard for the NR section. It would pay for itself inside a fortnight.

 

[yorkie]

...the Network Railcard discount which only applies London to Manningtree. (As an aside when I tried putting London-Ipswich into trainsplit last year - I haven't tried the new version - it didn't give me any splits at all). Of course that won't work to arrive at 0900.

Trainsplit does identify "splits" for Network Railcard holders at Manningtree (or, for non-stop trains, at Colchester) at times when the Network Railcard is valid. Of course this is only times when Network Railcard discounts are available (so does not help the OP), and not when using Advance fares.