Ipswich > Sheffield return

[jamie_r]

Hello again,

This time on my quest for University open days I'm looking at heading to Sheffield, and as you were so helpful last time I was wondering if anyone would be able to help again! Again, it'd be for two adults on a return (no railcards - train travel is very rare for us together, and haven't got a 16-25 card yet!), ideally leaving Thursday Night or *early* on Friday, and then returning after 4pm on the Friday afternoon. I've only achieved tickets that are £72 return so far, with Cardiff previously having been cheaper!!

Thanks for your time!

 

[thomas43009]

Hello there,

If you get the 20:00 from Ipswich - Peterborough then the 21:52 Peterborough - Doncaster then the 23:24 Doncaster - Sheffield

if you split your ticket at peterborough it will cost £77.20 each instead of £88.40 make sure you ask for a period return too.

 

[Romilly]

My suggestion for Friday 11th July would be:

Trains:
Ipswich 0600 - Peterborough 0737
Peterborough 0759 - Retford 0845
Retford 0902 - Sheffield 0947

Sheffield 1625 - Doncaster 1707
Doncaster 1717 - Peterborough 1806
Peterborough 1818 - Cambridge 1908
Cambridge 1944 - Ipswich 2100

or:

Sheffield 1727 - Doncaster 1807
Doncaster 1817 - Peterborough 1908
Peterborough 1950 - Ipswich 2128

Tickets:
Ipswich-Ely 2 x Anytime Day Returns: 40.40
Ely-Peterborough 2 x Anytime Day Returns: 24.80
Peterborough-Sheffield 2 x Advances (i.e. must travel on booked train): £20.40
Sheffield-Peterborough 2 x Advances 35.30 on 1625 or 43.10 on 1727

Total price for 2 adults with no railcards: £120.90 (or £128.70 returning on 1727)

 

[cjp]

Hello there,

If you get the 20:00 from Ipswich - Peterborough then the 21:52 Peterborough - Doncaster then the 23:24 Doncaster - Sheffield

if you split your ticket at peterborough it will cost £77.20 each instead of £88.40 make sure you ask for a period return too.

Buy a Two Together railcard for 1/3rd off fares for £30. If you only use it for this one journey I calculate the saving to to be £46.20 so it has paid for itself and saved you £16.20.
http://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/

 

[jamie_r]

My suggestion for Friday 11th July would be:

Trains:
Ipswich 0600 - Peterborough 0737
Peterborough 0759 - Retford 0845
Retford 0902 - Sheffield 0947

Sheffield 1625 - Doncaster 1707
Doncaster 1717 - Peterborough 1806
Peterborough 1818 - Cambridge 1908
Cambridge 1944 - Ipswich 2100

or:

Sheffield 1727 - Doncaster 1807
Doncaster 1817 - Peterborough 1908
Peterborough 1950 - Ipswich 2128

Tickets:
Ipswich-Ely 2 x Anytime Day Returns: 40.40
Ely-Peterborough 2 x Anytime Day Returns: 24.80
Peterborough-Sheffield 2 x Advances (i.e. must travel on booked train): £20.40
Sheffield-Peterborough 2 x Advances 35.30 on 1625 or 43.10 on 1727

Total price for 2 adults with no railcards: £120.90 (or £128.70 returning on 1727)

Hi, thanks very much for putting all that effort in and crunching the numbers for me, and I think this is what we'll go for, but if we miss one of our trains, like the Peterborough - Sheffield due to a delay on the Ipswich - Peterborough, where do we stand on simply catching the next train, owing to split ticketing?

EDIT: I'm also now considering the 2-together railcard, as I suppose there may be more open days we go to together where the savings with outlay the cost, but not all journeys are applying the card. On the National Rail website I've selected the card, but on anytime return journeys it wouldn't apply it - are there conditions to it which mean it doesn't work on certain journeys? Also, how long would it take to get a 2-together card (would it be ready for Friday)? Cheers!

 

[button_boxer]

Hi, thanks very much for putting all that effort in and crunching the numbers for me, and I think this is what we'll go for, but if we miss one of our trains, like the Peterborough - Sheffield due to a delay on the Ipswich - Peterborough, where do we stand on simply catching the next train, owing to split ticketing?

As long as you've left the required minimum connection time between the timetabled arrival of one service and departure of the next then you are covered, though you may want to speak to staff at Peterborough if this happens and get your ticket endorsed to avoid any arguments. This minimum time appears to be 8 minutes at Peterborough, but basically anything you can get National Rail Enquiries to give you as a single itinerary should be fine.

EDIT: I'm also now considering the 2-together railcard, as I suppose there may be more open days we go to together where the savings with outlay the cost, but not all journeys are applying the card. On the National Rail website I've selected the card, but on anytime return journeys it wouldn't apply it - are there conditions to it which mean it doesn't work on certain journeys? Also, how long would it take to get a 2-together card (would it be ready for Friday)? Cheers!

I'm not sure how long the online ones take to arrive but you can get one issued on the spot at any staffed station ticket office if you take the necessary passport photos with you. The thing to note is that a 2 Together card is not valid for travel before 0930 on weekdays. If you're splitting your tickets you can only apply the railcard to the legs that start after 0930.

 

[jamie_r]

As long as you've left the required minimum connection time between the timetabled arrival of one service and departure of the next then you are covered, though you may want to speak to staff at Peterborough if this happens and get your ticket endorsed to avoid any arguments. This minimum time appears to be 8 minutes at Peterborough, but basically anything you can get National Rail Enquiries to give you as a single itinerary should be fine.



I'm not sure how long the online ones take to arrive but you can get one issued on the spot at any staffed station ticket office if you take the necessary passport photos with you. The thing to note is that a 2 Together card is not valid for travel before 0930 on weekdays. If you're splitting your tickets you can only apply the railcard to the legs that start after 0930.

Okay, thanks very much for clearing that up! Might get a 2 Together card after all!

 

[button_boxer]

P.S. if you're heading to the University of Sheffield then note there will be engineering work on the trams starting this coming Monday that means (a) there are no trams between the station and the University and (b) buses that normally run up West Street are diverted. Your easiest bet to get from the station to the University is either to walk - it's about 15-20 minutes, follow the bicycle finger posts towards Hathersage - or get a 120 bus from the "interchange" (i.e. bus station) across the road. The University often has volunteers out at the station on open days to give directions and info, look for the fluorescent green lollipop signs.

 

[jamie_r]

This will probably sound stupid, but is the split ticketing of the Ipswich to Peterborough using Ely legal in this case? My mother is not one for trains and so the idea of two tickets for one journey is confusing to say the least for her, and I doub she'd come to any further open days if she was prosecuted for some illegal split ticketing!

 

[91103eastcoast]

It is legal - since condition 19 (b) of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage permits the use of more than one ticket for a journey, provided the train stops at the point where the tickets change over, in this case, Ely.

Extract from the NRCOC:
19. Using a combination of tickets
You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover the entire journey and one of the following applies:

(b) the train you are in calls at a station where you change from one ticket to another;

Link to the Conditions of Carriage

 

[SickyNicky]

It is legal - since condition 19 (b) of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage permits the use of more than one ticket for a journey, provided the train stops at the point where the tickets change over, in this case, Ely.

Furthermore, booking engines are selling split tickets to the public now and have achieved National Rail Accreditation (with the tick mark), so you can be confident that provided you use trains that stop where you change tickets, splitting is absolutely valid.