London to Chester (weekday)

[Islineclear3_1]

My wife and I are planning this journey on a weekday in November. We're travelling from London Euston. How much time should I allow for interchange at Crewe given the fact we're not the fittest and will have suitcases?

Many thanks

 

[AlterEgo]

The minimum interchange time is ten minutes, which should be fine given you shouldn't have too far to travel at the station. Even if you are slow and have bags it shouldn't take more than five minutes, depending on platforms.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

The minimum interchange time is ten minutes, which should be fine given you shouldn't have too far to travel at the station. Even if you are slow and have bags it shouldn't take more than five minutes, depending on platforms.

Thank you

So the outward journey is showing arrival at Crewe P5 (from London) and departure (to Chester from P9 with 14min interchange but the return journey is showing only 10min interchange from P9 to P3 which to me, seems a bit tight - especially if the inbound train from Chester arrives late. I'll have to try again with Avanti's booking, otherwise I might just have to book tickets to Crewe and buy separate tickets to Chester

 

[Starmill]

Thank you

So the outward journey is showing arrival at Crewe P5 (from London) and departure (to Chester from P9 with 14min interchange but the return journey is showing only 10min interchange from P9 to P3 which to me, seems a bit tight - especially if the inbound train from Chester arrives late. I'll have to try again with Avanti's booking, otherwise I might just have to book tickets to Crewe and buy separate tickets to Chester

10 minutes should be OK. There are lifts available near platform 9. You want to be at the front set of doors to leave the train.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

10 minutes should be OK. There are lifts available near platform 9. You want to be at the front set of doors to leave the train.

Thanks, that is very helpful

 

[Jurg]

There's a good value Cheap Day Return from Nuneaton - Chester, £21.90. Might be worth looking at a split ticket using that fare, assuming your trains to/from Crewe stop at Nuneaton and are after 9am.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

There's a good value Cheap Day Return from Nuneaton - Chester, £21.90. Might be worth looking at a split ticket using that fare, assuming your trains to/from Crewe stop at Nuneaton and are after 9am.

Thanks, but my train doesn't stop at Nuneaton.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thank you

So the outward journey is showing arrival at Crewe P5 (from London) and departure (to Chester from P9 with 14min interchange but the return journey is showing only 10min interchange from P9 to P3 which to me, seems a bit tight - especially if the inbound train from Chester arrives late. I'll have to try again with Avanti's booking, otherwise I might just have to book tickets to Crewe and buy separate tickets to Chester

The 0910 from Euston and 1535 return from Chester are through trains (Voyagers).

Euston-Manchester trains normally use P5 at Crewe, Euston-Liverpool use P6, and southbound they both use P5.
So if you are changing at Crewe using P9, the Euston-Liverpool is an easy cross-platform move at the north end of P6.
Otherwise you need to use the bridge.
There are large lifts but they are quite slow in operation.
The one on the P6-10 island opens into a confusing storage area and P9 is a bit of hike from there and not well signed.

P3 is also a fair hike from the lifts, at the other end of the P1-5 island platform.
P3 also normally hosts the LNWR Birmingham service via Stoke.
TfW trains to/from Chester (a shuttle) are normally good timekeepers, but you might not be impressed by the stock (often 2x153).
Avanti have a few Crewe-Chester services with Voyagers. One day they will restore more of the through London services.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Thanks @LNW-GW Joint

My trains are Euston-Liverpool-Euston and we're near the front outward, and the middle on our return. I've changed the Chester train to an earlier one on the way home to allow a bit more time than the 10min originally advertised.

I've only been to Crewe once, about 30 years ago....no doubt it's changed a lot since

I'm not bothered about the 153 stock, can't be any worse than a Pacer (but even that was okay on the Bishop Auckland line). However, the last time I ever travelled on a 153 was Fratton-Southampton (or it might have been a 155) at the end of the 1980s

 

[Watershed]

I've only been to Crewe once, about 30 years ago....no doubt it's changed a lot since

Probably not very much at all! There are now LED signal heads; just about everything else is as it was in 1985.