Milton Keynes Central [MKC] - Bristol Temple Meads [BRI]

[DarloRich]

Morning,

I need to go from MKC to Bristol on Monday morning. I have to arrive in Bristol by 1030 am.

I Will need to retrun on the same day but wont be able to set off until 1500 at the earliest. I only seem to be able to get fares for 90 odd quid which seems a lot. I dont know Western well so cant work out where to split etc.

I would appreciate some help!

 

[lemonic]

I am sure there may be cheaper options, but a Super Off Peak Return is £58 and you can arrive in Bristol over an hour before 10:30 and return anytime. (You'll need to go via Birmingham outward though to get this price)

 

[DarloRich]

I have got a Netwrok Railcard if that helps at all ( for the way back!)

 

[sprinterguy]

As aleksander says, travelling via Birmingham and using Crosscountry looks to be the cheapest and simplest option as far as I can see:

£58 SUPER OFF PEAK RETURN
07:13 MKC – BHM 08:08 VT
08:42 BHM – BRI 10:08 XC

15:30 BRI – BHM 16:58 XC
17:30 BHM – MKC 18:18 VT

I can see an option for going via London for about £65 by splitting tickets between journeys if you desperately want to avoid Crosscountry. What sort of discounts does a Network Railcard offer?

 

[DarloRich]

dont like XC ( Unless it is an HST - is it an HST? PLEASE!) or Birmingham New Street :cry:

I thought via BHM would be the cheapest but i couldnt seem to get the fares

Not sure about the Netwrok Railxcard as i have just got it!

 

[sprinterguy]

dont like XC ( Unless it is an HST - is it an HST? PLEASE!) or Birmingham New Street :cry:

I thought via BHM would be the cheapest but i couldnt seem to get the fares

Not sure about the Netwrok Railxcard as i have just got it!

Looking at the XC HST diagrams, the 15:30 Bristol to Birmingham New Street on your way back IS AN HST! (13:23 from Plymouth)

The 08:42 New Street to Temple Meads in the morning isn't though: It's a Voyager from Manchester. However the following 09:12 New Street to Bristol TM that arrives at Temple Meads at 10:41 is an HST, which the £58 ticket is also valid on.

 

[LexyBoy]

What sort of discounts does a Network Railcard offer?

34% off on journeys wholly within the Network area (basically NSE), only after 1000 and £13 minimum fare in the week.

I don't think you're going to get close to aleksander's price if you go via London - even with Advances, it seems to come to more. As said above, you can return via London with this ticket.

 

[DarloRich]

thanks guys - that will do me

Sprinter Guy - Winner! I dont have to be at the meeting till 11!

 

[sprinterguy]

I would like to point out at this point then that the official connection that is shown on the booking engine I’m looking at from Milton Keynes into the 09:12 HST from New Street to Temple Meads is the 07:23 London Midland service, with a change at Northampton onto the 07:55 LM to New Street, as opposed to the 07:13 Virgin service direct from Milton Keynes to New Street as is the case for catching the 08:42 Voyager from New Street.

I don’t know enough about any restrictions on the ticket that may preclude you from using the much faster, more convenient 07:13 MKC – BHM followed by the 09:12 BHM – BRI, or whether that’s perfectly acceptable to do. I think it looks fine to do that but I’m sure somebody will know for definite.

 

[bb21]

Full restriction code here. I can't see anything that prevents you from using the 0713.

Restriction : YU
JOURNEYS TO/FROM/VIA
LONDON/READING

Available as listed below
MONDAYS to FRIDAYS. (By any
train on Saturdays, Sundays
and Bank Holidays)

OUTWARD TRAVEL:

See notes below

RETURN TRAVEL:

Available on all trains
departing at or later than:

FROM:

Avoncliff 0940
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Bath Spa 1000
Bradford on Avon 0935
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Bridgend 0915
(also valid between 0200 and
0500)
Bridgewater 0840
Bristol Parkway 1015
(also valid between 0200 and
0530)
Bristol Temple Meads 0945
(also valid between 0200 and
0510)
Cardiff Central 0940
(also valid between 0200 and
0530)
Castle Cary 0945
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Cheltenham Spa 0930
(if travel is via Bristol
Parkway, see notes below)
Chippenham 1010
Dawlish 0840
Exeter St Davids 0910
Freshford 0940
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Frome 0955
Gloucester 0930
(if travel is via Bristol
Parkway, see notes below)
Highbridge 0845
Ivybridge 0900
Kemble 1015
Nailsea & Backwell 0930
Neath 0855
(also valid between 0200 and
0430)
Newport 1000
(also valid between 0200 and
0545)
Pewsey 0930
Port Talbot Parkway 0905
(also valid between 0200 and
0445)
Stonehouse 0955
Stroud 1000
Swansea 0845
(also valid between 0200 and
0430)
Swindon 1030
(also valid between 0200 and
0545)
Taunton 0940
Teignmouth 0840
Tiverton Parkway 0925
Trowbridge 0930
Westbury 1003
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Weston Milton 0905
Weston-Super-Mare 0920
Worle 0910
Yatton 0925

NOTES:
TRAVEL VIA BRISTOL PARKWAY
(EASTNOUND) FROM CHELTENHAM
SPA/GLOUCESTER:
The restriction time shown
above for Bristol Parkway also
applies for journeys from
these stations when travelling
via Bristol Parkway.

TRAVEL VIA BATH SPA
(EASTBOUND) FROM CASTLE CARY,
WESTBURY, TROWBRIDGE, BRADFORD
-ON-AVON, FRESHFORD AND
AVONCLIFF:
The restriction time shown
above for Bath Spa also
applies for journeys from
these stations when travelling
via Bath Spa.

OUTWARD TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
apply_from the stations listed
below. Tickets are valid:

On services timed to depart
London Paddington between 1010
and 1501, and from 1901.

On services timed to depart
Reading between 1030 and 1530,
and from 1901.

On the 1506 departure from
London Paddington / 1532 from
Reading (Penzance service)
with tickets to/from PEWSEY
only.

On services timed to depart
London Waterloo between 0815
and 1559, and from 1901.

On services timed to depart
Clapham Junction between 0820
and 1559, and from 1901.

RETURN TRAVEL TO OR VIA
LONDON WATERLOO is permitted
on all trains timed to arrive
at Waterloo at or later than
1148.

TRAVEL FROM STATIONS NOT
LISTED ABOVE:
Super Off-Peak_tickets from
stations not listed are valid
for connections into trains
departing as shown above.

ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY
FOR THE FOLLOWING JOURNEYS:

Validity Codes 2C/9I
(restrictions listed as From/
Via Euston applies from
Swindon, Pewsey, Westbury and
Castle Cary for travel via
London Euston to destinations
beyond Milton Keynes.

Validity Code Q8 applies to
all journeys via Fareham,
Southampton or Salisbury.

Validity Code 2W applies to
journeys via Didcot Parkway/
Newbury, not passing through
Reading.

Validity codes CI/CJ apply to
all journeys via London St
Pancras International.

 

[sprinterguy]

Ta very much, that's satisfied my piece of mind that I haven't unwittingly sent DarloRich down a blind alley. Times and prices I can do, but ticket restrictions really aren't my area.

Everything's in order then!

 

[DarloRich]

thanks once again guys!

 

[AlterEgo]

Ooh, the 0713 from MKC is my usual train. Enjoy!

BTW, the Caledonian Sleeper usually passes through MKC at around 0700 - 0710, often under caution. Just in case you're a photter!

 

[DarloRich]

Ooh, the 0713 from MKC is my usual train. Enjoy!

BTW, the Caledonian Sleeper usually passes through MKC at around 0700 - 0710, often under caution. Just in case you're a photter!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Note Flickr Account!

Just got to get myself from Fenny for the train so i will ask for a taxi a bit earlier and see what i can get.

I will keep an eye out for you!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ther plot thickens - I have just booked the suggested tickets and i have been given a super off peak retrun that uis valid "any permitted" with an underground cross symbol! I was told it was BHM only!

 

[LexyBoy]

No, it is routed Any Permitted, but the restrictions on travel mean that you can't get to Bristol by 1030 going via London, only via Birmingham.

From the restriction code quoted earlier:

OUTWARD TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
apply_from the stations listed
below. Tickets are valid:

On services timed to depart
London Paddington between 1010
and 1501, and from 1901.

Who told you Birmingham only?

 

[sprinterguy]

Ther plot thickens - I have just booked the suggested tickets and i have been given a super off peak retrun that uis valid "any permitted" with an underground cross symbol! I was told it was BHM only!

Note LexyBoys' post above:

I don't think you're going to get close to aleksander's price if you go via London - even with Advances, it seems to come to more. As said above, you can return via London with this ticket.

In all the excitement about Crosscountry HSTs, I failed to realise that you can also return via the GWML and Paddington on the 16:00 or 17:00 from Temple Meads.

 

[DarloRich]

yes but the outbound leg is seemingly valid via london

 

[bb21]

yes but the outbound leg is seemingly valid via london

It is, but not till 1010 from Paddington.

 

[DarloRich]

not according to the station bloke!

 

[bb21]

not according to the station bloke!

Hmm. Maybe that bloke we regularly gets to hear about on here who tells passengers to travel on trains their tickets are invalid for does indeed exist.

Seriously if he gives me an itinerary claiming that a train that my ticket is not supposed to be valid on is actually valid then I would request that he endorses my ticket with appropriate comments such as 'passenger advised travel valid on 1X99 PAD-BRI on 11/11/2011' together with the official station stamp, in order to save the argument with the TM.

 

[DarloRich]

I am going BHM route anyway now as i have arrnaged to meet a colleague coming down from York on the XC service.

I didnt think he was right BTW , but he was an LM blokey in the ticket office at MKC!

 

[bb21]

Maybe Greeby knows him.

Link here.

 

[LexyBoy]

Maybe he was just saying that it's not valid via London at the time you wanted to travel? (Technically it's valid on any train into London, but that's not much use unless you fancy hanging around until the 1030 from Paddington).

I don't know of any tickets which have different routeing on the outbound and return journeys.

 

[DarloRich]

i think in fairness he just looked at "any permitted" and said yes - but i didnt think of what Lexyboy said.

 

[AlterEgo]

Just got to get myself from Fenny for the train so i will ask for a taxi a bit earlier and see what i can get.

I will keep an eye out for you!

I think there's also a once-weekly working to Wolverton Works that passes north through MKC at about 0640.....but I'm not sure if it's Mondays or not. Usually consists of a Southeastern Networker unit or a FCC 313/317 heading up to Railcare between two barrier coaches.

Don't know if you want to get up that early though!

 

[DarloRich]

i have seen it run a bit later with the unit under its own power