North East Rover - any good?

[_toommm_]

So with it being half term I plan to do a couple days on the trains (Saturday, possibly Sunday, Monday and Wednesday and possibly Friday), and with my local station being Sheffield, the NE Rover caught my eye. My question is, is it worth the money, and what lines must be done, besides the obvious Settle to Carlisle and Newcastle to Carlisle?

Thanks as always

 

[BlueFox]

I would recommend doing Newcastle to Berwick, and Middlesbrough to Whitby too.

But from Whitby I'd get a bus, either to Scarborough or Saltburn, as it can be a long wait for the next train out of Whitby unless you get straight back on the train again.

 

[BlueFox]

is it worth the money

Yes.
It seems to have gone up a lot in recent years, but it covers a large area with some very high walk on fares (for example Sheffield to Berwick on Tweed costs nearly £100 off peak return), so you'll get your money's worth from it.

 

[Harpers Tate]

"Must be done"? That depends on your own priorities, I'd guess. Consider (alongside others noted above) Sheffield - Brigg - Cleethorpes (Saturday only) and then Cleethorpes - Barton; cross the river by bus to Hull. Or reverse.

 

[adrock1976]

Don't forget to do Knottingley-Goole and Moorthorpe-Sherburn in Elmet via Pontefract Baghill as both these sections have a limited service.

 

[eastdyke]

Whitby is possible but non ideal from Sheffield with an off-peak ticket. So if you can go on the Saturday departing 07.54 that would give you the max time.
While in Middlesbrough view the Ticket Office (false wooden hammer beam roof), Transporter Bridge (about 20 mins walk - check opening times if you want to ride - closes earlier than you might expect) and if time permits the Newport Bridge (yes in Middlesbrough!) sadly non rising now).
And of course take in a little Teesside culture and have a 'Parmo', music optional:

 

[_toommm_]

Don't forget to do Knottingley-Goole and Moorthorpe-Sherburn in Elmet via Pontefract Baghill as both these sections have a limited service.

Planning to do the Sheffield to Cleethorpes parlimentiary on Saturday then the Sheffield to York parlimentiary on the Monday. Both are pieces of track I've wanted to tick for a while

 

[_toommm_]

Whitby is possible but non ideal from Sheffield with an off-peak ticket. So if you can go on the Saturday departing 07.54 that would give you the max time.
While in Middlesbrough view the Ticket Office (false wooden hammer beam roof), Transporter Bridge (about 20 mins walk - check opening times if you want to ride - closes earlier than you might expect) and if time permits the Newport Bridge (yes in Middlesbrough!) sadly non rising now).
And of course take in a little Teesside culture and have a 'Parmo', music optional:

I've done Whitby before with a northern delay compensation ticket (Sheffield to Hill to Beverley to Bridlington to Scarborough then the X4) - took from 5:29 to about 11am but it waas well worth it! Thank you for the suggestion about Middlesbrough though!

 

[noddy1878]

I think the North East Rover (or Freedom of the North East as it once was!) is a good and excellent value ticket. I did one earlier in the year and plan to do another later in the year! Covers a large area but as Harpers Tate, says it does depend on what your priorities are.

 

[_toommm_]

I think the North East Rover (or Freedom of the North East as it once was!) is a good and excellent value ticket. I did one earlier in the year and plan to do another later in the year! Covers a large area but as Harpers Tate, says it does depend on what your priorities are.

Do you still have an itenaray of journeys you made? I'd love to see how others have used it!

 

[noddy1878]

Do you still have an itenaray of journeys you made? I'd love to see how others have used it!

http://noddy1878.railmiles.me/journeys/?range=20180216-20180220

Should show what I did. It has my trips on the Tyne & Wear Metro too so just ignore them. I was trying to clear stations so there was a lot of repeat journeys if that makes sense!

 

[_toommm_]

http://noddy1878.railmiles.me/journeys/?range=20180216-20180220

Should show what I did. It has my trips on the Tyne & Wear Metro too so just ignore them. I was trying to clear stations so there was a lot of repeat journeys if that makes sense!

Worked perfectly thank you! Might steal a couple of journeys if you don't mind?

 

[noddy1878]

No worries! You can do whatever journeys you want!

 

[ash39]

First page of my trip report thread might be a worthwhile read if you're thinking of doing one - I did one in July last year. Link here

 

[47403]

Obviously as a native of the North East I would recommend one. If your after Heaton units. They're all in that area anyway. I think it's a great Rover. As someone's said it depends on your priorities. I usually have a day with an add on. If you wanna do Edinburgh and the Fife circle cats. A Berwick to Edinburgh advance return shouldn't be too bad. A bit time roping in jock rail units, Then an anytime return to Dunfermline town on the 17.20 cat. Dash off under the underpass onto the unit straight back to inverkeithing, for a 40min fester, for the other coming back. Plenty goes through Inverkeithing to keep you occupied. Or a Cumbrian Coast Day Ranger for the 37 and 68s turns on Cumbria Coast.
Just a suggestion, I'm not telling you how to spend your money.

 

[Kite159]

Or a Cumbrian Coast Day Ranger for the 37 and 68s turns on Cumbria Coast.
Just a suggestion, I'm not telling you how to spend your money.

Or even a Hadrian Wall Rover which is valid to Whitehaven from Sunderland as an add-on to the North East Rover, to be able to pop across to Carlisle for a spin on the loco hauled sets.

 

[BlueFox]

Or even a Hadrian Wall Rover which is valid to Whitehaven from Sunderland as an add-on to the North East Rover, to be able to pop across to Carlisle for a spin on the loco hauled sets.

That's an expensive way to do it, the North East rover is valid to Carlisle.

 

[Kite159]

That's an expensive way to do it, the North East rover is valid to Carlisle.

My bad, for some reason I was thinking the validity expired at Hexham, but I think that is the North West rover.