Northern Explorer

[vidal]

Northern have a pretty extensive network with some rather scenic lines. Their latest Rover ticket sounds pretty interesting, but it can only be used with Northern services which can be "problematic" at weekends. Anyone fancy creating a Saturday or Sunday day trip to encompass lots of scenic lines and enough time to catch a bite to eat in a major town or city as well as some good beer!

Based from Preston and at my age I'm not built for running!

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/northern-explorer (Link to Northern Explorer ticket)

James

 

[xotGD]

Preston - Lancaster - Hellifield - Carlisle. And back.

 

[campdave]

Lancaster to Corkickle/Whitehaven (Corkickle is only 1km from town if you don't fancy the bus while the tunnel is closed)

Two cracking bits of coast.

Fish and chips in Arnside
Howling wolf cafe in Whitehaven

Wouldnt get maximum value from the ticket though, unless you continue up the coast.

 

[vidal]

Wouldnt get maximum value from the ticket though, unless you continue up the coast.

Now that opens up a massive thread diversion - what would get the maximum value for money?

James

 

[NorthWestRover]

Preston to Hebden Bridge then Leeds, Leeds to Lancaster, Lancaster to Preston.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Maybe get Harrogate loop in too

 

[magpiespy]

Preston - Piccadilly - Chester - Victoria - Blackburn via Tormorden or Bolton - Preston

 

[MrBeanie]

Preston to Leeds or York (direct service via Hedben Bridge). Leeds or York to Hull. Hull to Bridlington / Scarborough. Return to Hull. Hull to Sheffield. Sheffield to Piccadilly. Piccadilly to Preston.
This would be a pretty long day and would probably need an early start and quite a bit of planning. But there are various options to change the itinerary around depending on where you do or don't want to include.

 

[A S Leib]

Now that opens up a massive thread diversion - what would get the maximum value for money?

James

I was going to suggest going back and forth between Preston and Manchester (central or airport), aiming to minimise time waiting for services, but you might get even better value doing that between various combinations of Preston, Manchester Oxford Road / Piccadilly (Lancaster, Wigan...?) with a cheaper Lancashire Day Ranger.

Using Fastjp for this coming Saturday, I have

• Preston 05:18 – 08:10 Corkickle (change at Barrow-in-Furness)
• Whitehaven 09:35 – 13:36 Leeds (change at Carlisle)
• Leeds 13:55 – 16:40 Scarborough (change at Hull)
• Scarborough 17:00 – 22:50 Preston (change at Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly)

I have that as 522 miles in total, or 6.7p/mile assuming a one-day pass with one person.

For comparison's sake, it's possible to do six round trips from Plymouth to Exeter with a Devon Day Ranger (I don't think it's a record, both due to a relatively slow intercity line – but a cheap day ranger – and as Exeter – Newton Abbot might be more miles in total due to less waiting time), which works out at 624 miles, 2.7p/mile without a railcard or 1.8p/mile with one. I thought a West Midlands Day Ranger might work out even cheaper per mile, but I've only got to 519 miles planned by 14:26, mostly shuttling back and forth between Crewe, Rugby and Stoke-on-Trent (6.9p/mile without a railcard or 4.6p/mile with one, so unlikely to beat the Devon Day Ranger that way). Newcastle to Darlington is 36 miles and 11 round trips are theoretically possible with a Tyne and Tees day ranger (obeying minimum connection times), so 2.5-3.8p/mile.