Reading to Cambridge Area

[Thames99]

Next week I have make a day trip to go to an event near Cambridge, leaving after 09.30 so presumably all off peak. The nearest station is Shelford with trains from Liverpool Street or possibly a fast train from Kings Cross to Cambridge and then one stop back.

At the end I will hopefully get a lift from someone to a station, but I don't want them to go out of their way. So it could be to Cambridge, Shelford or another station on either the Kings Cross or Liverpool Street lines depending on where they are going to.

What tickets should I get to give me maximum flexibility? I will be using a Senior Railcard.

 

[plugwash]

Travel via cambridge doesn't seem to be a permitted route to shelford from either London or Reading.

I think your most flexible option is probablly to buy an off-peak day return route "any permitted" from Reading to Cambridge. Then buy additional tickets for local travel if needed.

 

[Magdalia]

Next week I have make a day trip to go to an event near Cambridge, leaving after 09.30 so presumably all off peak. The nearest station is Shelford with trains from Liverpool Street or possibly a fast train from Kings Cross to Cambridge and then one stop back.

Shelford is not very flexible as a destination station. Between the peaks (0930-1530 ish) it only has one train per hour in each direction and it doesn't really have anything in the way of onward travel options. You will probably need to be able to walk to your destination.

At the end I will hopefully get a lift from someone to a station, but I don't want them to go out of their way. So it could be to Cambridge,

Given the state of Cambridge traffic you won't find many volunteers for that, especially if it is school run time or if it is raining.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Reading to Shelford and Reading to Cambridge are the same price and a quick NRE search actually suggests that via KGX and CBG is valid. I seem to remember there is an easement for the double back to Shelford (and only Shelford) due to the slow and sparse service from LST to SED but I may be wrong. Could be due to the fares check rule.

There's no cheaper ticket via LST for this flow so there's no additional incentive to limit yourself to the Liverpool St route.

This all implies that a Reading to Shelford ticket is the better option here because a Reading to Cambridge ticket would not be valid to double back, as it will be fully used on arrival at Cambridge.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2024 ==

Travel via cambridge doesn't seem to be a permitted route to shelford from either London or Reading.

I think your most flexible option is probablly to buy an off-peak day return route "any permitted" from Reading to Cambridge. Then buy additional tickets for local travel if needed.

As above I can generate an itinerary from NRE...

On the other hand the Cambridge ticket allows you to alight anywhere on either route depending on your pick up, e.g. Royston Meldreth Shepreth Foxton Cambridge Shelford Whittlesford, whereas a Shelford ticket may exclude breaking journey on the GN route (may be challenged anyway), so this is more flexible but may prevent a double back.

 

[kieron]

Reading to Shelford and Reading to Cambridge are the same price and a quick NRE search actually suggests that via KGX and CBG is valid. I seem to remember there is an easement for the double back to Shelford (and only Shelford) due to the slow and sparse service from LST to SED but I may be wrong. Could be due to the fares check rule.

It is the fare check rule. Cambridge is a valid routeing point, so you can travel into Cambridge on any valid route and then back out to Shelford.

There are only two permanent easements which mention Shelford, and both of them are negative.

700119 (Circuitous Route) Customers travelling from Shelford via Royston to London Kings Cross, London St Pancras, Faringdon or via Faringdon, may not travel via Cambridge. This easement applies in both directions.

700120 (Circuitous Route) Customers travelling from Shelford to London London Liverpool Street via Audley End, may not travel via Cambridge. This easement applies in both directions.

The only effect these have on someone with a Reading-Shelford ticket is to bar travel via Farringdon and Royston. The data says "St Pancras" rather than "Farringdon", but I don't think that makes any difference in this case.

 

[Thames99]

Thanks all.

I'm puzzled by these though ...

700119 (Circuitous Route) Customers travelling from Shelford via Royston to London Kings Cross, London St Pancras, Faringdon or via Faringdon, may not travel via Cambridge. This easement applies in both directions.

700120 (Circuitous Route) Customers travelling from Shelford to London London Liverpool Street via Audley End, may not travel via Cambridge. This easement applies in both directions.

... as the site's ticketing offers both Reading - Paddington - Kings Cross - Cambridge - Shelford and Reading - Paddington - Liverpool Street - Cambridge - Shelford which seem to fall foul of these. Do the easements only apply to journeys to and from London, i.e. does continuing further, in my case to Reading remove the problem?

 

[kieron]

Yes; when it says "to London Kings Cross" or wherever, it only applies for tickets to (or from, because of the "both direction" sentence) London where your journey ends in Kings Cross.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I think your most flexible option is probablly to buy an off-peak day return route "any permitted" from Reading to Cambridge. Then buy additional tickets for local travel if needed.

So, £38.65 for an Off Peak Day Return, route "✠ANY PERMITTED" and Senior Railcard Discount? Worthwhile buying from Reading to Cambridge North (rather than Cambridge)?

 

[Watershed]

So, £38.65 for an Off Peak Day Return, route "✠ANY PERMITTED" and Senior Railcard Discount? Worthwhile buying from Reading to Cambridge North (rather than Cambridge)?

Cambridge tickets are also valid to Cambridge North, see easement 700714:

Tickets to/from Cambridge are also valid at Cambridge North and tickets to/from Cambridge North are also valid at Cambridge. This easement covers all tickets, including season tickets, except Advance tickets.