Southampton to Reading

[silverfoxcc]

Might have to make this journety so looked on train line

Two fares one about £17.00ish for direct route
The other about £10.00ish with 2 changes
Why the difference?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@silverfoxcc. Are you looking at one-way Advance Single tickets in Standard class? One is likely to be routed "XC Only" and the other "SW Railway Only". Different rail companies and likely using different routes. Only XC (= CrossCountry) offer the direct trains.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

. Different rail companies and likely using different routes. Only XC (= CrossCountry) offer the direct trains.

There's really only one plausible route, running via Basingstoke, You can take the direct XC service or the all stations Reading to Basingstoke on Great Western (GWR) and change to a South Western (SWR) service. Some SWR trains involve a second change to reach Southampton.

"Advance" tickets (restricted to one train) will vary in price by time of train. Flexible tickets "Any permitted" or "Off Peak" may vary in price if restricted to one or two operators.

 

[FuzzyDuck]

SWR run direct Salisbury-Reading services on a Sunday, so a single change a Salisbury is also possible.

 

[Kite159]

SWR run direct Salisbury-Reading services on a Sunday, so a single change a Salisbury is also possible.

However that would take a lot longer than changing at Basingstoke & it would put someone on the GWR service as the next train to Southampton.

And somehow I doubt a Reading - Southampton ticket will be valid via Salisbury.

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As for the journey you are thinking of making, I have seen SWR advances for Southampton to Reading on weekday evenings with someone from Southampton catching a Weymouth - London service to Winchester, changing to a Portsmouth - London service to Basingstoke before changing to one of the 2 SWR trains to Reading. Sundays it should be one change as both trains from Southampton call at Basingstoke