Stafford to Basildon

[Masbroughlad]

Don't really know rail geography of Essex that well....

Can I travel from Stafford to Basildon without going via London? If so how with least changes and what ticket type please?

Or is it impossible without crossing London? If so, which is the easiest option? Can I use Overground instead of Underground?

Any help and advice very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

 

[island]

Can't be done avoiding London completely on a single ticket (Basildon's routeing points are Barking, Romford, and Southend, all of which have LONDON as their only route). You could use multiple tickets though.

Can you clarify your requirements a little more? Are you trying to avoid deep Tube lines? Is fewer changes or avoiding London more important to you?

 

[MarlowDonkey]

A very slow route avoiding Central London would be

Stafford - Watford Junction
Watford Junction - Willesden Junction
Willesden Junction - Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak - Barking
Barking - Basildon

A direct route is
Stafford - Euston
Euston - Tower Hill (Circle Line - full size trains)
Fenchurch Street - Basildon

 

[tractakid]

If you're looking for a cheaper fare, it might be worth looking at split tickets.


Off peak return STA-BSO is £65.10 (benefits from faster travel to Euston), whereas splitting as follows STA-EUS Off Peak London Midland Only £35 + Harrow and Wealdstone-BSO Off Peak Day Return £13.60. The second ticket is valid to start with the cross London transfer from Euston (Square).

Aldgate is also close to Fenchurch Street which means you don't have to wait for a circle line service.

If you don't fancy the stroll, Northern Line to Bank, DLR to Limehouse and onwards to Basildon is also an option, but trains from Limehouse are only every half hour as opposed to 4TPH from Fenchurch Street.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Avoiding London really.

 

[yorkie]

Or is it impossible without crossing London? If so, which is the easiest option? Can I use Overground instead of Underground?

You can avoid 'LONDON' (in a ticketing sense), but you can't avoid Greater London, so I am not sure if this is what you had in mind...

The following route is calculated by Trainscanbecheaper as the shortest route:-

• BASILDON
• Stratford London Gp
• Hackney Group
• HIGHBURY & I UND
• West Hampstead Group
• WILLESDEN JN
• WATFORD JUNCTION
• Bletchley Group
• RUGBY
• NUNEATON
• TAMWORTH
• LICHFIELD T V
• RUGELEY TRNT VAL
• Stafford Group

So yes, you can use the Overground between Stratford & Willesden Jn, and change there for Willesden Jn to Watford Jn, and then LM/Virgin from there.

Can I ask if there is any particular reason you wish to avoid London Underground? If it's because you avoid deep level tubes, then you can avoid this by taking the sub-surface 'Met' from Aldgate to Euston Square. Any westbound train will do, and there's not much difference between Surface stock and Overground trains. (In fact, if anything, the Overground trains are more "tube-like" as they only have longitudinal seating!)

If you're concerned about overcrowding, travel at off peak times and take a train with destination Uxbridge/Watford/Amersham as these start at Aldgate.

 

[Be3G]

If you're concerned about overcrowding, travel at off peak times and take a train with destination Uxbridge/Watford/Amersham as these start at Aldgate.

Or of course now Chesham too. (In fact there aren't Watford trains from Aldgate off-peak I believe.)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There is always....

Stafford
Birmingham/Nuneaton
Ely/Cambridge
Ipswich
Romford
Upminster
Basildon

....but you'll need more than one ticket.