Thornaby to Leeds suggestions - very expensive

[strowger]

Hi,

I'm looking in to ticketing options for a morning peak journey from Thornaby to Leeds, and a return either the same evening or (more likely) 2 or 3 days later. Unfortunately, advance purchase is seldom possible, as the journey is made at short notice.

Departure from Stockton, Middlesborough, or Yarm - instead of Thornaby - is an option if the savings are worthwhile.

Outward travel is ideally on the 0717 from Thornaby to Manchester Airport. None of the options involving changes of train is at all attractive, being either slow, arriving too late, or involving 2 changes, or a combination of these.

This entails spending £45.90 on the SOR. The SVR, at £33.90, is less offensively expensive - but the first direct train it's valid on (dep TBY 0855) is a little too late.

Reasonable splits are Yarm, Northallerton, Thirsk, York, Garforth. There doesn't seem to be any real saving on offer by splitting - even with use of loophole tickets on the York-Leeds leg.

Any bright ideas?

Cheers

 

[sonic2009]

How much notice do you require?

Megabus offers a £15 single to Leeds from Middlesborough for this Friday as an example at 0645 arriving Leeds at 0805, these can be booked up until a few hours before the coach departs. Prices will be lower or higher depending on demand.

This could come in handy for last minute decisions.

 

[Romilly]

An Anytime Return from Thornaby to Kirkby Stephen is £34.40. It is valid via Leeds, it is valid at anytime, break of journey (and therefore stopping/starting short at Leeds) is permitted, and you have five days (including the ticket date) for outward travel and one month (starting with the ticket date) for the return trip.

At the time you want to travel out, the trainscanbecheaper website wasn't suggesting any straightforward splits.

 

[yorkie]

The rail industry does not want your custom, and sets the fares accordingly.

However rather than take road transport, I have an idea. Check your PMs

 

[ASharpe]

I do this journey a lot in reverse and I would only recommend the transpennine trains and avoid the pacer to Darlington.

If you do the journey often enough it might be worth getting yourself slightly out of step on your direction of travel.

A Leeds to Thornaby train is £35.70 and you can use that on any train.

But the tickets should be used in the right order and so you are required to buy a single one way (advance?) and then do the journey at least once a month. It could be slightly better than the £45.90.

 

[strowger]

All,

Many thanks for all of those replies. That's a superb set of suggestions (including a fascinating loophole fare in PM).

I am most grateful. You are (collectively) a class act indeed.

Cheers.