Tonbridge- Birmingham International permitted routes

[55003]

What routes are permitted for this journey apart from the obvious one via Euston? I am thinking of contigencies if the WCML has problems.

 

[kieron]

You can go via Birmingham or Coventry, so a couple of other valid routes are via Marylebone and High Wycombe, and via Paddington and Oxford.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

What routes are permitted for this journey apart from the obvious one via Euston? I am thinking of contigencies if the WCML has problems.

Cross Country run a through service from Reading to Birmingham and points beyond. Would it be valid to use the Gatwick Reading service perhaps via Redhill thus avoiding London?

 

[55003]

That was what I was thinking. Tonbridge -Redhill - Reading, Birmingham International

 

[maniacmartin]

That was what I was thinking. Tonbridge -Redhill - Reading, Birmingham International

Despite appearing reasonable, I don't think that's permitted. The mapped routes are LONDON RA+EB TN+EB VH+EB.
All involve going via London or Kensington Olympia.

The closest you can get is going via Paddington to join the Cross Country train at Reading

 

[LexyBoy]

Reasonable enough to be accepted on the North Downs Line I'd think (TON-OXF is valid for instance) - albeit at your own risk. Going via London would be quicker though - changing at Oxford (same platform) is preferable to Reading in this case. Bear in mind there's only one XC per hour stopping at BHI (the Manchester-Bournemouth service).

I've noticed before that the North Downs Line is missing from some routes where it would be quite reasonable. In many cases the only option is via London - one would think that a cheaper Not London ticket would be attractive, even if journey times are longer.

 

[55003]

Whilst these routes may be permitted, how would I stand with an advance ticket that has Virgin trains only it? Would I have to wait until Virgin declared that they had relaxed ticket restrictions? Yesterday the WCML was blocked by a fatality between Watford and Milton Keynes and last week the route was effected by flooding.