waterloo-westbury diversions

[metromuppet]

hi all.
With a train being diverted, are tickets routed over the diverted route valid? For example this weeks great western diversions from london waterloo to the south west, would tickets routed salisbury be valid?

 

[asylumxl]

I wouldn't think so. Maybe I'm totally misinformed, but I don't think they're going via Salisbury.

 

[TEW]

If the train is passing through the station in question and isn't restricted for some other reason it will be valid. The FGW services do pass through Salisbury so tickets routed Salisbury are valid.

 

[Mojo]

I wouldn't think so. Maybe I'm totally misinformed, but I don't think they're going via Salisbury.

They are going via Salisbury and Warminster, and tickets routed Salisbury, Warminster-Salisbury, etc. are valid.

 

[yorkie]

I wouldn't think so. Maybe I'm totally misinformed, but I don't think they're going via Salisbury.

You are misinformed; as Mojo and TEW say they are going via Salisbury (and Warminster) so cheap tickets are valid.

If 4 people can get together that makes a 4-person GroupSave bash as little as around £14 return each!!

 

[paul1609]

Quite why anybody would want to bash a HST crawling along behind a all stations 455 is beyond me. This route is bad enough on a kettle-ex!

 

[asylumxl]

I was under the impression they went on the normal route after Westbury. My mistake, made an assumption .

 

[Matt Taylor]

It would hardly be crawling behind a 455 all the way would it? At the very worst it would for the last 30 miles from Woking to Waterloo, and what's wrong with bashing an HST anyway?

Horses for courses and all that.

 

[moonrakerz]

They are going via Salisbury and Warminster

Yes indeed.

1O42 The 0844 Penzance to Waterloo (haven't seen that for a long time !!) cruising up Upton Scudamore bank between Westbury and Warminster this afternoon.

 

[bnm]

I were on that one!!

 

[wintonian]

I were on that one!!

Blooding show off!

 

[metromuppet]

Blooding show off!

tickets via warminster are valid then? Also are 1st class upgrades avaliable all week or just the bank hols?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Blooding show off!

tickets via warminster are valid then? Also are 1st class upgrades avaliable all week or just the bank hols?

 

[bnm]

Tickets routed: Warminster/Salisbury are indeed valid on the diverted Westcountry HSTs. A little tip if you are doing a Day Single or Return to/from Westbury or stations between Westbury and Bath would be to buy your ticket to/from Shirehampton. This fare is £27.00 CDS or £27.10 CDR. From Westbury the equivalent fares are £30.80/£37.60.

And yes, Weekend First upgrades are available all this week on FGW.

 

[yorkie]

Are these diversions happening in the Spring/Summer? I heard on hstgen that they are. If so, I suggest we organise a forum meet then, as we can't seem to get enough people to go (at least not on the same day!) this time around (forum meet topic here). We need 4 people (doing the journey in the same direction) to get the fare to an acceptable level with GroupSave and that doesn't look like happening.

 

[bnm]

I've not heard anything concrete down here in FGW land regarding diversions around Reading next Spring. I'll keep my ear to the ground, as it were, and also make some enquiries on the FGW Coffee Shop forum, where we have input from FGW staff.

 

[metromuppet]

Are these diversions happening in the Spring/Summer? I heard on hstgen that they are. If so, I suggest we organise a forum meet then, as we can't seem to get enough people to go (at least not on the same day!) this time around (forum meet topic here). We need 4 people (doing the journey in the same direction) to get the fare to an acceptable level with GroupSave and that doesn't look like happening.

Sounds like a good idea! I see there is a off peak 1st class day return for 35.25 with railcard discount for waterloo to westbury for those interested.

 

[LE Greys]

Hoping to do the route tomorrow or the next day starting from Stevenage. Would Trowbridge be the best station to go for as I'm planning to head back via Banbury to get the maximum ammount of new HST mileage? Ideally, I'd like to fill in a blank by going through Melksham as well.

 

[bnm]

@LE Greys

There aren't any diverted services running via Melksham, unfortunately. And the two (yes TWO!) timetabled services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham are only to be found at early AM or mid evening. That's if they run. Both were cancelled today.

If you are travelling onward via Trowbridge then it's worth heading up to Bath Spa to pick up your Banbury diverted HST. Buy a route Warminster/Salisbury CDR to SHIREHAMPTON and then buy a change of route excess for the return portion. Should work out about a tenner cheaper than the ANY PERMITTED Super Off Peak Return.

 

[LE Greys]

@LE Greys

There aren't any diverted services running via Melksham, unfortunately. And the two (yes TWO!) timetabled services between Westbury and Swindon via Melksham are only to be found at early AM or mid evening. That's if they run. Both were cancelled today.

If you are travelling onward via Trowbridge then it's worth heading up to Bath Spa to pick up your Banbury diverted HST. Buy a route Warminster/Salisbury CDR to SHIREHAMPTON and then buy a change of route excess for the return portion. Should work out about a tenner cheaper than the ANY PERMITTED Super Off Peak Return.

Thanks.

 

[swt_passenger]

Are these diversions happening in the Spring/Summer? I heard on hstgen that they are. If so, I suggest we organise a forum meet then, as we can't seem to get enough people to go (at least not on the same day!) this time around (forum meet topic here). We need 4 people (doing the journey in the same direction) to get the fare to an acceptable level with GroupSave and that doesn't look like happening.

There are no further Banbury or Waterloo diversions listed in the next two years worth of online NR 'rules of the route', AFAICT because the whole station is never blocked at once. There are huge numbers of partial closures though.

I reckon this week should be seen as something of a one off, because the whole station is closed primarily for the signalling transfer. Normal weekend closures of Reading over the last few years have usually resulted in normal bustitution, as Reading West or the Southern platforms have remained open for local journeys.