Sheffield to Bristol on Sunday, thetrainline says go via Stockport and Newport

tobiascurious

Are there major problems with the trains on Sunday? Why such a diversion? Thanks

KeithP

Yes.

Cross Country Trains will be suffering engineering works south of Birmingham and between Birmingham and Nuneaton.

See National Rail Enquiries website.
In particular, their Future Engineering Works pages.

tobiascurious

Thanks for this.. I asked in the train station and they said I could travel via Birmingham on Sunday, no problem

So I don't know what the trainline is on about

dzug1

'Trains will be diverted via Kidderminster adding up to 60 minutes for the journey'

The Nuneaton one is irrelevant to you - not on your route

Maybe via Stockport is quicker? (Haven't checked). If so thetrainline would show that in preference by default.

tobiascurious

Thanks. It's proposing:

via Stockport and Newport, 5:28, off-peak return £73.30
Or via London, 5:00, off-peak return £125

Normal journey time is 2:50 on a weekday, off-peak return £73.30

tobiascurious

I've forced it to go via Birmingham (on Advanced Search) and it works, just a change at Birmingham.

3:17, off-peak return £104.80

Not sure why I'd have to pay £104.80 when the normal price via Birmingham is £73.30. For the sake of £31 I'll go via Stockport and Newport!

AirlieBird

I suspect that the engineering works are messing up the online booking engines. The £73 ticket is valid "via Not London" so I would be surprised if it wasn't valid on a train via Birmingham like it is on any other day of the week.

Check at the ticket office whether there are restrictions on this ticket that say you can't use it via Birmingham on a Sunday.

I've just done a test. Engineering works are ongoing until 12 December. According to CrossCountry's own site on Sunday 13 December the £73.30 ticket is valid all day via Birmingham. So, it is almost certainly the diversionary route that the train has been booked on that are forcing the booking engines to give strange routes and prices (the diversionary route is probably not a [normally] valid route). So do check that the not London ticket is valid on a service via Birmingham.

dzug1

I'd buy the £73 ticket on the day and travel via Birmingham. It's valid, and you'll save thetrainline's fee.

The fare you've been quoted is 'via Chesterfield', which is very odd. (That there is such a fare in the first place) The engineering works have I think been misprogrammed into the booking engines.

tobiascurious

dzug1 wrote: »

I'd buy the £73 ticket on the day and travel via Birmingham. It's valid, and you'll save thetrainline's fee.

The fare you've been quoted is 'via Chesterfield', which is very odd. (That there is such a fare in the first place) The engineering works have I think been misprogrammed into the booking engines.

Usually when I've seen via Chesterfield it's when travelling between London and Sheffield. I think the distinction exists because "via Chesterfield" is a cheaper alternative than "via Doncaster"

Of course Bristol is nowhere near London

tobiascurious

I think I've worked it out. Trains between Birmingham and cheltenham are taking 40 mins longer on Sundays after 8 November. Thetrainline is taking account of that already