Trains from Watford

Cornucopia

Can you get the school to drop him at a station on the Bedford line (say Radlett?).

He could then go Radlett-Luton-Sheffield.

Going from Watford, not changing at Birmingham NS or London is tricky.

apesxx

What about changing at Milton Keynes? We are getting the train down to Watford from Manchester next month and change at MK X

DevilsAdvocate1

He'll be travelling there on a Sunday and back on a Saturday in August. The summer school finishes around 4:30pm, so yes, he would be travelling on an evening.

The best way down that I've found is a train on the Sunday morning from Manchester. This will give me enough time to travel back to Newcastle for our flight.

DevilsAdvocate1

Cornucopia wrote: »

Can you get the school to drop him at a station on the Bedford line (say Radlett?).

He could then go Radlett-Luton-Sheffield.

Going from Watford, not changing at Birmingham NS or London is tricky.

The school are saying that they could drop him at Stevenage and he could then get the train to Peterborough. She thinks there might be some direct ones from Stevenage too, so need to look into this.

silvercar

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

He'll be travelling there on a Sunday and back on a Saturday in August. The summer school finishes around 4:30pm, so yes, he would be travelling on an evening.

The best way down that I've found is a train on the Sunday morning from Manchester. This will give me enough time to travel back to Newcastle for our flight.

Very few of the Manchester trains stop at Watford, usually you need to change at Milton Keynes. Not a difficult change, but Manchester is a long way for you to drive to and from just to put him on a train that involves a change.

Do check for engineering work.

Everynamestaken

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

The summer school will drop him off at the station and the my dad could pick him up the other end, so not so much of a problem with luggage at those points. He is 17 and although he uses buses, hasn't been on a train before

Get him practicing. Some great advice on here, so I wont echo those. When I was a kid, my dad pretty much told me to take my mum and dad on trains as there tour guide. He then did the same with me and my brother at airports. I used to think he was being awkward but it made me very independent and confident to travel alone.

Tell him to go to Newcastle to Durham Saturday and then York day after. He will be fine then, and Birmingham New street will be a doddle for him.

bouicca21

What's wrong with getting a train to kings cross and then getting on the tube? He'd have to change at Euston, but its all straightforward and there would be no problem if he missed the connection as tube tickets aren't time sensitive like advanced national rail ones.

martindow

I must say I'm quite surprised that a boy of 17 won't be able to manage changing trains. I'm sure he'll be fine and at some point or other he needs to be allowed to fend for himself.

Is he going to be off to university or going travelling in a year's time? He's going have to deal with a lot more than finding a platform at a station.

It's always difficult to allow children a bit of freedom, but sooner or later it has to happen. I think you may be underestimating his capabilities.

susancs

If it is Watford Junction he will be coming from ,there is a fast train that takes 15 minutes to Euston. It is easy to make his way from the overground part to the underground part of the station and get the metropolitan line tube one stop to Kings Cross, then out of there to the trains where he will eaisly find the train platform to newcastle on the big boards (or plenty of staff to ask). . My DD who was 17 at the time did the journey to Kings Cross then train to Leeds and another train to Huddersfield on her own and back for a university course interview about 6 months ago. She had to bring lots of bits with her, but brought her wheel along case with her and as it is step free it is pretty easy to get around with lugguage. We always say she is not the most practical person about a lot of things, but she managed this and several other cross country train journeys on her own just fine.

OP, Most of DDs classmates who were also 17 did return journeys with several train and or bus changes from London to different parts of the country for University stays, interviews, open day events etc and had no problems.

Cornucopia

susancs wrote: »

It is easy to make his way from the overground part to the underground part of the station and get the metropolitan line tube one stop to Kings Cross

Isn't it the Northern Line?