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Planning a train journey with multiple stops

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Richard86

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I need to plan a journey with multiple stops, is anyone able to advise the best way to arrange this?

I need to do this route
Leave Bicester North
Stop 1 - Grantham Train Station
2 - Newark Train Station
3 - Doncaster Train Station
4 - Wakefield Westgate Train Station
5 - York Train Station
6 - Dalrington Train Station
7 - Durham Train Station
8 - Newcastle Train Station
Returning to Bicester North

I will be doing this trip over 2 days leaving on Monday morning (meetings in each station max 30mins). I'd prefer to not drive tbh as it seems a bit silly when they're all on the same line!

Can I buy one return ticket to Newcastle and stop at each station on the way or do I need to do something else?

Thanks
 
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ainsworth74

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No you can do that on one ticket, the cheapest option on one ticket seems to be (but that is not a guarantee that this is the cheapest option overall) the Super Off Peak Return at £137.70 which has restriction code 9D. This mean that you can travel on any train to London but can only leave London (from Kings Cross) before 0300, between 0906 and 1457 and at or after 1859. On the return you can use any train due to arrive at Kings Cross before 0430 and at or after 1117. Break of journey is permitted (meaning you can leave the station for your meetings) and overnight break of journey is also permitted but you must restart your journey on trains departing between 0930 and 1159 the next day.

Do you have any railcards (or are you eligible for any?) and it might be possible to refine this advice further if you could provide some more exact details on date and times you wish to travel (for instance do you actually need to travel earlier from London?).
 

tony_mac

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If you break your outward journey overnight, then you cannot break it again.

So, on the second day, you would have to go straight to Newcastle, then make your other stops on the return leg.

Unless your hold your meetings within the station, which isn't a break of journey, but this might still be problematic on the second morning, particularly if you want to get through the barriers.
 

LexyBoy

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I agree with ainsworth74 that that itinerary would be valid with the Super Off Peak Return. (Although I think usually the restrictions state that no further break of journey is permitted on day 2, but not in 9D apparently edit: as tony mac says, probably easier to go straight to Newcastle then stop off on the return. I may well be wrong that the no-further-BoJ rule is in the ticket restriction). The mapped routes for London-Newcastle cover all routes you would reasonably use to get between your stations.

I'd advise to plan which trains you'll get as connections between your stations may not be frequent. Also bear in mind that the outward part is not valid on trains departing London between 1458 and 1858, no matter where you board them. So for example, on the York-Darlington leg, you could not use the 1851 service (departs Kings Cross 1700), but you could use the 1904 (service not from London so unrestricted).
 

John @ home

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Hi, Richard86.

Do you really need to do these stations in the order 1, 2, 3 ... 8? If it works out cheaper, would you be able to visit them in the order 8, 7, 6 ... 1?

Where do you intend to spend the intermediate night?

At the beginning or end of the journey, you may have a Newcastle - Bicester (or Bicester - Newcastle) leg. Would you be happy to travel via Birmingham instead of London on this leg? My initial calculations are that using flexible tickets you can save about £10 by doing this.

Do you have proposed dates? For travel in the next few weeks, a flexible ticket such as the one suggested by ainsworth74 may give good value. If the date is 10 or more weeks away, a combination of Advance singles and Off-Peak Day Returns may be cheaper.

Do you have any time restrictions, or are you content with an itinerary giving you at least 30 minutes at each station at any time between the first train (dep Bicester 0541 on day 1) and the last train (arr Bicester 0023 on day 3)?
 

cuccir

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I agree with John - the more info you give, the more precise advice we can give.

One thing worth noting - if you only visit a station, then you are not breaking your journey. In the National Rail Condition of Carriage on page 8 (Condition 16) it defines Break of Journey as:

For the purposes of this Condition and Condition 11, you will be treated as breaking your
journey if you leave a Train Company’s or Rail Service Company’s stations after you start
your journey other than:
(i) to join a train at another station, or
(ii) to stay in overnight accommodation when you cannot reasonably
complete your journey within one day, or
(iii) to follow any instructions given by a member of a Train Company’s staff.

In other words, you are not breaking your journey if you do not leave the station. So if you're only going to stations, you don't need to worry about break of journey restrictions on tickets.
 

34D

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I'd advise to plan which trains you'll get as connections between your stations may not be frequent.

Very good advice here. Grantham to Newark is, for example, hourly. Newark to Doncaster is at approx quarter to most hours, and also half past even hours.
 

thedbdiboy

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This is actually one occasion where the Anytime retrun may be the ideal ticket; Outward portion valid for 5 days - no time restrictions, unlimited break of journey as long as you don't repeat any part of the route, return (again with unlimited break of journey) within the month. Worth making sure that the OP knows of that option if the time restrictions for the off-peak/super off-peak are too retstrictive
 

MarkyMarkD

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In other words, you are not breaking your journey if you do not leave the station. So if you're only going to stations, you don't need to worry about break of journey restrictions on tickets.
Except Advance tickets, of course, where break of journey even remaining on the station premises is not allowed (other than where the journey requires a change of trains).
 

LexyBoy

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Except Advance tickets, of course, where break of journey even remaining on the station premises is not allowed (other than where the journey requires a change of trains).

It's still not a break of journey and as such is allowed. It just means that once your train leaves you're stuffed! If you were on a train which has a 10-minute booked wait at a station, you would be fine to meet someone on station premises. </pedant>
 

OwlMan

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An alternative is to use a Freedom of the North East Rover and a return (or advance tickets to Grantham/Newark (if using advance tickets a single will be needed from Grantham - Retford on the outward leg, Newark will be fine on the return)
 

Richard86

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No you can do that on one ticket, the cheapest option on one ticket seems to be (but that is not a guarantee that this is the cheapest option overall) the Super Off Peak Return at £137.70 which has restriction code 9D. This mean that you can travel on any train to London but can only leave London (from Kings Cross) before 0300, between 0906 and 1457 and at or after 1859. On the return you can use any train due to arrive at Kings Cross before 0430 and at or after 1117. Break of journey is permitted (meaning you can leave the station for your meetings) and overnight break of journey is also permitted but you must restart your journey on trains departing between 0930 and 1159 the next day.

Do you have any railcards (or are you eligible for any?) and it might be possible to refine this advice further if you could provide some more exact details on date and times you wish to travel (for instance do you actually need to travel earlier from London?).

I am not elligible for any rail cards unfortunatly. The trip will be taking place on the 16th & 17th April. I ideally need to be in Grantham before 1200.

If you break your outward journey overnight, then you cannot break it again.

So, on the second day, you would have to go straight to Newcastle, then make your other stops on the return leg.

Unless your hold your meetings within the station, which isn't a break of journey, but this might still be problematic on the second morning, particularly if you want to get through the barriers.

Some meetings will be in the station but I may have to leave the station for some. I am surveying the Costa coffees for damage so I do not know if they are all within the station.

Hi, Richard86.

Do you really need to do these stations in the order 1, 2, 3 ... 8? If it works out cheaper, would you be able to visit them in the order 8, 7, 6 ... 1?

Where do you intend to spend the intermediate night?

At the beginning or end of the journey, you may have a Newcastle - Bicester (or Bicester - Newcastle) leg. Would you be happy to travel via Birmingham instead of London on this leg? My initial calculations are that using flexible tickets you can save about £10 by doing this.

Do you have proposed dates? For travel in the next few weeks, a flexible ticket such as the one suggested by ainsworth74 may give good value. If the date is 10 or more weeks away, a combination of Advance singles and Off-Peak Day Returns may be cheaper.

Do you have any time restrictions, or are you content with an itinerary giving you at least 30 minutes at each station at any time between the first train (dep Bicester 0541 on day 1) and the last train (arr Bicester 0023 on day 3)?

Not particularly in that order although a longer (less interrupted journey home would be preferable). Dates are 16 & 17/04 with an over night stay probably in York but tbh wherever is easiest. Birmingham would be fine, as long as I can get to Grantham pre 1200. My meetings really need to be between 0900 and 1800, and I hadnt considered the lack of linking trains tbh, I had assumed they would be every 15-30mins.

I agree with John - the more info you give, the more precise advice we can give.

One thing worth noting - if you only visit a station, then you are not breaking your journey. In the National Rail Condition of Carriage on page 8 (Condition 16) it defines Break of Journey as:



In other words, you are not breaking your journey if you do not leave the station. So if you're only going to stations, you don't need to worry about break of journey restrictions on tickets.

As earlier I cannot guarantee I will not be leaving the station as I do not know the exact location of the stores I am surveying.
 

John @ home

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Thanks, Richard86.

Suggested tickets
Bicester North - York route Not London Off-Peak Return £80.10. (Restriction 2V)

Excess the return leg only of the above ticket to become a
Bicester North - York route ✠ Any Permitted Super Off-Peak Return £113.20 (Restriction 9D)
The cost of the excess fare for one leg only is half the difference, that's £17.05.
Check that your excess fare voucher contains the ✠ cross-London symbol under the word "Route", indicating that it will operate the Underground ticket barriers.

York - Newcastle Off-Peak Day Return £29.20. (Restriction G6)

Total cost £126.35.
(cf. Anytime Return Bicester North - Newcastle with appropriate excess for return leg - £281)

Suggested itinerary
Day one
0952 Bicester North - Birmingham Moor Street 1054
1130 Birmingham New Street - York 1340
1432 York - Darlington 1458
1531 Darlington - Durham 1547
1617 Durham - Newcastle 1630
1702 Newcastle - Leeds 1837
1845 Leeds - Wakefield Westgate 1856

Overnight in Wakefield

Day two
0956 Wakefield Westgate - Doncaster 1015
1053 Doncaster - Newark North Gate 1117
1154 Newark North Gate - Grantham 1205
1317 Grantham - Kings Cross 1426
1540 Marylebone - Bicester North 1645
 
Last edited:

cuccir

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Overnight in Wakefield

Gosh, you know how to plan a journey don't you? ;)

In all seriousness, that's an impressive itinerary and good work on the price too!

I'd just point out that it's worth giving yourself a little time at the ticket office in order to get the excess done for your Bicester North-York ticket, and to leave plenty of time to do so. Staff should be able to do it no problem, but we've heard stories in the past of some staff being unfamiliar with how to do excess tickets.
 

yorkie

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I'd just point out that it's worth giving yourself a little time at the ticket office in order to get the excess done for your Bicester North-York ticket, and to leave plenty of time to do so. Staff should be able to do it no problem, but we've heard stories in the past of some staff being unfamiliar with how to do excess tickets.
I wouldn't worry too much. A change of route excess is the same price on board the train.
 
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