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Sheringham - Bedford

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Hadders

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I need to travel from Sheringham - Bedford (one way) on Tuesday 19 June. I see there is an advance fare on the 1649 departure from Sheringham for £20 which seems reasonable value to me (unless anyone knows any other combinations!). I have a Network railcard (not eligible for anything else)

On the connecting train from London to Bedford it will only offer a slow FCC service. Ideally I'd like to use a fast EMT service from St Pancras to Bedford. I've read various threads about reservable services and connections but is there any way to force the booking engines to use an EMT connecting service. I assume I can't just get on an EMT service as this would be a reservable service (and I wouldn't have a reservation and EMT don't have an easement unlike East Coast between Stevenage and London).

I've no problem with a reservation on a specific train for this connection as obviously if I'm delayed en-route then I can get a later train.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Paul.
 
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sonic2009

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You can make this journey cheaper by splitting advances like this, and this combination will allow you to use EMT between London St Pancras & Bedford.

1649 Sheringham - Norwich arr 1741 dep 1800 - London Liverpool Street arr 1955 dep 2029 via Underground - London St Pancras dep 2100 - Bedford arr 2137

Tickets :

Standard Class advance £8.00 1649 Sheringham - London Liverpool Street 1955
Standard Class advance £7.90 2034 Zone U12* London - Bedford 2137

Total cost : £15.90

In the event of delays on Greater Anglia which may cause you to miss the connection at London St Pancras, you may take the next EMT service without paying any extra. See here for details.

Edit at 19:16, changes reflected to allow minimum connection time between London Liverpool Street & London St Pancras
 
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bb21

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In the event of delays on Greater Anglia which may cause you to miss the connection at London St Pancras, you may take the next EMT service without paying any extra. See here for details.

I don't think this is a valid itinerary.

Arrival time at Liverpool Street is 1955 and departure time from St Pancras is 2030, giving 35 minutes.

The National Rail Timetable Commercial Information section clearly states on Page 44 that the minimum interchange time between these two stations is 41 minutes. This is not met in this itinerary hence I am of the opinion that it is not a valid connection, and if delays occur on the first leg resulting in missing the booked train from St Pancras, onward travel is at the discretion of EMT and not always guaranteed.
 

142094

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How long does it take from Liverpool Street to King's Cross St. Pancras on the Tube? I've only done the journey once and the itnerary I had made the connection time rather long, and I was able to get the earlier service from Liverpool Street to Norwich.

Even so if it isn't a booked connection you'd be having to take that chance.
 

sonic2009

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Yes I can understand that where you are coming from BB21, I will admit i made a mistake but then how come EMT will offer on their own website a connection of only 31 mins from London Liverpool Street to Bedford via St Pancras International?
 

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Hadders

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Thanks for the replies - most interesting.

The 41 minutes interchange time from Liverpool Street to St Pancras is frustrating as it can usually be done in half that time. If I book a through advance fare I could probably make it to Farringdon in time to catch the 2014 arriving Bedford at 2119 (allowable as it's unreservable). Alternatively, I could split the advance fares, save a little bit of money and 'enjoy' the better 'ambience' of EMT's trains over FCC's but I'd have to wait until the 2100 departure (and wave off the 2030 in the process) arriving at 2137. Not a massive issue either way but it does seem rather bizarre - if only EMT had a relaxation on connections between BDM and STP like EC do between SVG and KGX.

Am I correct in assuming that the 41 minutes connection time between LST and STP is to allow from getting off the train at LST, walking to the underground station, the time travelling and the time taken to exit the underground station at St Pancaras and find the connecting train whereas the time allowed for a Zone U12 ticket 'starts' when the underground train departs so doesn't have an allowance built in for finding the platform etc.

Interestingly the interchange time from Liverpool Street to Euston is 43 minutes, the additional 2 minutes presumably reflects the additional running time between Kings Cross St Pancras and Euston Square but doesn't seem to account for the additional walking time between Euston Square and the mainline station. I suppose it could be worse as I see the interchange time between Liverpool Street and Victoria is a whopping 126 minutes - it'd be quicker to walk!
 

Oscar

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I suppose it could be worse as I see the interchange time between Liverpool Street and Victoria is a whopping 126 minutes - it'd be quicker to walk!

Are you sure this isn't a mistake?

Waterloo - Victoria is 124 minutes and Victoria - Liverpool Street is 126 minutes (both the same in the other direction) according to the May 2012 eNRT whereas according to my December 2006 paper copy these interchanges are 47 minutes and 57 minutes respectively.
 

Deerfold

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Interestingly the interchange time from Liverpool Street to Euston is 43 minutes, the additional 2 minutes presumably reflects the additional running time between Kings Cross St Pancras and Euston Square but doesn't seem to account for the additional walking time between Euston Square and the mainline station. I suppose it could be worse as I see the interchange time between Liverpool Street and Victoria is a whopping 126 minutes - it'd be quicker to walk!

I'd assume the time allocated for Liverpool Street - Euston would involve a different route, arriving at Euston Underground station (say Central Line then Northern)
 

bb21

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Are you sure this isn't a mistake?

Waterloo - Victoria is 124 minutes and Victoria - Liverpool Street is 126 minutes (both the same in the other direction) according to the May 2012 eNRT whereas according to my December 2006 paper copy these interchanges are 47 minutes and 57 minutes respectively.

I believe that improvement works and consequential disruption at Victoria were taken into account in the latest figures.
 
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