Nottingham to Shrewsbury or Wrexham General

[CallySleeperKid]

I am just looking at ways of getting from Nottingham to Wrexham or Shrewsbury for a connecting Wrexham and Shropshire service to London, after noticing its £46.20 for an advanced single for 2 with a disabled adult railcard, if you get it from either Tame Bridge Parkway or as far away as Wrexham General!

After a quick search on Nation Rail Enquiries I have come up with an odd situation, which ill try and explain below......

Travel date 22nd July 2010.

Nottingham to Shrewsbury

Nottingham d 08.37
Birmingham New Street a 09.54
(Cross Country)

Birmingham New Street d 10.24
Shrewsbury a 11.19
(Arriva Trains Wales)

Anytime Single £51.40

Nottingham to Wrexham General

Nottingham d 08.37
Birmingham New Street a 09.54
(Cross Country)

Birmingham New Street d 10.24
Shrewsbury a 11.19
(Arriva Trains Wales)

Shrewsbury d 11.24
Wrexham General a 12.01
(Arriva Trains Wales)

Anytime Single £42.90

So how can it be £8.50 cheaper to travel on the same trains, at the same times to Shrewsbury and then get an extra train on to Wrexham General?

And would I be doing anything wrong in buying the cheaper ticket to Wrexham General only intending to travel to Shrewsbury and connecting with the earlier Wrexham and Shropshire service to London Marylebone?

On a side note, its only £36.30 to go from Derby (08.53) to Shrewsbury (11.15), changing at Birmingham New Street, which would be ideal for the 12.07 Wrexham and Shropshire to London Marylebone. Derby (08.28 ) to Wrexham General (11.00), changing at Birmingham New Street come in at £42.20, in Wrexham in time for the 11.27 Wrexham and Shropshire to London Marylebone.

 

[First class]

No real reason other than poor fares management by CrossCountry (who set the fare).

And you are perfectly fine to buy the cheaper fare and get off anywhere you like along the way, including Shrewsbury.

 

[bnsf734]

It gets better.

I've just looked on the London Midland site. A Hucknall - Wrexham Central anytime single ticket will cost you £30.00! As the tram is the recommended route from Hucknall to Nottingham there should be no problem starting your journey at Nottingham.

Just goes to show how daft our fares system is, but then we all know that anyway.

Calv

 

[CallySleeperKid]

It gets better.

I've just looked on the London Midland site. A Hucknall - Wrexham Central anytime single ticket will cost you £30.00! As the tram is the recommended route from Hucknall to Nottingham there should be no problem starting your journey at Nottingham.

Just goes to show how daft our fares system is, but then we all know that anyway.

Calv

That is very interesting, I will look into that one when I book! Cheers.

After a quick look I get £39.60 for 2 adults with 1disabled adult railcard.

 

[tony_mac]

There is a Nottingham to Lichfield City, Any Permitted, Anytime Day Single for £12.10, which is valid to go to Birmingham (oddly, there is a' Not Birmingham' ticket at the same price).
And then a Birmingham to Shrewsbury Anytime Day Single for £11.70.
(both single standard adult prices)

 

[ashworth]

It gets better.

I've just looked on the London Midland site. A Hucknall - Wrexham Central anytime single ticket will cost you £30.00! As the tram is the recommended route from Hucknall to Nottingham there should be no problem starting your journey at Nottingham.

Just goes to show how daft our fares system is, but then we all know that anyway.

Calv

I wouldn't be so sure about the tram connection from Hucknall to Nottingham.
read my thread entitled 'Nottingham Metro' from Friday 14th May. It can be found a bit further down the page.

Another option is to split your ticket at Chester. Nottingham to Chester is reasonably cheap.

 

[bnm]

There is a Nottingham to Lichfield City, Any Permitted, Anytime Day Single for £12.10, which is valid to go to Birmingham (oddly, there is a' Not Birmingham' ticket at the same price).
And then a Birmingham to Shrewsbury Anytime Day Single for £11.70.
(both single standard adult prices)

Would only need an Off Peak Day Single at £11.50 for the leg from Birmingham NS - Shrewsbury. A further 20p saved!!

Then there's the option to set out a bit earlier from Nottingham to get to Wrexham General in time for the 1127 WSMR departure to Marylebone. Birmingham to Wrexham Off Peak Day Single £12.70

So alternate timings and railcard adjusted fares:

Nottingham to Wrexham General

Nottingham 0737
Birmingham NS 0854

2x Anytime Day Singles (to Lichfield City, travelling short to Brum) with DSB £16.

Birmingham NS 0924
Wrexham General 1100

2x Off Peak Day Single with DSB £16.80

Total £32.80

Nottingham to Shrewsbury

Nottingham 0837
Birmingham NS 0954

2x Anytime Day Singles (to Lichfield City, travelling short to Brum) with DSB £16.

Birmingham NS 1024
Shrewsbury 1119

2x Off Peak Day Singles with DSB £15.20

Total £31.20


Both options will allow connection into the 1127 ex Wrexham General W&S service to Marylebone (1207 out of Shrewsbury).

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Thanks for the information everyone.

When taking into account that the Wrexham and Shropshire from Wrexham to London is only £46 for 2 in first class (Disabled railcard) and that includes a 2 course meal each, then a few quid extra on getting to Wrexham is not to bad.

 

[bnm]

Thanks for the information everyone.

When taking into account that the Wrexham and Shropshire from Wrexham to London is only £46 for 2 in first class (Disabled railcard) and that includes a 2 course meal each, then a few quid extra on getting to Wrexham is not to bad.

Here's an idea of what you can look forward to food wise on Wrexham & Shropshire.....

Moroccan Chicken with Rice
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/ShrewsburyTrip017a.jpg

Raspberry Cheesecake with Fresh Cream
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bnm/ShrewsburyTrip021a.jpg

I can also recommend the wine. I had an excellent half bottle of bone-dry Chablis for a very reasonable £7.50.

Enjoy!

 

[0B00]

A 'CDS' from Birmingham to Gobowen (via Shrewsbury) is only £10 which is what we always get for a journey to Shrewsbury !

 

[krus_aragon]

Another ticket that may be useful:

EMT offer Cheap Day tickets from Nottingham and Derby to the North Wales coast, with minimal restrictions.

For example: a Not-Rhyl CDS, valid after 0715, costs £22.50 before railcard discounts (£22.60 return). The routeing guide offers several interesting ways of doing this, including via Sheffield, Stockport, Chester and Wrexham (map PS).

I think that'd be £29.70 for the two of you with railcards.

 

[sonic2009]

Another ticket that may be useful:

EMT offer Cheap Day tickets from Nottingham and Derby to the North Wales coast, with minimal restrictions.

For example: a Not-Rhyl CDS, valid after 0715, costs £22.50 before railcard discounts (£22.60 return). The routeing guide offers several interesting ways of doing this, including via Sheffield, Stockport, Chester and Wrexham (map PS).

according to east midlands trains website

the cheapest single off peak single from nottingham to rhyl , valid after 0700..

is a £29.70 off peak day single. 2 adults with disabled railcard @ £14.85 each

 

[tony_mac]

I think it's cheaper to just split at Chester if you're going to Wrexham.

..although not before 9am!

 

[krus_aragon]

according to east midlands trains website the cheapest single off peak single from nottingham to rhyl , valid after 0700 is a £29.70 off peak day single. 2 adults with disabled railcard @ £14.85 each

Yep. That's the one. I pulled details from NFM05, which gave a slightly different morning restriction.

 

[sonic2009]

east midlands website checked at 15:25

For 22nd July

0737 Nottingham to Birmingham New Street arr 0854

2 Adults with a Disabled Railcard Anytime Day Single to Lichfield City, get off at Birmingham Priced at £16.00, £8.00 each per adult

0924 Birmingham New Street to Wrexham General arr 1100

2 Adults with a Disabled Railcard Off Peak Day Single to Wrexham General, priced at £16.80, £8.40 each per adult..


Total Cost Nottingham to Wrexham via Birmingham £32.80

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Have ended up with..... (All 2 adults with 1 disabled adult railcard)

22nd July

Derby d 08.06
Birmingham New Street a 08.54
Cross Country £18.20 Anytime Day Single

Birmingham New Street d 09.24
Wrexham General a 11.00
Arriva Trains Wales £16.80 Off-Peak Day Single

Wrexham General d 11.27
London Marylebone a 15.15
Wrexham & Shropshire £46.80 First Advance

23rd July

London St Pancras International d 19.30
Langley Mill a 22.00
East Midlands Trains £19.80 First Advance

Total £101.00

Happy with that.

Oh and the hotel we got on a promotion for £1 (http://www.hoxtonhotels.com/). Lucky enough to get this for the third time, its a couple of hundred yards from Old Street tube station.

 

[robert2000]

Changing at Chester is an option as the fares between there and notts are quite reasonable.

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Changing at Chester is an option as the fares between there and notts are quite reasonable.

Already booked the above, could have saved a couple of quid with different trains, but it was leaving tight connections in Birmingham.