Cheltenham - New Street commute

DRL86 · 21 Aug 2018

I’m eyeing up relocating out of London to Cheltenham with a view to commuting to Birmingham. Very much interested in how packed these trains are at rush hour. If anyone makes this trip regularly, any chance of a seat?

RailUK Forums

diffident · 21 Aug 2018

Heading out of Birmingham, you'd have the best chance of a seat between 16:00 and 18:00 on the Cardiff Centrals. The Bristol Voyagers tend to be standing room only at these times. Depending what time you'd need to be in Birmingham for in the morning will determine your best option. There's a Voyager that starts at BTM (calls Cheltenham at 07:41 for an 08:30 Birmingham arrival), which will have only stopped at Bristol Parkway and is pretty light for the time of day - I've always managed to get a seat on that one.

PHILIPE · 21 Aug 2018

diffident said:
Heading out of Birmingham, you'd have the best chance of a seat between 16:00 and 18:00 on the Cardiff Centrals. The Bristol Voyagers tend to be standing room only at these times. Depending what time you'd need to be in Birmingham for in the morning will determine your best option. There's a Voyager that starts at BTM (calls Cheltenham at 07:41 for an 08:30 Birmingham arrival), which will have only stopped at Bristol Parkway and is pretty light for the time of day - I've always managed to get a seat on that one.

I've travelled more than once on the 1630 New St to Cardiff worked by a 2 Car 170 and it can be rather cosy as far as Cheltenham

Kite159 · 21 Aug 2018

diffident said:
Heading out of Birmingham, you'd have the best chance of a seat between 16:00 and 18:00 on the Cardiff Centrals. The Bristol Voyagers tend to be standing room only at these times. Depending what time you'd need to be in Birmingham for in the morning will determine your best option. There's a Voyager that starts at BTM (calls Cheltenham at 07:41 for an 08:30 Birmingham arrival), which will have only stopped at Bristol Parkway and is pretty light for the time of day - I've always managed to get a seat on that one.

I've travelled on the 17:30 New Street - Cardiff service before and it was a 2-coach 170, and even after Bromsgrove it was still quite cosy on board. Although I guess these days now it doesn't call at Bromsgrove it might be slightly less cosy.

DRL86 · 22 Aug 2018

Thanks all, very helpful. I tend to work slightly later into the evenings so would hopefully find a spot after the initial off peak rush. In the mornings it would be the 7.41 (great to hear it’s not too painful!) or even the 7.57 from Cardiff and 8.11 from Plymouth. Does anyone have experience of these services?

221129 · 22 Aug 2018

DRL86 said:
Thanks all, very helpful. I tend to work slightly later into the evenings so would hopefully find a spot after the initial off peak rush. In the mornings it would be the 7.41 (great to hear it’s not too painful!) or even the 7.57 from Cardiff and 8.11 from Plymouth. Does anyone have experience of these services?

8.11 is normally a wedge from Exeter right through to Derby when I've had it.

Puppetfinger · 23 Aug 2018

Is travelling from Ashchurch rather than Cheltenham an option for you? Granted the service isn't as frequent, but if you need to drive to the station, there is free parking in the station car park, and parking at Cheltenham station in the week is a nightmare, and almost non existent for all day on all roads around it, different though if you can walk to the station, with Cheltenham ideal.

Cheltenham - New Street commute

DRL86

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diffident

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PHILIPE

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DRL86

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