London Northwestern Stoke advances

Hello

Since London Northwestern stopped offering Stoke to London services via the Trent valley, those looking for a cheaper alternative to Virgin's services, now need to change at Stafford. This is not a massive issue, since both the Stoke to Stafford leg and the Stafford to Euston leg run according to the old Stoke to Euston path.

The problem is in buying tickets. If you search on the LNW website, it offers the cheap advances, but only when not changing at Stafford. With this option, you stay on the first train, which goes to London via the West Midlands, getting you into Euston about 40 minutes later than if you had changed at Stafford.

Yet, a Stoke to Euston LNW advance fare is available. To get it, you have to use National Rail's cheapest fare finder (and I have done this successfully a couple of times recently). For example, with my railcard I can get a single from SOT to EUS for £5.30 on the 18:26 service, changing at Stafford and arriving Euston at 20:52. However, if, as is the case currently, National Rail's website fails to link properly to any of the ticket retailers, there is no other way of purchasing the ticket. I even called LNW, who weren't able to sell me one.

Now, I can wait for National Rail's website to start working again, although it frequently breaks in this way. However, I'm wondering if any of you smart people know of a possible workaround.

It seems crazy that LNW are eschewing this potential source of revenue.

It’s the same for the LNR advances from Liverpool to London. Easy to buy the super-slow directs, but changing at Stafford is typically hidden.

I find using a mixing-deck ticket site (like tickets.tpexpress.co.uk), then ticking LNR services in “show other routes”, will show the LNR services changing at Stafford, with the different advances available. I’ve bought a few this way.

setdown said:

It’s the same for the LNR advances from Liverpool to London. Easy to buy the super-slow directs, but changing at Stafford is typically hidden.

I find using a mixing-deck ticket site (like tickets.tpexpress.co.uk), then ticking LNR services in “show other routes”, will show the LNR services changing at Stafford, with the different advances available. I’ve bought a few this way.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I've tried that, but I can only get the LNW walk-up fares that way.

setdown said:

It’s the same for the LNR advances from Liverpool to London. Easy to buy the super-slow directs, but changing at Stafford is typically hidden.

I find using a mixing-deck ticket site (like tickets.tpexpress.co.uk), then ticking LNR services in “show other routes”, will show the LNR services changing at Stafford, with the different advances available. I’ve bought a few this way.

Click to expand...

Actually, I hadn't, and you were totally right. Thanks very much.

LNW are stupid. So much for competition between TOCs!

Either NRE uses a more confusing "pass through" thing for its cheapest fare finder, or it's fixed now. I could get LNR Stoke-London journeys on NRE by selecting "via Tamworth". Having done this, the click through to LNR works corectly.

Starting out with a web site such as tickets.gwr.com which lets you say "only show trains I can take with a WMR/LNR only ticket" is more straightforward, though.

Another option is Trainsplit; you can choose to show only trains operated by West Midlands Trains, though the chances are they will probably be shown in Value mode without having to do this.

I purchased one of these fares from the LNR website two weeks ago, I think I just had to add Stafford as a via point.

Train split also showed it in standard mode which was how I first discovered it existed (and at first didn't believe it as it is such a good value fare).

I found that choosing via STA doesn't cut it, as the through service calls there too (as of course it would, as that's where you change for the Crewe-Euston semi-fast via the Tent Valley). Best to choose 'via' one of the Trent Valley stops.

tomoufc said:

I found that choosing via STA doesn't cut it, as the through service calls there too (as of course it would, as that's where you change for the Crewe-Euston semi-fast via the Tent Valley). Best to choose 'via' one of the Trent Valley stops.

Click to expand...

If using trainsplit you can specify changing at Stafford.