ABD-PNZ, Night Riviera sleeper

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hello all - I'm thinking of making a trip somewhat like the following:

1) Day 1: head up to Aberdeen, arriving in the evening/afternoon
2) Stay overnight in Aberdeen near the station
3) Day 2: take the 08:20 ABD-PNZ and get off at St Erth
4) Take the Night Riviera to Paddington
5) Day 3: Go to Stafford from Euston

I would prefer to take the Riviera all the way from Penzance but sadly the 08:20 is only scheduled into Penzance about 3 minutes before the Riviera is scheduled to depart. That's under the 5 minute official connection time and the 08:20 has an understandably poor Right-Time arrival record so I wouldn't want to chance that! Staying in Penzance would be very expensive for the night, hence why I want to take the sleeper back as a sort of cheaper hotel.

I intend to make the trip towards the end of June, or in July. Any day of the week will work for me, but I am aware that the sleeper doesn't run on Saturday. I already have arrangements/tickets in mind for parts 1, 2 and 3 of the trip. However, I'm not sure what tickets would be best for parts 4 and 5. Unfortunately, there are no tickets from St Erth to Stafford routed via London - they're all 'via Bristol'. Splitting in London is reasonably cheap, as I can get a Super Off-Peak Single to London, and then splitting onwards is cheap again.

Would anyone have any suggestions as to particular dates that would be worth going for or avoiding, or any changes which I should make to the basic plan/itinerary? Does anyone have any ideas about sensible tickets for St Erth to Stafford when going via the sleeper? I will have a season ticket that covers me from Rugby to Stafford, as well as a 16-25 Railcard.

Thanks!

 

[noddy1878]

You could always see if the XC is on time and make a decision. It's single line working into Penzance anyway so the Night Riviera can't leave anyway. I understand it would be piece of mind from St Erth instead though.

 

[ainsworth74]

3) Day 2: take the 08:20 ABD-PNZ and get off at St Erth

Having done the Aberdeen to Penzance I can't see how any one can consider getting so close to doing the whole thing and then not actually completing it!?!

By the time we reached Birmingham I was committed to finishing my trip to Penzance by rail even if I had to make off with a hand powered cart! I couldn't even imagine giving up on purpose at St Erth!!

I can recommend the Longboat Inn next to Penzance station, good rooms, it was a reasonable price both times I was there and excellent location. Far better than going back on the Sleeper with the job not finished

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll bear them, and any more that anyone can make, in mind. I won't be booking this for a while yet as I haven't yet got much of an idea of what my summer availability will look like, but here's to a hopefully enjoyable trip!

 

[PeterY]

Good luck Fortheloveof on doing Aberdeen to Penzance in one hit. That's going to take some stamina. Are you doing it first class?

The longest jaunt I did recently (ALR) was Birmingham to Edinburgh, at 4 hours.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Good luck Fortheloveof on doing Aberdeen to Penzance in one hit. That's going to take some stamina. Are you doing it first class?

The longest jaunt I did recently (ALR) was Birmingham to Edinburgh, at 4 hours.

If I do it on the weekend, the XC upgrade should be only £20. That should be doable...

 

[ainsworth74]

It's single line working into Penzance anyway so the Night Riviera can't leave anyway.

Yes but the Night Riviera could easily be dispatched before a passenger off the XC can actually get off their train and onto the platform for the Riviera as they're going to be waiting to dispatch as soon as the single track is clear.

 

[noddy1878]

Yes but the Night Riviera could easily be dispatched before a passenger off the XC can actually get off their train and onto the platform for the Riviera as they're going to be waiting to dispatch as soon as the single track is clear.

I know. That's why I suggested keeping an eye on the time of the inbound train and the reason behind wanting to bail at St Erth.

 

[Mike99]

Theres always the option of adding the 05:54 Inverness to Aberdeen arrives 08:11 in front of doing the XC down to Penzance just to add a few more miles to the day!!

 

[causton]

I did the ABD to PNZ and then did the XC back up to Plymouth where cheaper hotels were available. It was not too bad, and don't worry it was a different unit so I was not sat in the same seat from 08:20 till midnight

 

[robbeech]

It’s all about doing the down sleeper to ABD the night before and getting the 0820 to PNZ then the night riviera to PAD of you want maximum time on trains.
On a serious note though, are you wanting to do the full trip on the one train as there are earlier opportunities to get to PNZ with an earlier start in ABD. You can get a Scotrail Service then catch an earlier XC from Edinburgh through to Penzance arriving 2054. It’s either that or a west coast alternative I guess if you really wanted to get the 0820.
For variation you could get the 0820 to Edinburgh. Have a trip down the West coast to Birmingham and then pick up your original train again (but this doesn’t solve the timing issue)

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It’s all about doing the down sleeper to ABD the night before and getting the 0820 to PNZ then the night riviera to PAD of you want maximum time on trains.
On a serious note though, are you wanting to do the full trip on the one train as there are earlier opportunities to get to PNZ with an earlier start in ABD. You can get a Scotrail Service then catch an earlier XC from Edinburgh through to Penzance arriving 2054. It’s either that or a west coast alternative I guess if you really wanted to get the 0820.
For variation you could get the 0820 to Edinburgh. Have a trip down the West coast to Birmingham and then pick up your original train again (but this doesn’t solve the timing issue)

These are all quicker, easier and cheaper options than taking the 08:20 (nearly) all the way to Penzance, however, as my Location tag suggests I am no stranger to the WCML and would prefer to try some of the ECML. Thanks for the tip though, I'll definitely consider it.

 

[robbeech]

You can get the earlier train from ABD and then get the earlier XC (1010) from EDB to PNZ down the ECML getting you to PNZ 2054 Still.

 

[Kite159]

You can get the earlier train from ABD and then get the earlier XC (1010) from EDB to PNZ down the ECML getting you to PNZ 2054 Still.

I think it is a badge of honour for someone to do the entire Aberdeen - Penzance service in one sitting, although like others have mentioned I would probably have to do it in 1st class, or at least have seat D49 or F36 reserved as those are my two favourite seats on a 220.

I agree with @causton, it might be better looking for accommodation in say Plymouth at it might be cheaper

 

[robbeech]

I think it is a badge of honour for someone to do the entire Aberdeen - Penzance service in one sitting, although like others have mentioned I would probably have to do it in 1st class, or at least have seat D49 or F36 reserved as those are my two favourite seats on a 220.

I agree with @causton, it might be better looking for accommodation in say Plymouth at it might be cheaper

I agree, but given they’re looking to finish short in order to get the sleeper means they might not be that fussed about it. It seems rather daft that the train wouldn’t meet that connection or that they wouldn’t hold it. It may be that if you’re delayed by a few minutes and subsequently they have to hold it for the XC to arrive then a chat with the guard who can contact the night riviera folk might mean that they’ll hold it another 30 seconds for you to make the connection. Though finding that out sooner rather than later would be necessary. Penzance to Plymouth tickets are in expensive and there’s a few places in Plymouth that can be had at reasonable prices though there’s one to avoid (I will look it up and mention it)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I agree, but given they’re looking to finish short in order to get the sleeper means they might not be that fussed about it. It seems rather daft that the train wouldn’t meet that connection or that they wouldn’t hold it.

This might be stating the obvious, but the railway is not going to regard a train coming in to Penzance as needing to connect with one going out of Penzance when the majority of them in both directions all stop at most of the stations, therefore they would be extremely unlikely to hold a departure for anyone coming in on an arrival.

Unless.........

....it was part of a charity distance attempt or something similar arranged in advance with the railway that would require that particular connection to be made.

 

[robbeech]

I have to say I agree in principle but on the day it might be worth asking.
As the train is regularly late I’m surprised they haven’t adjusted the timings so as not to delay the sleeper. There’s padding in the sleeper run (though I’m led to believe not as much as the ones to and from Scotland) so it would make more sense to start it later so it could keep RT further along IF it does have frequent issues leaving late due to XC.

 

[Kite159]

I agree, but given they’re looking to finish short in order to get the sleeper means they might not be that fussed about it. It seems rather daft that the train wouldn’t meet that connection or that they wouldn’t hold it. It may be that if you’re delayed by a few minutes and subsequently they have to hold it for the XC to arrive then a chat with the guard who can contact the night riviera folk might mean that they’ll hold it another 30 seconds for you to make the connection. Though finding that out sooner rather than later would be necessary. Penzance to Plymouth tickets are in expensive and there’s a few places in Plymouth that can be had at reasonable prices though there’s one to avoid (I will look it up and mention it)

£10.70 for an off-peak single for the near 80 miles* from Penzance to Plymouth, isn't really that expensive compared to some flows

(* Yes around 2 hours to cover 80 miles, it ain't that high speed!)

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

£10.70 for an off-peak single for the near 80 miles* from Penzance to Plymouth, isn't really that expensive compared to some flows

(* Yes around 2 hours to cover 80 miles, it ain't that high speed!)

You can thank GWR/FGW and fares regulation for that. The fares basket meant they had to lower some of their flows - they chose primarily the non-commuter Devon ones - to implement the massive increases they made on the London commuter rat-runs.

 

[robbeech]

Just to clarify my post should have said “inexpensive” but it split it into 2 words

 

[Requeststop]

Umm, you could check at Plymouth before you start your journey down into Cornwall, just how to time you are. Realtimetrains, are fairly accurate I find. As you travel down the county, you can check just how delayed you are likely to be, and if necessary decamp at St Austell, Truro, Camborne etc., and pick up the sleeper on the opposite platform.

When you do the journey, as you pass between St Erth to Hayle, give a wave to Lelant for me across the Hayle Estuary.