Birmingham to London via Leicester and MML

[Birmingham]

I’d like to travel from Birmingham to London via Leicester and the MML for a change of scenery.

Please can anyone suggest good value flexible tickets that would allow this? Feel free to DM.

Bonus points if they’d also allow the WCML so I can return direct.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Could this be done by getting, say, an Off Peak Return (route "not via London") from Birmingham Stations to somewhere like Luton, assuming the MML train from Leicester calls there, then route excessing it to route "via London" for the way back?

Or would you be expected/required to travel via Bletchley/Bedford or maybe Watford Junction/St Albans on the route "not via London" outward leg?

Any fares experts able to clarify?

 

[mangyiscute]

Searching on trainsplit, it offers the ability to use the Birmingham to London travelcard (£71.30 off peak) via Leicester, but strangely the Off-peak return is apparently not valid for this route. Furthermore, searching on EMR and national rail enquiries with via leicester does not return this ticket. If you were to purchase the ticket via trainsplit and therefore get an itinerary involving travelling via Leicester, I think that the ticket would have to be accepted on board since you were told that route by the journey planner, but it could potentially be questioned.

 

[Watershed]

Could this be done by getting, say, an Off Peak Return (route "not via London") from Birmingham Stations to somewhere like Luton, assuming the MML train from Leicester calls there, then route excessing it to route "via London" for the way back?

Or would you be expected/required to travel via Bletchley/Bedford or maybe Watford Junction/St Albans on the route "not via London" outward leg?

Any fares experts able to clarify?

That would be fine, but for the fact that MML services from Leicester generally run non-stop all the way, or non-stop from Kettering. Arguably you're not splitting since you're only using one ticket, but I wouldn't want to advance that argument myself.

So it would be necessary to change for an EMR Connect service at Kettering. It's nevertheless probably the cheapest option.

 

[Starmill]

The above suggestions are good ones. The only real alternative is the Hinckley to London Super Off Peak Return at £70.00, plus any combination of tickets you see fit for getting to Hinckley.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So it would be necessary to change for an EMR Connect service at Kettering. It's nevertheless probably the cheapest option.

Noted. Necessitating the change for a train at Kettering (originating from Corby?) and which then calls at Luton en route to London St Pancras?

I have the fare as £50.40 (Birmingham Stns -> Luton route "not via London") + £13.00 for the one-way change of route excess to route "via London", totalling £63.40 before any applicable railcard discount.

Can it be done any cheaper on a flexible "walk up" basis?

 

[mangyiscute]

Noted. Necessitating the change for a train at Kettering (originating from Corby?) and which then calls at Luton en route to London St Pancras?

Yes that is all correct, from Birmingham to Leicester I'd recommend taking the xx:22 fast train to Leicester which then gives a 1-3 min connection at Leicester, but if you miss it it is a 30 min wait for the next train to Kettering - I'd recommend this over the slower train from Birmingham to Leicester as this gives a 20 minute connection time at Leicester but ultimately you'd either have a journey time of the same length if you miss the 3 min connection off the fast one or 30 mins faster if you make it.

I have the fare as £50.40 (Birmingham Stns -> Luton route "not via London") + £13.00 for the one-way change of route excess to route "via London", totalling £63.40 before any applicable railcard discount.

Can it be done any cheaper on a flexible "walk up" basis?

It could be cheaper to use that Birmingham to Luton ticket and then a Luton to London ticket which costs £11.80 but is at weekends only, and only £1.20 cheaper and also necessitates travelling via this route in both directions, so I highly doubt that that would be worth the saving

 

[kieron]

I have the fare as £50.40 (Birmingham Stns -> Luton route "not via London") + £13.00 for the one-way change of route excess to route "via London", totalling £63.40 before any applicable railcard discount.

Can it be done any cheaper on a flexible "walk up" basis?

It's cheaper to return via High Wycombe, as the excess to the super off peak return (restriction PV) only costs £1.85 that way.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It's cheaper to return via High Wycombe, as the excess to the super off peak return (restriction PV) only costs £1.85 that way.

Indeed, however, the OP did specifically ask if they could return via the WCML

 

[paul1609]

Searching on trainsplit, it offers the ability to use the Birmingham to London travelcard (£71.30 off peak) via Leicester, but strangely the Off-peak return is apparently not valid for this route. Furthermore, searching on EMR and national rail enquiries with via leicester does not return this ticket. If you were to purchase the ticket via trainsplit and therefore get an itinerary involving travelling via Leicester, I think that the ticket would have to be accepted on board since you were told that route by the journey planner, but it could potentially be questioned.

I think the Travelcard issue may how the journeyplanner calculates the distance to the zone 6 boundary at Elstree & Borehamwood. The via Leicester route is only roughly 2 miles longer than the route via Euston and St Pancras.
The shortest route is via the Chiltern Line and a freight connection in North London without a passenger service.
Birmingham to Elstree tickets have routes + London and not via London.
National Rail suggests a route walking between the 2 St Albans stations for the not via London Ticket and says that the route via Leicester is not valid but this might not be considered the shortest route to Zone 6.

 

[Birmingham]

Thanks everyone, those are certainly a few options to consider.