Cambridge-Whistable return

[jopsuk]

Headed to Whistable for a few days. Planning to do the simple route of Cambridge-Kings Cross (walk) St Pancras - Whistable (high speed). Travelling after 10am on weekdays in both directions with a Network Rail Card. Any saving (on this route) on £31.90 Off Peak Return?

(planned itinerary on way down doesn't show in journey planners- 1017 CBG-KGX and 1125 STP-WHI. 17 minutes is plenty of time for the change in reality!)

 

[Joe Paxton]

Southeastern is running a summer offer (aka 'Summer hidden gems') with a £10 day return fare from London to selected Kent destinations including Whitstable.

You do need to purchase it by 6pm the day before travel, and your outbound train has to depart between 10am and 2pm, return after 2pm. Also no break of journey. No further Railcard discount.

Anyway a £10 return plus £16.25 (with Railcard) for an Off-Peak Day Return from Cambridge to Kings Cross makes a grand total of £26.25, so a saving of a fiver.

 

[jopsuk]

Except I'm not doing a day trip!

 

[Joe Paxton]

Except I'm not doing a day trip!

Er, yes. I'll go and find my spectacles!

 

[Hadders]

17 minutes isn't enough time for an official connection between Kings Cross and St Pancras which is why a journey planner won't show your itinerary. In reality it's plenty of time if you know where you're going etc. and if you have a flexible ticket then there's nothing to stop you from making the unofficial connection.

The official interchange time between the two stations is 30 minutes (for domestic services) as this has to allow for passengers who maybe unfamiliar with the layout, passengers having to walk from the far end of platform zero, laden with luggage, waiting for the traffic lights on Pancras Road to change (rather than just walking across when there's a gap in the traffic) etc.

 

[jopsuk]

Oh, I'm well aware of the reasons for the length of the official change- and that there's little chance of the platform shown on RTT being right this far out, especially at King's Cross! (for what it's worth it claims 11)

 

[amateur]

is there an NSE easement on the 09:50am departure from Cambridge to KGX? If not, Is is ever likely to happen?

 

[Hadders]

is there an NSE easement on the 09:50am departure from Cambridge to KGX? If not, Is is ever likely to happen?

Not that I'm aware of and I doubt very much one will be introduced.

 

[Joe Paxton]

is there an NSE easement on the 09:50am departure from Cambridge to KGX? If not, Is is ever likely to happen?

Nope.

Presumably the addition of any further easements to the Network Railcard list is up to the relevant TOC (so in this case everyone's favourite train operator GTR).

 

[jopsuk]

I think all the pre-10am easements that allow travel to London arrive there after 11am.

meanwhile: no actual suggestions? It's OK if there aren't, I was just curious!