Edinburgh-Oxford via B'gham on XC

[deSiem]

Hi all,

I've traveled the Edinburgh-Oxford via B'gham route quite a few times in the past year. Happily splitting the trip at Birmingham taking advantage of the £16.50 advance single price for the Edinburgh Birmingham part on XC.

I've got another trip coming up this weekend and in September (traveling out on thu/friday and back on a monday), but alas can't find a cheaper ticket than 49.50 for the same leg, both for next weekend and in Sept.

Anyone knows if this is a permanent thing, or XC just trying to make the most on the Edinburgh festival?

 

[ainsworth74]

Anyone knows if this is a permanent thing, or XC just trying to make the most on the Edinburgh festival?

More than likely due to the Edinburgh festival all the cheap advances have already sold out. Try sometime in October and I would guess the prices would be back to what your used to.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Hi deSiem, welcome to the forum!

I'm sure someone will be along to answer your query alot more fully, although I'd just like to point out:

If you're travelling towards the end of the week, particularly on Fridays, companies like Cross Country do tend to have far fewer cheaper tickets available, owing to the usual increase in demand for seats before the start of the weekend.

If you're travelling this Friday early afternoon, you may be interested in knowing that the 13:07 Edinburgh to Birmingham/Plymouth is booked to be formed of an HST, instead of the usual Voyager, meaning that there are more seats available.

The 13:07 is currently offering First Class (very nice on XC HSTs i.m.o) for 57.50, with Standard being just 8.00 (cant do pound sign with this keyboard) less at the moment. The equivalent First Class ticket on the faster Virgin Train leaving 15 minutes earlier, is 147.00!

Friday's 18:33 Birmingham N St to Reading is currently 13.00, instead of the walk on single of 27.00 . (Total cost of my suggested trip is 70.50, with the 5 hours on the Edinburgh-Birmingham HST being in First Class)

Like i say, that's just a suggestion, but it may be handy to know about the 13:07 Edinburgh to Plymouth being an HST on Fridays.

 

[deSiem]

Thanks for the replies.

I checked some random dates up till November but there doesn't seem to be any £16.50 tickets left.
Guess it's a question of people having caught on to this bargain then!

Was eying up the 1st class tickets as well, may as well for 8 quid more.

Wouldn't have been too bad weren't for the fact I need to return to Edinburgh as well.

cheers
Simon

btw what's the difference between a HST and Voyager train?

 

[voyagerdude220]

You're welcome

The only real negative to Cross Country First Class is that the 'complimentary' food offered to passengers isn't what i'd call high quality.

This week's menu:

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/SiteImages/Assets/3/May_2010_FC_Menu_2.pdf

I still think it's more than worth it though, simply for the extra comfort and privacy. I don't see First Class being too busy on the service going by when I used it a few Fridays back. I think Standard will be extremely busy throughout, judging by the amount of people who joined at intermediate stations. I was very glad to be in First.

 

[deSiem]

Indeed that train is busy but getting on at Edinburgh and Birmingham helps. Yorks to me, seems the 'border' (for lack of better words) between busy and fairly quiet.

also to repeat my question edited in later in my previous post

what is the difference between a HST and Voyager?

 

[voyagerdude220]

also to repeat my question edited in later in my previous post

what is the difference between a HST and Voyager?

Sorry i missed that. Just a very brief overview:

A Voyager is the type of train which Cross Country use on almost all (99%) of services between Edinburgh and Birmingham etc, which only have four or five carriages, and a reputation for overcrowding.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_220)

An HST is an older type of train which the Voyager's replaced when they came into action with previous company Virgin Trains. The main advantages of HST trains is that they have far more seats compared with the Voyagers which replaced them.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_Train)

According to Wikipedia-

4-car Voyagers have 162 Standard Class seats/26 First Class
5-car Voyagers have 224 Standard Class seats/26 First Class

Does anyone know what the seating capacity of a Cross Country HST is?

 

[deSiem]

Cheers for that.

btw is there a forum faq post detailing all the abbreviations used on this forum?
Be handy to have all on one place without needing to leave the site.

Apologies if there is one already.

 

[transportphoto]

Cheers for that.

btw is there a forum faq post detailing all the abbreviations used on this forum?
Be handy to have all on one place without needing to leave the site.

Apologies if there is one already.

No, I am guessing that its because there is quite simply to many!

 

[deSiem]

No, I am guessing that its because there is quite simply to many!

lol.

Anyways looks like a straightforward off-peak return (via Wolverhampton) is the cheapest option at £110.80.
No first class, but seems to be an hour or so quicker overall.

 

[route:oxford]

Hi all,

I've traveled the Edinburgh-Oxford via B'gham route quite a few times in the past year. Happily splitting the trip at Birmingham taking advantage of the £16.50 advance single price for the Edinburgh Birmingham part on XC.

I've got another trip coming up this weekend and in September (traveling out on thu/friday and back on a monday), but alas can't find a cheaper ticket than 49.50 for the same leg, both for next weekend and in Sept.

Anyone knows if this is a permanent thing, or XC just trying to make the most on the Edinburgh festival?

I also use the £16.50 fare very regularily. Especially on a Sunday when there is a straight-through service from Edinburgh to Oxford. Always buy a split-ticket at the station, but arrange a through-seat.

Managed to get a £16.50 ticket on the Northbound last week ok, but like you, have noticed that there are none available for future weeks.

My back-up plan for the future is an Advance Purchase ticket from Ox to Manchester on Cross Country then a First Transpennine service from Manchester to Edinburgh/Glasgow - they are, for now, a more economical option.

Don't forget "Megatrain" though. I'm on it later this week for £1 from Weegieland to Birmingham. Have to hope for a seat though.

Trouble with these fares though... Unless you get the heavily discounted tickets for the core Brum-Scotland section, you can easily exceed the £110ish that it costs for a "Standard Return" - which comes with total flexibility and the opportunity to use the 3h59m service to Edinburgh on the West Coast rather than th 5h03m via East.

 

[deSiem]

interesting, will check the Manchester route out.

yeah it was the 16:07 reading-edinburgh i used to take, although now it seems to be the 15:07 with the other services stopping in newcastle.

Even more weird is that XC website doesn't realise it's a direct train but Virgin trains and East coast sites do...

 

[voyagerdude220]

Even more weird is that XC website doesn't realise it's a direct train but Virgin trains and East coast sites do...

Without fully knowing the service your referring to, I'd make a guess that some websites could possibly be showing you a faster journey option, instead of a slower direct train?

 

[route:oxford]

interesting, will check the Manchester route out.

yeah it was the 16:07 reading-edinburgh i used to take, although now it seems to be the 15:07 with the other services stopping in newcastle.

Even more weird is that XC website doesn't realise it's a direct train but Virgin trains and East coast sites do...

Yes, had forgotten about that service now operating an hour earlier. It makes a huge difference for anyone, like myself, who is travelling further than Edinburgh.

Unfortunately it still means waiting an hour for the next Northbound train at Edinburgh, but waiting from 21.40 to 22.33 for the Stirling service feels significantly different to arriving at 22.40 and waiting for the last train at 23.33.

XC (and EC) services do frequently arrive early in Edinburgh, but then infuriatingly sit outside the station whilst waiting for a free platform and as the minutes tick by you know that you *could* have been home an hour earlier, but it's not going to happen this time.

 

[deSiem]

Voyagerdude i think you're right, though I think it's by about a minute though. XC is showing it enabling the slower train tick box thingie.

Had a look going via M'chester and though it may be possible to go cheaper than £110, it's some weird times and not that much cheaper.

So decided to go for the 110 price plus 20 pound forst class upgrade for the return leg.

 

[yorkie]

The HSTs appear much newer inside because they have been refurbished recently to a high standard. The Voyagers appear very tatty - they've not been touched since they were introduced approx 9 years ago. HSTs also have a lot more seats, and more tables. Power sockets are available in both types of trains by window seats. I would get a HST if possible.

The £16.50 tickets are, as far as I can tell, only available from Birmingham to Edinburgh, not for any other journeys. This fare is cheaper than many intermediate journeys (e.g. Birmingham to York) as it is designed to compete with Virgin, who offer a faster service via a more direct route between Birmingham and Edinburgh.

The 'walk-on' return fare is £101.80 and is valid on any train. The only condition is that this must be bought before travel providing suitable ticket issuing facilities are available, rather than on board. This works out at just over £50 each way and is available immediately before travel at that price, and you can return any day within 1 month.

I would not advise spending £50 on advance singles, totalling £100, unless you can go First Class for that price, as you are losing out massively on flexibility and if you change your travel plans it can cost you a lot of money. If you buy 2 x £50 tickets and get the wrong train you will be charged £97.50 on top of the £100 you already paid!