Inverness to London journey: Perth to Glasgow train disappeared after booking.

[gord]

Can't be bothered with this. Cancelled my Inverness to Glasgow ticket (no admin charge) and noticed there are still some cheap first class tickets left on the Highland Chieftain to Haymarket, so got them instead.

It is for my 40th birthday trip, it's meant to be a treat, it eliminates the stress of the first off peak from Inverness (and the scramble for seats, got that train before!) and the potential of a bus. And it's first class, so we can enjoy the Highlands in the morning from relative comfort. My wife thinks it's a fab idea and we now have plenty of time to get to Glasgow from Edinburgh.

Only downside is having to get up a lot earlier.

I think that was a good decision.

 

[dtaylor84]

I think that was a good decision.

Yes, sounds wise.

I have also given up and taken the week off, so as long as they hand the line back on time on the Monday, it should cause me any (more) hassle either...

 

[gord]

I don't know the railways too well around there. It's looking like the Caledonian Sleeper and the Highland Chieftain are being diverted (hope so anyway!), but is there a reason other services can't be. Are there some single track sections in the area which makes it difficult to arrange?

 

[John @ home]

Are there some single track sections in the area which makes it difficult to arrange?

Yes. The diversionary route is Perth - Hilton Jn - Newburgh - Ladybank Jn - (Kirkcaldy or Dunfermline) - Haymarket. The Hilton Jn - Ladybank Jn section has 15 miles of single track with no passing places.

 

[gord]

Yes. The diversionary route is Perth - Hilton Jn - Newburgh - Ladybank Jn - (Kirkcaldy or Dunfermline) - Haymarket. The Hilton Jn - Ladybank Jn section has 15 miles of single track with no passing places.

I see. Thank you very much. So only enough capacity to get the London services alongside the regular Inverness to Edinburgh services through on a weekday then I assume. It's going to be an interesting journey on the Highland Chieftain. I assume this diversion will cause some delay. I now have plenty of time to get places now thanks to my re-arranging so it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Although just noticed there's a service for Perth due along that route that leaves Edinburgh at exactly the same time as the Chieftain leaves for Inverness in the evening , so not sure how that will work.

It's still not been officially announced on timetables that it will be diverted although LNER on Twitter have confirmed to me it will run through to Inverness. I see the Caledonian is still routed through Stirling as normal that week as well according to current timetables. Feel sorry for anyone who has a London to Stirling ticket on LNER or the sleeper, when they do get around to re-adjusting the timetable, it's going to be even more short notice for them than Scotrail left it for me.

 

[John @ home]

I assume this diversion will cause some delay.

I think it it more likely that Haymarket to Kings X will retain normal timings with Inverness - Haymarket adjusted earlier or later as appropriate.

 

[theironroad]

Can't be bothered with this. Cancelled my Inverness to Glasgow ticket (no admin charge) and noticed there are still some cheap first class tickets left on the Highland Chieftain to Haymarket, so got them instead.

It is for my 40th birthday trip, it's meant to be a treat, it eliminates the stress of the first off peak from Inverness (and the scramble for seats, got that train before!) and the potential of a bus. And it's first class, so we can enjoy the Highlands in the morning from relative comfort. My wife thinks it's a fab idea and we now have plenty of time to get to Glasgow from Edinburgh.

Only downside is having to get up a lot earlier.

I think that was a good decision.

Tbh, the Shambles you've had to go through is not a good advert for attracting new customers to rail. The tocs all bang on about how there are all these great deals when you book in advance, except the timetable planning process seems to be in meltdown nationally the last couple of years.

You've had the patience of a saint consideing you could have jumped on easy jet down to Gatwick.

Hopefully, the trip itself will be seamless........

 

[gord]

Tbh, the Shambles you've had to go through is not a good advert for attracting new customers to rail. The tocs all bang on about how there are all these great deals when you book in advance, except the timetable planning process seems to be in meltdown nationally the last couple of years.

You've had the patience of a saint consideing you could have jumped on easy jet down to Gatwick.

Hopefully, the trip itself will be seamless........

Thank you. This is a train journey I've been wanting to do for a while (to Inverness along the east coast on the Highland Chieftain in 1st class and back down to London via the West Coast in 1st class, using Scotrail to connect from Inverness to Glasgow) and thought as I was turning 40 next month it would be a good time to do it. Thought it would be a good birthday treat. Was quite exciting buying the tickets and planning the journey. My wife is coming as part of her birthday present to me and this is my chance to show her how train travel can be a great experience. If she enjoys it, she says she'll be prepared to join me on many more trips like this. Well I'm not doing well so far! (We're actually then going onto Penzance on the sleeper when we get back to London. Then back on a Pullman train on the Friday evening.)

In the end, booking the early morning LNER in 1st class from Inverness to come back down to Edinburgh and then across to Glasgow will just add to the experience hopefully. My wife's response to all of this was, "As long as we're not on a bus and if we're going across the Forth bridge while in 1st class that'll be special." So still a chance to impress her!

Just concerned that the LNER services haven't been readjusted on the timetables yet. Hoping they don't decide to terminate at Edinburgh or Falkirk, and then we're stuck on a bus again.