Leeds-Cardiff Splits

[wellhouse]

I'll be making this journey many times over the next three months, normally aiming to reach Cardiff as early as possible, and returning a few days later in the evening.

Journey times are more or less the same via Manchester (rather than XC from Leeds via Birmingham), and it's far cheaper to split at Manchester (both with Open returns and Advances), especially as the Off Peak Return from Manchester to Cardiff is valid on any train.

Are there any other splits to reduce the total fare even further?

 

[CompactDstrxion]

Split at Huddersfield, it's 20p cheaper than splitting at Manchester and you can travel at any time.

Leeds-Huddersfield 2x singles + Huddersfield - Cardiff Central (Route Via Manchester, 8A restriction) = £91.90

Splitting at Cwmbran is £1.70 more and you can depart from Leeds at any time (8A Restriction).

Splitting with Off Peak Returns at Manchester costs £92.10 (cannot arrive in Manchester before 0930).
Leeds-Cwmbran Off Peak Return (Route Via Manchester) + 2x singles Cwmbran-Cardiff Central = £93.80 (travel any time).
For reference, Leeds - Cardiff Central Off Peak Return (Route Not Via London) = £107.80 (travel after 0930).

This occurs because Huddersfield - Cardiff Central has a choice of routes, via Manchester is priced by Arriva Trains Wales. Leeds - Cardiff Central is priced by CrossCountry and assumes travel via Birmingham. The Anytime Return is a whopping £213.

 

[John @ home]

Journey times are more or less the same via Manchester (rather than XC from Leeds via Birmingham), and it's far cheaper to split at Manchester (both with Open returns and Advances),

I agree that it is far cheaper to split at Huddersfield or Manchester with flexible returns. We tend to avoid using the phrase Open Return because some people now use it to mean any flexible or semi-flexible return ticket, while others mean Anytime Returns only, the successor to the old Open Return.

The through Advance singles have 4 price levels set by ATW: £18, £27, £34 and £38. I find cheaper through tickets are often available by searching for trains "Via Hebden Bridge" and avoiding TPE's Advance quotas. The tickets are routed "ATW FGW NT & TPE", but you don't need to use all 4!

the Off Peak Return from Manchester to Cardiff is valid on any train.

The £82.10 Off Peak Return Huddersfield - Cardiff route Manchester is also valid on any train.

 

[sonic2009]

if traveling within the London Midland Sale Period. A Abergavenny to Wellington Shropshire ticket will be useful in a split

 

[John @ home]

if traveling within the London Midland Sale Period. A Abergavenny to Wellington Shropshire ticket will be useful in a split

I think sonic2009 means you should buy a Wellington Salop - Abergavenny route Shrewsbury Off-Peak Return (SVR) and use it between Shrewsbury and Abergavenny in each direction. It costs £26.30, reduced to £13.15 in London Midland's online Sale.

This would allow:
Leeds - Shrewsbury £52.50 SVR (outward & return by any train)
Wellington Salop - Abergavenny £13.15 SVR (M-F outward & return not before 0900) [Use Shrewsbury - Abergavenny]
Abergavenny - Cardiff £21.90 SVR (outward & return by any train)
Total £87.55.

Trains need to stop at stations where you change from one tickt to another. The Leeds - Shrewsbury and Abergavenny - Cardiff tickets are priced by ATW and do not allow break of the outward leg. Wellington Salop - Abergavenny is priced by LM and allows starting, breaking or ending either or both legs of a journey at intermediate stations.

For this offer, you must book between 26 March and 7 May, make the outward journey between 9 April and 31 May, and return within one month. The booking and travel dates are correct in the terms and conditions, but obviously transposed in the publicity material at the top of this page.