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Liverpool to Cambridge

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scotc

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16 Jul 2009
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I'm making the outward trip just under 3 months from now but I still can't find any cheap advances.

Outward on 13th October after 10am.

Return on 14th October after 2pm.

Got a 16-25 Railcard if that helps, and it can be from any of the Liverpool stations, or indeed South Parkway.

Many thanks in advance.
 
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ChrisTheRef

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Not sure about advance availability, but I did the same journey last year.

Liverpool SP >> Birmingham N St
Birmingham N St >> Cambridge

I got the London Midland bit for £5.95 each way and the Cross Country bit for £4.95 each way.

I'd advise against the long direct train to Peterborough/Ely with a short change. I really wouldn't want to be on a 158 for over 5 hours.
 

mathmo

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28 Nov 2008
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The quickest, and in my view the best, route for this journey is Liverpool - London Euston - King's Cross - Cambridge, even though this takes you much too far south. I know you can get Advance tickets with Virgin from Runcorn to Cambridge on this route so there should be tickets from Liverpool to Cambridge too, but Virgin haven't released any Advance tickets for October yet - you're just too early! Looking three weeks earlier there are a fair few tickets available, so just hang on for a few weeks yet.

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/buy_tickets/seat_reservations/default.aspx will tell you when Virgin have released advance tickets.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you going out one way and returning another if that's cheaper (there will also be advances via Leeds and elsewhere).
 

bengolding

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I've done Birmingham to Cambridge a few times in the past and always travel via Euston. Recently, I got the 09:10 from New Street and managed to get to Kings Cross in time to get the 10:45 Cambridge flyer, arriving at 11:35 as the Pendolino arrived early. If I had got the direct XC service, I wouldn't have got into Cambridge until midday.
 

westcoaster

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i once had the misfortune of doing birmingham-cambridge on a 170, was minddead by peterborough. but there are some good but baren views across the fens.
 

mathmo

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i once had the misfortune of doing birmingham-cambridge on a 170, was minddead by peterborough. but there are some good but baren views across the fens.

I've done it several times - I don't know about you, I'm brain-dead by Nuneaton as it takes a reasonable time to get even there! Nuneaton-Cambridge is marginally better but still not great...
 

ashworth

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I'd advise against the long direct train to Peterborough/Ely with a short change. I really wouldn't want to be on a 158 for over 5 hours.

I think the worst thing about the direct EMT service is not the fact that it is a long journey on a 158 but the serious overcrowding that makes this journey so unpleasant. Especially between Manchester and Sheffield it is not unusual to have standing passengers the length of the train. The lack of any refreshments on a train that is running from one side of the country to the other is also not good.

Yesterday I did a return trip from Nottingham to Norwich on this service and I actually found it quite comfortable. Ex TPE 158's both ways. I am not suffering with back ache today as I have been following doing similar length trips on Virgin Voyagers!
If you do decide to use this service from Liverpool to Ely, get an AP ticket from Liverpool to Ely and then a seperate ticket from Ely to Cambridge. It really annoys me that EMT rarely offer any AP tickets that include a change of train even when it is to another of their services!
 
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