London Terminals to Worksop

[Class800]

Trying to help my parents book 2 adults senior railcard flexible London Terminals to Worksop and back out 12 July back 15 July, both leave mid-morning. Even I'm finding it complex this one! On BR Fares, I only see anytime and super off-peak singles not via Doncaster. Seems simple. But on booking sites, see all sorts of options including Hull Trains and Northern only. I've suggested they use Trainsplit but they know LNER site much better. Any ideas why so many options? The only routes I know are via Nottingham and via Retford. They are used to via Retford. No tickets seem route specific.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

On BR Fares, to see the route "Hull Trains & Northern" fare options, you have to choose London Kings Cross as the origin station. That'll get you a choice of Anytime Returns, Off Peak Returns and Super Off Peak Refurns. Obviously you'd then be restricted to Hull Trains on the ECML and Northern for the local connection to Worksop.

The other walk up fare option is the one routed "Not via Doncaster". As LNER are the fare setters, only Anytime Singles and Super Off Peak Singles are now offered. That'll get you from Kings Cross or St Pancras to Worksop, just not travelling via Doncaster, and it means you'll need another ticket on the way back to London.

 

[Class800]

OK thanks - they initially put in open return which is probably why they only saw Hull Trains. I'll look through it with them tomorrow. No 'any permitted' return (e.g. EMR set), this will be an interesting decision for us.

 

[greyman42]

If they have luggage it is perhaps worth bearing in mind that if they travel via Retford, they will have the walk from the main line platform to the low level platform.

 

[Class800]

They travel light - but I'll let them know as they may get confused. I think they'll want to go the way they know - and Nottingham is longer (and the train Nottingham to Worksop not that reliable at times).

 

[robbeech]

Agreed about the Retford high level to low level interchange. It is now step free to all platforms (if the lifts are working) but it is a fair walk. The minimum connection time at Retford is 10 minutes for this reason. If they're used to that route though they'll know all about it so a familiarity is worth extra points.

Timings on the infrequent services that call at Retford have always been challenging. Generally the Hull trains used to give you the safer option with a longer wait during the day as the LNER options usually only left the minimum 10 minutes (or 13 at best) leaving no room for even small delays.
Nowadays i think the retiming means that the LNER options miss a useful connection at Retford meaning the Hull trains option is usually better.

St Pancras to Nottingham and then the Robin Hood Line to Worksop is generally a better bet nowadays, though it's almost always a longer journey time, but more of it on trains. A cheaper ticket (for a return trip) for this is often appealing.

Bear in mind also that the any permitted (or not via Doncaster whatever it is called now) is also valid St Pancras to Sheffield and then Sheffield to Worksop. I think this is generally a longer journey but it's often a cross platform change at Sheffield with a generous but not ridiculous connection time.
it's also valid via Lincoln on the LNER services there but this adds significant time and is likely of no use to someone who isn't an enthusiast wanting to use a different route.

 

[Class800]

They have 50 minute connection at Retford, they are slow, but even so, I don't think there's much chance they would fail to make that connection. 10-15 minutes is what they would need.