London to Kings Lynn

[Sad Sprinter]

I want to travel to Kings Lynn this week, but National Rail enquiries seems to be forcing me to go via Liverpool Street and a rail replacement bus from Audley End to Cambridge. Being prone to car sickness I'd rather go via Peterborough, change to Ely and carry on to Kings Lynn, but NR seem to be refusing to give me the option of going that route. Even when I manually input "via Peterborough", the journey appears but there are no prices for the tickets. Am I not allowed to go this route?

I was thinking just getting a ticket from my local London station to Kings Lynn, then just go to Kings Cross and get an LNER train to Peterborough and work my way to Norfolk from there, but I don't want to get on the train at Kings Cross and be told I have to pay a penalty fare because my ticket isn't allowed on that route

 

[JonathanH]

Even when I manually input "via Peterborough", the journey appears but there are no prices for the tickets. Am I not allowed to go this route?

No, that isn't a valid route, and the fact that there is engineering work doesn't change that. You would need to use split tickets.

 

[jfollows]

London to King's Lynn in the routeing guide has valid routes shown by maps

• KE
• WA

at https://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps.
These are the normal routes from King's Cross and Liverpool Street and do not include Peterborough.

 

[JonathanH]

More to the point, the fares from London to Kings Lynn are explicitly routed 'via Cambridge'.

It might be worth seeing what the forum's ticket site offers for splitting.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

No, that isn't a valid route, and the fact that there is engineering work doesn't change that. You would need to use split tickets.

Why is that not a valid route?

 

[JonathanH]

Why is that not a valid route?

Historically, he fares to Kings Lynn are set by Network South East and its successors operating local services. Fares to Peterborough were set by Intercity and its successors operating long distance services. The fares to Kings Lynn are comparatively cheaper than those to Peterborough.

Not to mention, Kings Lynn is just under 100 miles from London via Cambridge, while it is nearly 30 miles more via Peterborough.

There are regular bus services from Peterborough via Wisbech to Kings Lynn. At one time, that was an official railway bus link with through fares.

Comparative fares

London to Kings Lynn
Anytime return £87.00
Anytime day return £59.00
Off-peak return £58.90
Off-peak day return £45.10
Super off-peak day return £30.30 (weekend only)

London to Peterborough (Any Permitted)
Off-peak day return £42.30
Anytime day single £68.10
Super off peak single £29.80

Cheaper Thameslink & Great Northern tickets are available but not really relevant.

Kings Lynn is 50 miles from Peterborough via Ely.

 

[Haywain]

At one time, that was an official railway bus link with through fares.

It still has through fares - the destination to use is Kings Lynn Coach.

 

[JonathanH]

It still has through fares - the destination to use is Kings Lynn Coach.

Ah yes, although currently cheaper to use the £2 bus fare.

 

[Watershed]

You couldn't be issued with a Penalty Fare for travelling on a non-permitted route; you would merely have to pay the excess to the cheapest valid fare that allows you to travel via your chosen route.

That being said it will almost certainly be cheaper and less hassle to just buy an appropriate combination of tickets beforehand.

 

[JonathanH]

Splitting at March (and ensuring the ticket to there is routed Any Permitted) would appear to be the most likely way to split tickets for London - Peterborough - Ely - Kings Lynn, although a number of the EMR trains don't stop there, reducing options.