Night Riviera, Newton Abbot

[fireftrm]

Despite requesting a ticket from Paignton, joining the sleeper at Newton Abbot, I have been sent a ticket which has the change at Exeter. Having looked on a number of sites this is the normal offer, in the same way as changing at Exeter appears to be the default for day trains too (in either direction), though they all stop at Newton Abbot. Can I join the Night Riviera at Newton Abbot - of course first question is whether it stops by default and the doors are opened?

 

[221129]

Despite requesting a ticket from Paignton, joining the sleeper at Newton Abbot, I have been sent a ticket which has the change at Exeter. Having looked on a number of sites this is the normal offer, in the same way as changing at Exeter appears to be the default for day trains too (in either direction), though they all stop at Newton Abbot. Can I join the Night Riviera at Newton Abbot - of course first question is whether it stops by default and the doors are opened?

Newton Abbot is a booked open stop in both directions. Is your ticket an Advance ticket? Also bear in mind that if it is a flexible ticket your reservation might not be available until Exeter.

 

[fireftrm]

It is an advance SLP Solo Paignton to London, but with the change of train shown as at Exeter.

 

[embers25]

I'd suggest it could be that it is deemed that Exeter is a much safer place to wait that time of night. I'd much rather wait on Exeter instead of Newton late at night. That being said, you would lose 20 minutes sleep and you should be able to make that choice yourself and not have it forced on you by booking engines.

 

[ainsworth74]

It is an advance SLP Solo Paignton to London, but with the change of train shown as at Exeter.

Is it technically allowed? No probably not. Is anyone likely to care? I doubt it.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

To be brutally honest, I have never had a ticket check at all on the Night Riviera (in several times of doing it). That is not to say you should "try it on", but the risk that you are "discovered" "overriding" from Exeter (in inverted comments especially seeing as the conditions do not make it clear that you can't take a reservable service for non-reserved portions of your journey) is fairly low in my view.

 

[michael74]

Quite often on a return from "up country" the system wants me to change at Exeter rather than Newton to get the train to Paignton that I pass at Exeter or Starcross/Dawlish, and I understand its about less time standing on a station but I would rather spend 15 minutes standing on Newton Abbot that spending 60 in a 14x or 150 with 3 + 2 seats....

 

[tiptoptaff]

What time train from Paignton are you booked on?

 

[alistairlees]

I'd suggest it could be that it is deemed that Exeter is a much safer place to wait that time of night. I'd much rather wait on Exeter instead of Newton late at night. That being said, you would lose 20 minutes sleep and you should be able to make that choice yourself and not have it forced on you by booking engines.

I doubt that has got anything to do with it; there is no concept in the timetable data of "safer" or different preferences at different times of day. Both Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids are classified as "medium" interchanges, so the journey planner is probably just taking you as far as it can on the first leg to an interchange point with the same importance. It might be that not all booking engines follow this rule, so some will interchange you at the first interchange point. Personally I prefer the "get the customer as far as possible" rule, even if that is no help to you here.

 

[fireftrm]

What time train from Paignton are you booked on?

23:55 was the train off Paignton - I elected to stay on to Exeter and the steward was waiting at the door to the carriage for me, I did ask and she said that I could have joined at Newton Abbot happily - after all the cabin was reserved for me, door clipped open and all she had to do was ask what I wanted for breakfast and I was the only person joining so she could have rested too!

 

[fireftrm]

I doubt that has got anything to do with it; there is no concept in the timetable data of "safer" or different preferences at different times of day. Both Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids are classified as "medium" interchanges, so the journey planner is probably just taking you as far as it can on the first leg to an interchange point with the same importance. It might be that not all booking engines follow this rule, so some will interchange you at the first interchange point. Personally I prefer the "get the customer as far as possible" rule, even if that is no help to you here.

Not sure how GWR's booking engine works, but the interchange at Exeter comes up on all the booking engines I've used - in BOTH directions, so it certainly isn't the 'get the passenger as far as possible' when heading west........

 

[richw]

Does it suggest the shortest journey times? Shortest interchange times?

There’s an option on some to select “show slower routes” which to me suggest it shows the fastest time. Does changing at Exeter shorten the journey time,

 

[alistairlees]

Not sure how GWR's booking engine works, but the interchange at Exeter comes up on all the booking engines I've used - in BOTH directions, so it certainly isn't the 'get the passenger as far as possible' when heading west........

I just tried Paddington to Paignton for next Thursday, Friday and Sunday on GWR.com. It always offered a change (with a 1h 20m wait) at Newton Abbot. I'm not saying this will be the case on all booking engines, or that it should be; rather that this is one way of interpreting the available data, and it's a perfectly reasonable way before you get into many cases of exceptions, which are hard to maintain.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I think it plans it on a “least time on a platform” basis. Asking for longer change times should get it to offer Newton instead of Exeter. The wait at Newton is 33 mins, compared to Exeter’s 9 (from arrival to arrival) But it’s still 25 at Newton to 18 at Exeter on arrival to departure basis.
Newton’s other advantage is that (in theory at least) its a same platform transfer

 

[fireftrm]

Does changing at Exeter shorten the journey time,

No - heading to Paignton you change at Exeter into the stopping service (150 if you are lucky Pacer if not) which you would catch if changing at Newton Abbot, in the opposite direction the same is true, but with a longer connection as the fast service just about catches the stopper by the time they get to Exeter.