Permitted routes Derby to Bow Brickhill

[DeeGee]

Hi folks, I'm wondering if you can advise me please about a routing query.

I regularly make a journey between Grimsby Town and Milton Keynes/Bletchley/Bow Brickhill (basically to the Caldecotte Lake, for those who know MK). I've found, thanks to this forum, that the cheapest way to get an off-peak walk-up fare to BWB is to get an off-peak return to GMB-Nottingham and an off-peak return from Derby to BWB. I travel out on a Friday after work, and back on a Sunday afternoon/evening. Timing is not vital for the return, so long as I make it home!

I'm planning on making this journey again soon, and just before the booking horizon for an advance ticket (which I might choose instead) I thought I'd just check the routing possibilities for this.

In the past, I've gone from DBY-Bedford on EMT, and then BDM-BWB via the Marston Vale. On returning, I usually go to from Milton Keynes Central to Tamworth on LM, then from Tamworth via XC to DBY (and carry on to Sheffield and home). If I search for a route from MKC to DBY, that's what National Rail enquiries gives me. However, if I search for a route from MKC to Sheffield via Derby, I'm offered an itinerary with VTWC to Birmingham International and then onward to Sheffield on XC. I can't get a return itinerary from BWB for obvious reasons.

What I'm wondering is if the DBY-BWB ticket is valid via Birmingham New Street and MKC? Because if it is, I can get a train south which gives me a decent stop in BHM so I can eat before arriving in MK. It seems reasonable to me, but I don't understand why NRC will route me via BHM if I'm going to SHF, but not if I'm going to DBY.

 

[Andrew1395]

I don't think there are any map permissions between Derby and Bletchley routeing points via Birmingham. map TV goes the Trent Valley, although you can get off at Nuneaton and go via Coventry to Milton Keynes.

 

[kieron]

There doesn't seem to be a route from Derby to Bow Brickhill via Birmingham, but you could get some other tickets which are valid that way.

For instance:
£23.50 Grimsby-Nottingham off-peak return "via Lincoln"
£19.80 Nottingham-Coventry off-peak return "not via Birmingham"
£2.50 excess for the outward part of this ticket to "any Permitted"
£14 Coventry-Bow Brickhill super off-peak return "London Midland only"
Total £59.80

You could then go out via Birmingham, and back via Tamworth, switching between the returns of the Coventry-Bow Brickhill and Nottingham-Coventry tickets at Nuneaton. You can buy the excess from a station, or buy it on a train on the day

The Coventry-Bow Brickhill ticket is only valid after 7.30pm on weekdays, and the last train from Bletchley is just after 9pm.

---

Sorry; I only just realised that you were going via Sheffield rather than Lincoln.

This makes it:
£26.00 Grimsby-Nottingham off-peak return "any permitted"
£19.20 Derby-Coventry off-peak return "any permitted"
£14 Coventry-Bow Brickhill super off-peak return "London Midland only"
Total £59.20

 

[DeeGee]

Thanks, I'll have a look at that.

Just for comparison, what options do I have if I decide to only go to MKC, and not bother with the Marston Vale line? I *could* wangle a lift. Is it the same? Thing is, I don't really fancy spending ages on a London Midland train when I could be on a Pendo. Plus there's more VTWC traffic through MKC on a Sunday.

Also, could someone help me with this ticket please:

http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=COV&dest=BWB

Restriction code says I must dep MKC before 16:45 on Sunday. Is that correct? I should be able to do that. However, there's no way I can excess a single leg of a time-restricted ticket, is there? If I were late I'd have to excess the whole ticket to SVR. Is that correct?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I've got this, can I check it?

Ticket combination is:
GMB-NOT SVR (Any Permitted) = £26.00 (although I might buy from Cleethorpes instead)
DBY-COV SVR (Any Permitted) = £19.20
COV-MKC SSR (Any Permitted) = £17.20
= £62.40

16:34 GMB -> 17:38 DON
17:59 DON -> 19:27 BHM
20:10 BHM -> 20:58 MKC (I'll not make it to Bow Brickhill, I'll have to taxi or negotiate a lift)

Returning
16:13 MKC -> 16:53 BHM
17:04 BHM -> 18:45 SHF, and I'll have a longer stop at SHF and get one of the later Cleethorpes trains home

If I miss the 16:13, then there's a 16:37 LM service to TAM

16:37 MKC -> 17:54 TAM
18:19 TAM -> 19:20 SHF and home from there after some dinner.

Do the tickets I suggest buying work with that itinerary?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I can't work out how, if at all, these tickets are OK for the direct train from MKC to Tamworth!