Pricing of Birmingham - Scotland flows

[Failed Unit]

Does anyone know who prices flows North of Edinburgh / Glasgow - Birmingham, ie Linlithgow - Birmingham? I suspect it is XC as I am not allowed to book on any train leaving before Linlithgow before 1000 on a weekday.

I know I can get around this by booking Glasgow - Birmingham (which is valid via Linlithgow and Haymarket) according to the routing guide, but it looks like another example of the XC price changing catching people out and nearly doubling thier fares (on a route that you don't even use XC on)

 

[AlterEgo]

Birmingham to Linlithgow is indeed a CrossCountry flow! That explains the restrictive off peak times for this ticket. How did you guess?

 

[island]

Yes, it's XC. Since 2nd January they changed many of their off-peak fares to be valid only from 0930.

However, you can't get around this by booking from Glasgow Cen/Qst to Birmingham Stns route VIA PRESTON, as although it's valid from 0415, there is no break of journey permitted on the outbound leg so you may not start at Linlithgow.

 

[calc7]

Always good to 'shop around' to avoid XC-priced flows. One that recently came up was Plymouth-Glasgow is priced by XC and the First Anytime Single costs about £250 more than the First Anytime Single from Totnes-Glasgow, priced by Virgin.

With a bit of geographical and route knowledge it's easy to alter your start and end points a bit to shift the pricing operator in your favour.

Perhaps it would be beneficial for us to compile a list of XC-priced flows that can easily be avoided with slightly different tickets with no less route validity (except the really nice ones we wouldn't want XC/ATOC spies to find out about )

 

[Failed Unit]

Yes, it's XC. Since 2nd January they changed many of their off-peak fares to be valid only from 0930.

However, you can't get around this by booking from Glasgow Cen/Qst to Birmingham Stns route VIA PRESTON, as although it's valid from 0415, there is no break of journey permitted on the outbound leg so you may not start at Linlithgow.

Good point, plan B buy an Edinburgh - Birmingham return which is priced by Birmingham then just singles to / from Linlithgow for the rest (or work out a good splitting point such as Lancaster - haven't checked yet)

 

[General Zod]

In the past I've managed to get reasonably cheap Advance tickets from the South (via Birmingham) to Scotland and more often than not they have been via Preston using either Virgin or a combo of Virgin and TPE. Birmingham - Scotland via the North East is a XC route and I think you will defo get stung for higher prices and 0930 restrictoins.

 

[Failed Unit]

Found 2 solutions - Buy ticket to rugby but this is probably not legal as you are techically breaking your outward journey unless I really travel to Rugby to break my return... £110

or split at Carlisle at £120

both cheaper than XC at £232!

 

[SickyNicky]

The following split tickets would be valid on any train from Linlithgow to Birmingham at any time of the day, and are (rather absurdly) slightly cheaper than the through Off-Peak ticket with the 9.30am time restriction.

Standard Class
£112.70
Saves £119.30 (51.4%)

LINLITHGOW to LANCASTER
OFF-PEAK R
Fare £56.50
Route ANY PERMITTED
Restriction (8A)

LANCASTER to WOLVERHAMPTON
OFF-PEAK R
Fare £50.00
Route ANY PERMITTED
Restriction (2U)

WOLVERHAMPTON to BIRMINGHAM STNS
Outward: ANYTIME DAY S
Route VIRGIN TRNSONLY
Fare £3.10
Return: ANYTIME DAY S
Route VIRGIN TRNSONLY
Fare £3.10

 

[Failed Unit]

Thanks SickyNicky - very odd, as is the fact Linlithgow to Rugby is £109.20...

 

[OwlMan]

Found 2 solutions - Buy ticket to rugby but this is probably not legal as you are techically breaking your outward journey unless I really travel to Rugby to break my return... £110

Linlithgow - Rugeley TV SVR is only £102-50 with restriction 2T which has no restriction on break of journey so is available to stop short at Birmingham (the ticket is valid via Birmingham & Walsall to Rugeley TV)

 

[route:oxford]

Does anyone know who prices flows North of Edinburgh / Glasgow - Birmingham, ie Linlithgow - Birmingham? I suspect it is XC as I am not allowed to book on any train leaving before Linlithgow before 1000 on a weekday.

I know I can get around this by booking Glasgow - Birmingham (which is valid via Linlithgow and Haymarket) according to the routing guide, but it looks like another example of the XC price changing catching people out and nearly doubling thier fares (on a route that you don't even use XC on)

Do trains from Croy still pass through Linlithgow en-route to Edinburgh?

 

[SickyNicky]

Linlithgow - Rugeley TV SVR is only £102-50 with restriction 2T which has no restriction on break of journey so is available to stop short at Birmingham (the ticket is valid via Birmingham & Walsall to Rugeley TV)

Good spot. And completely valid for stopping short at Brum, yes.
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OK - have found a split at £96 and PM'd it to you both.