St Johns (London) to Lakenheath/Shippea Hill.

[Esker-pades]

Hi all. I'm attempting to take a Saturday to visit Lakenheath and Shippea Hill stations.
The plan:
A train between 06:00 and 06:30 from SAJ to CST.
Walk/Tube to LST.
07:00 LST to NRW arr 08:50.
09:38 NRW to LAK arr 10:24.
<STUFF>
19:27 SPP to CBG arr 19:59.
20:15 CBG to KGX arr 21:05.
Tube & Walk to CST.
21:40 CST to SAJ.

I've used various journey planners (Abellio Greater Anglia, trainsplit.com, TrainLine (out of sheer despiration)) and the St Johns ticket machine. These all throw up an error message for the outward journey to Lakenheath. I have also tried booking tickets from Liverpool Street instead of St Johns.

Would it be possible to book a St Johns to Shippea Hill return ticket and alight at Lakenheath on the outward journey? I assume that a St Johns to Lakenheath single and a Shippea Hill to St Johns single would be much more expensive.
And, how would I go about getting this (as mentioned before, the ticket machine at my station won't sell me a ticket)?
(NB: St Johns station is not staffed except for some am peak times. Starting at Lewisham instead of St Johns is also an option.)

Dates: Any Saturday after the 20th of May.

I have a Young Persons Railcard.

Thanks,
Felix

(Codes are defined in post #12 in case of any confusion.)

 

[30907]

As you wish to go via Norwich, you would need the appropriate off-peak return to there.
This would be valid via Lakenheath and Shippea Hill with break of journey.

Using Thetford as your destination (via Cambridge both ways) would be cheaper.

 

[telstarbox]

You could potentially save time (and avoid a Zone 1 fare) by taking the DLR from Elverson Road to Stratford.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I would concur with 30907. An off peak day return to Norwich from St. John's will do it.

The break of journey at Lakenheath and Shippea Hill are part of the RETURN leg of the journey.

I can see that the journey planner doesn't want to tell you about the through tickets from St Johns using the 0700 from Liverpool Street, so book it based on the 0800 - it will be valid on the 0700.

I can't say whether it will be valid for the return via Kings Cross, but I can't see why not. The fare is the same. Maybe someone else can confirm it.

 

[NeilWatson]

The plan:
A train between 06:00 and 06:30 from SAJ to CST.
Walk/Tube to LST.
07:00 LST to NRW arr 08:50.
09:38 NRW to LAK arr 10:24.
<STUFF>
19:27 SPP to CBG arr 19:59.
20:15 CBG to KGX arr 21:05.
Tube & Walk to CST.
21:40 CST to SAJ.

Is this a train journey or a game of scrabble?

 

[Esker-pades]

As you wish to go via Norwich, you would need the appropriate off-peak return to there.
This would be valid via Lakenheath and Shippea Hill with break of journey.

Using Thetford as your destination (via Cambridge both ways) would be cheaper.

So, single to Norwich, single to Lakenheath, single from Shippea Hill to St Johns?

You could potentially save time (and avoid a Zone 1 fare) by taking the DLR from Elverson Road to Stratford.

I don't think the XX:00 services stop at Stratford. Depending on the time I have to get to Norwich, I'll bear that in mind.

 

[Esker-pades]

Is this a train journey or a game of scrabble?

An attempt to tick off two shacks with one journey.

 

[soil]

Seems like your best bet is LST - Brandon Advance (£5.95).
then SDS Brandon - Ely £4.70 (break of journey at Lakenheath, resuming at Shippea Hill)

Then Ely-KGX Super off peak single £13.15

Total around £28 with Oyster from St Johns. An Off-peak return st Johns to norwich would be £37.75

If you want, a Croydon - Ely super-off-peak return is £14.60. This could be used to & from either New Cross Gate or Brockley to London, if that would help. Otherwise you can use Oyster between St Johns and LST /KGX.

 

[RJ]

An attempt to tick off two shacks with one journey.

The number of people willing to help increases if posts are written in Plain English, rather than a load of station codes.

 

[soil]

Interestingly at NFM64, Ipswich - Peterborough was £14.50 'Route Direct' SDS. This is now £27.20 SOS Not via London, £26.50 SVS Not Via London, CDS £24.40 Not Via London. Route Direct no longer exists, despite the direct trains. A rise of 68% (or more)

Meanwhile, Ipswich - Norwich was £11.50 SDS Any Permitted, which has risen to £15.20 (32%)

Tickets from Ipswich past Norwich are inconsistently priced (prices w/o railcard):

Norwich or Wymondham £15.20 SDS/£17.60 CDR (was: £11.50 SDS @ NFM64)
Spooner Row to Brandon (inclusive) are £17.70 SDS/£18.10 CDR (was £16.00 SDS)
Lakenheath to Ely (inclusive) are £13.40 SDS/£17.60 CDR (was £8.40 SDS)

So Ipswich - Brandon has risen only 11%, and the CDR costs 3% more than the SDS. Whereas Ely is up 60%, with the CDR 31% more than the SDS.

Hence Ipswich - Brandon has valid RPs of Pbo (even though you surely pass through Ely on the way), Ely, and Norwich. Pbo - Ipswich is valid via London, the SVR costing £126 ✠ANY PERMITTED, while Brandon - Ipswich is £26.90 ANY PERMITTED (no ✠).

 

[yorkie]

We do ask that codes are properly defined the first time they are used. (We also ask that only correct codes are used; at first glance these do all appear correct but we do get some people giving incorrect station codes and incorrect fare type codes, leading to even more confusion, so by asking them to be defined, it ensures we know they are correct)

Codes are very useful to save time when looking up prices or itineraries in booking engines or journey planners, but if we are to visualise the journey, we really need the station names too.

 

[Esker-pades]

We do ask that codes are properly defined the first time they are used. (We also ask that only correct codes are used; at first glance these do all appear correct but we do get some people giving incorrect station codes and incorrect fare type codes, leading to even more confusion, so by asking them to be defined, it ensures we know they are correct)

Codes are very useful to save time when looking up prices or itineraries in booking engines or journey planners, but if we are to visualise the journey, we really need the station names too.

OK. Thanks for making me aware of this.

SAJ = St Johns (London)
SPP = Shippea Hill
LAK = Lakenheath
NRW = Norwich
CBG = Cambridge
KGX = London Kings Cross
CST = London Cannon Street
LST = London Liverpool Street

 

[30907]

So, single to Norwich, single to Lakenheath, single from Shippea Hill to St Johns?

NO. I am suggesting Off-peak return St John's to Norwich.

Picking up on soil's first post, you might be able to save a little with a LST-NRW Advance, then singles NRW-ELY and ELY-KGX, but it would depend on getting a decent fare for the first leg.

 

[JBuchananGB]

On the first two Saturdays after Felix's start date, i.e. 27/5 and 3/6 AGA are not offering any Advance Purchase tickets for travel on the 0700 LST to Norwich. This could be because it is a bank holiday weekend followed by still school half-term. Maybe advance tickets will come available for later dates in due course.

And indeed the 0700 does not call at Stratford, although journey planners do show the connection at Norwich for the train to Lakenheath as achievable from the 0730 departure from LST, which does call at Stratford.

You can book the ticket online selecting a suitable off-peak time of day, and collect it from ticket machine at your station of choice. I still think - keep it simple and get the £37.75 off peak day return, or wait and see if any Advance tickets become available.

 

[soil]

On the first two Saturdays after Felix's start date, i.e. 27/5 and 3/6 AGA are not offering any Advance Purchase tickets for travel on the 0700 LST to Norwich. This could be because it is a bank holiday weekend followed by still school half-term. Maybe advance tickets will come available for later dates in due course.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx
Not on sale yet.

You can book the ticket online selecting a suitable off-peak time of day, and collect it from ticket machine at your station of choice. I still think - keep it simple and get the £37.75 off peak day return, or wait and see if any Advance tickets become available.

off-peak return, not off-peak day return.

 

[Esker-pades]

NO. I am suggesting Off-peak return St John's to Norwich.

Picking up on soil's first post, you might be able to save a little with a LST-NRW Advance, then singles NRW-ELY and ELY-KGX, but it would depend on getting a decent fare for the first leg.

I'll check for advance fares for the London to Norwich leg. Thanks for the suggestion .

You can book the ticket online selecting a suitable off-peak time of day, and collect it from ticket machine at your station of choice. I still think - keep it simple and get the £37.75 off peak day return, or wait and see if any Advance tickets become available.

For what route is the £37.75 ticket for?

 

[30907]

I'll check for advance fares for the London to Norwich leg. Thanks for the suggestion .




For what route is the £37.75 ticket for?

See posts 2,4,8 and 13.

St John's to Norwich. Valid to return via Lakenheath etc.

 

[Esker-pades]

See posts 2,4,8 and 13.

St John's to Norwich. Valid to return via Lakenheath etc.

That sounds like the best option. Thanks very much.