Ticket Query - St Pancras to Newcastle via Luton & Sheffield

[helinlouise]

Hi,

First time post on here but have tried calling National Rail and Midland Rail and have got nowhere with their call centres.

I have a super off peak ticket from Newcastle to Luton Airport Parkway (via Sheffield) and would like to use the return portion tomorrow. However, I am in London so wanted to purchase a ticket from St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway and stay on the train (13.58 from St Pancras to Derby).

My issue is the 13.58 doesn't stop at LAP - if my tickets 'split' there, does the train need to actually stop at LAP?

I'm just trying to make the quickest journey back to Newcastle possible!

Thanks for any help.

Helen

 

[roversfan2001]

Yes, the train has to stop where you change tickets. A ticket to Leicester would be required to use that train.

 

[sheff1]

Welcome

I cannot find a Super Off Peak fare from Newcastle to Luton Airport Parkway (via Sheffield). How much did you pay for the ticket ? Depending what exact ticket you have, we may be able to work out a reasonable fare going direct from Kings Cross to Newcastle which would certainly be the quickest route.

 

[helinlouise]

Thanks, much appreciated - I have an off peak return and I am using the return portion.

The route is 'via Sheffield' and it has code 3v on it.

It's actually to Luton Airport not just LAP.

 

[helinlouise]

It's off peak not super off peak (my error).

 

[roversfan2001]

The xx29 services from St Pancras stop at Luton Airport Parkway, you could change trains at Leicester to continue your journey north.

 

[Paul Kelly]

You could get the 13:29 from St Pancras to Nottingham, and change to the Sheffield train at Leicester. This satisfies the requirement that the train must stop at Luton Airport Parkway. Here is a suitable itinerary:

Edit: roversfan got there first with the same suggestion!

 

[helinlouise]

That's what I was going to do but it's over 5 hours so if there's any other route I'm allowed to do I'm all ears

 

[sheff1]

It's actually to Luton Airport not just LAP.

That makes things more difficult for my idea of going back from Kings Cross as the only fares from Newcastle to Luton Airport are routed "Sheffield", whereas to Luton Airport Parkway (which is code LTN, by the way, not LAP) there are fares valid via London

Someone more knowledgeable than me might be able to advise whether an excess fare to enable travel direct from London would be possible.

 

[roversfan2001]

Even the quickest journeys from London to Newcastle via Sheffield are over 4 and a half hours. The quickest route (from Kings Cross, straight up the ECML) would require a ticket to Doncaster. There are £25 Advances currently available on the 1330 from Kings Cross, calling at DON at 1508 and arriving at Newcastle at 1643.

 

[helinlouise]

That's a brilliant idea roversfan2001 thanks so much to you and others for your help.

 

[Joe Paxton]

That makes things more difficult for my idea of going back from Kings Cross as the only fares from Newcastle to Luton Airport are routed "Sheffield", whereas to Luton Airport Parkway (which is code LTN, by the way, not LAP) there are fares valid via London.

That's kinda peculiar.

So from some origin points it's worth considering booking to Luton Airport Parkway rather than getting a through ticket to "Luton Airport" (the latter includes the shuttle bus fare between the Parkway station and airport) so as to retain the flexibility to travel via London.