Ticket Validity Worcester Shrub Hill / Folgate St - Chelmsford

[Pugwash]

Hi,

I have a ticket for the 24th March from Worcester Shrub Hill / Folgate St to Chelmsford, the ticket mentions "only via London and Stroud or Evesham"

Unfortunately there appears to be engineering work on the 24th March, and National Rail are showing routes via Birmingham New St and London Euston.

Would the ticket be valid via Birmingham and Euston or what route would I need to take ?

Thanks in advance

 

[jfollows]

Foregate Street

Valid on maps at https://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps

• HB + EB Birmingham-Euston
• LG Bristol
• LH Oxford-Paddington
• LH + GC Oxford-Marylebone
• WR Swindon-Paddington
• WR + WX Swindon-Waterloo

but this applies to "any permitted" tickets, so your +LONDON STRD/EVSHM constrains this further to those routes in the above list which go via Stroud or Evesham (the last four I think). Not valid to Euston via Birmingham. EDIT See "easement" post below.

 

[Essan]

As far as I can see, there are no trains on the Cotswold line (ie via Evesham) but there is a replacement bus service.

However, there are services to Paddington running via Stroud - changing at Cheltenham - though are there fewer connections going that way.

 

[RailWonderer]

but this applies to "any permitted" tickets, so your +LONDON STRD/EVSHM constrains this further to those routes in the above list which go via Stroud or Evesham. Not valid to Euston via Birmingham.

Either NR should not be allowed to sell tickets only via Stroud on engineering days or they should be valid via Brum if the Cotswolds route is unavailable on that day.

 

[jfollows]

However (http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf):

During engineering works between the 24 and 27 March 2024 and the 22 to 26 April 2024 tickets from Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway, Pershore and Evesham priced on (00799) LONDON EVESHAM, (00803) EVESHAM/STROUD, (00805) VIA EVESHAM, (00827) LONDON STRD/EVSHAM for journeys to or via London, will be valid via Birmingham New Street for journeys via Watford Junction. Or valid via Birmingham Moor Street for journeys via High Wycombe. Fares priced on (00799) and (00805) will also be valid via Bristol Parkway and Swindon. This fare route easement applies in both directions

So the good news is that you can go via Euston because of this "easement", sorry, I hadn't got round to checking these in my first post above......
Also:

During engineering between 24 and 27 March and 22 to 26 April 2024, customers travelling to or via London from Hereford, Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcestershire Parkway, Pershore Evesham, on tickets priced on (00799) LONDON EVESHAM, (00803 EVESHAM/STROUD, (00805) VIA EVESHAM and (00827) LONDON STRD/EVSHAM . May travel via Birmingham and either High Wycombe or Watford Junction. This map easement applies in both directions.

Easements 701165 and 701167.

 

[Essan]

However (http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/easement_text.pdf):

So the good news is that you can go via Euston because of this "easement", sorry, I hadn't got round to checking these in my first post above......

Disappointingly, I can't see any mention of this easement on the GWR website pages referring to the amendments to service.

How would a "normal" passenger be able to find this?

(I would hope there would be announcements/notices at Worcester to advise passengers?)

 

[Birmingham]

Disappointingly, I can't see any mention of this easement on the GWR website pages referring to the amendments to service.

How would a "normal" passenger be able to find this?

(I would hope there would be announcements/notices at Worcester to advise passengers?)

Yes, usually the engineering work posters at the stations would specify this. Quite usual in any event to avail of the alternative routes from Worcester to London when the direct route is closed.

 

[Pugwash]

Thank you all.

 

[Haywain]

How would a "normal" passenger be able to find this?

A normal passenger will buy online or at a ticket office and be given an itinerary or appropriate advice. Any itinerary should take into account the easement above.

 

[Class172]

Depending on when you're leaving Worcester, there's also engineering works until noon between Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove that Sunday (with rail-replacement buses operating), so there won't be any direct services to New Street until then. The Snow Hill line services from Worcester will still be operating, where you can either walk from Moor St to New St or change at Smethwick Galton Bridge for a service to New St; there's also the Chiltern service to London from Moor St if you wish to avoid a walk.

 

[Pugwash]

Depending on when you're leaving Worcester, there's also engineering works until noon between Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove that Sunday (with rail-replacement buses operating), so there won't be any direct services to New Street until then. The Snow Hill line services from Worcester will still be operating, where you can either walk from Moor St to New St or change at Smethwick Galton Bridge for a service to New St; there's also the Chiltern service to London from Moor St if you wish to avoid a walk.

Thank you for letting me know, I am planning to get a train very late morning / early afternoon with the minimum number of changes and no walking between stations as I will be travelling with an elderly relative and was hoping the train would be rather less stressful than the drive.

 

[jfollows]

Looks like 11:55 or 12:42 to Birmingham New Street which seem about the right time. The first of these starts from Foregate Street (due to arrive 11:39) so may be less busy than the second, which originates in Hereford.