Unable to buy AP CH&ATW ONLY advances on WebTIS

[hassaanhc]

Does anyone have an update on these AP CH&ATW Advances from Chester to London? do they actually exist? I am really wanted to buy one. Or is a Wrexham to London (and use it via Chester - i.e. start there) the best bet?

If so, do those Advance fares from Wrexham actually exist or is the Super Off Peak the best option?

I am really hoping to be able to get a Chester-London CH and AW advance...but heres hoping.....

They're definitely available as far as Shrewsbury as "CH&CONNECTIONS", which only gives availability if you use the 1tph LM stopper to/from Shrewsbury and/or the 2tph LM Walsall to Wolverhampton stopper. If any AW or XC service gets included, or even a LM Liverpool service, then they are not available.

The easiest way to find Shrewsbury "CH&CONNECTIONS" Advance fares is to force the journey planner to only use trains that call at the stations served by the LM Shrewsbury service (Bilbrook, Albrighton etc). It usually results in a walk between Moor Street and New Street, but you shouldn't have issues going via Jewellery Quarter.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks for the update. I think given I would have to buy a ticket from Chester to Shrewsbury, before I could buy a Shrewsbury to London Advance, then my cheapest option is to buy a Wrexham to London Super Off Peak - if someone could confirm these are 100% valid via Chester and I shall simply start my journey there.

Its a great shame the Chester to London CH & AW Advances don't actually exist.

 

[Merseysider]

Looks like there some Chiltern & ATW walk-up fares coming in with NFM22 on 6th September - maybe they have given up on the advances? See attached screenshot showing a Super Off-Peak single for £48.90 - interestingly Chiltern are showing it as valid on London Midland even though the route description (shown when hovering over the fare in WebTIS) would suggest not...

Thanks, that's great news! £32 with a railcard rivals LM's fares from Liverpool, but with seats that don't resemble ironing boards

They're definitely available as far as Shrewsbury as "CH&CONNECTIONS", which only gives availability if you use the 1tph LM stopper to/from Shrewsbury and/or the 2tph LM Walsall to Wolverhampton stopper. If any AW or XC service gets included, or even a LM Liverpool service, then they are not available.

The easiest way to find Shrewsbury "CH&CONNECTIONS" Advance fares is to force the journey planner to only use trains that call at the stations served by the LM Shrewsbury service (Bilbrook, Albrighton etc). It usually results in a walk between Moor Street and New Street, but you shouldn't have issues going via Jewellery Quarter.

Sounds like those tocs have blocked their trains from accommodating the quotas for the &Connections bit.

Nice tip for the 'calling at' input though.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks, that's great news! £32 with a railcard rivals LM's fares from Liverpool, but with seats that don't resemble ironing boards

Remember JakeF, the cheapest LM Walk Up with a railcard is £20.45 on a Super Off Peak Return.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?...xpert=on&flow=1&multi=0&fare=8&rte=42&tkt=OPR

This is over a 1/3 cheaper then this new fare from Chester so is still better value for money with LM from Liverpool.

 

[hassaanhc]

Thanks, that's great news! £32 with a railcard rivals LM's fares from Liverpool, but with seats that don't resemble ironing boards


Sounds like those tocs have blocked their trains from accommodating the quotas for the &Connections bit.

Nice tip for the 'calling at' input though.

Even then I only seem to be able to find them on the Chiltern MixingDeck, not on the Southern one (haven't tried others).

 

[gray1404]

but wouldn't the ticket from Wrexham be better as cheaper and also valid via Chester?

can someone please confirm that the walk ups from Wrexham are valid via Chester?

 

[Hadders]

It would be better if these new fares were route:High Wycombe rather than Chiltern&ATW

 

[Merseysider]

but wouldn't the ticket from Wrexham be better as cheaper and also valid via Chester?

can someone please confirm that the walk ups from Wrexham are valid via Chester?

Yes, valid. RG agrees and the route has been valid since the birth of Christ.

Remember JakeF, the cheapest LM Walk Up with a railcard is £20.45 on a Super Off Peak Return.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?...xpert=on&flow=1&multi=0&fare=8&rte=42&tkt=OPR

This is over a 1/3 cheaper then this new fare from Chester so is still better value for money with LM from Liverpool.

The Super off-peak LM fare is only valid on the 1317 or later arrival into London (M-F), cannot be excessed before or during travel to allow passage on other operators and the latest train one can catch to get back to Liverpool in one night is the 1849.

On the other hand, any Via High Wycombe ticket is valid to arrive any time after 1130, can be excessed before or during travel for use on Virgin Trains (or XC, or LM) and allows one to catch the 1945 northbound to connect at Banbury and Wolves for Shrewsbury and north thereof. Plus, if one feels like staying later, one can leave on the 2043 VT for the difference in price, whereas with an LM Only ticket, it's a whole new ticket which must be bought before travel.

The incoming Chiltern & ATW Only tickets will still have one of the drawbacks of LM Only tickets, but do allow far greater flexibility in terms of arriving/leaving.

I appreciate your point but for me, value for money depends on more than just price.

It would be better if these new fares were route:High Wycombe rather than Chiltern&ATW

Absolutely. But perhaps there would be too much revenue sharing north of Brum.

 

[gray1404]

Good point - all of my trips South (including London) are all overnighters so coing back later is never really an issue.

Jake F Which is the 1317 arrival in to EUS with LM? I've just had a look at the journey planner and I'm getting a 1347 arrival along with a 1350.

 

[Starmill]

LM Super Off-Peak is almost entirely useless to me these days since the insaniinsane morning London arrival restriction - even on Saturdays. The relevant conparison to the Chiltern Super Off-Peak is the LM Off-Peak, I think.

 

[Merseysider]

Good point - all of my trips South (including London) are all overnighters so coing back later is never really an issue.

Jake F Which is the 1317 arrival in to EUS with LM? I've just had a look at the journey planner and I'm getting a 1347 arrival along with a 1350.

This one, it involves travelling via Brum rather than the Trent Valley

 

[kieron]

Thanks for the update. I think given I would have to buy a ticket from Chester to Shrewsbury, before I could buy a Shrewsbury to London Advance, then my cheapest option is to buy a Wrexham to London Super Off Peak - if someone could confirm these are 100% valid via Chester and I shall simply start my journey there.

A Wrexham-London Super Off Peak return is allowed via Chester and High Wycombe on maps BJ+GC. The tickets have restriction code PV, which allows you to break your journey at any point, such as by starting in Chester.

 

[gray1404]

LM Super Off-Peak is almost entirely useless to me these days since the insaniinsane morning London arrival restriction - even on Saturdays. The relevant conparison to the Chiltern Super Off-Peak is the LM Off-Peak, I think.

I think your right! In which case, although the CN has its advantages in terms of a later possible late departure time, if you are travelling to Liverpool that last leg of the journey on Merseyrail from Chester to Liverpool would really add to the journey time.

Thanks Jake F Thats really useful to know as just allows for that slightly earlier arrival. In terms of the earliest possible LM arrival on a Saturday on a LM Off Peak (SK) ticket FROM LIVERPOOL. The earliest I can work out is:

http://www.brtimes.com/#!train?uid=...board?stn=LIV&filt=STA&date=20150822&show=dep

LIV 0632
Stafford 0742 LM

http://www.brtimes.com/#!train?uid=...board?stn=STA&filt=EUS&date=20150822&show=dep

Stafford 0748
EUS 0952

There is also another LM service a mere 8 minutes later. Surely BRtimes can't be correct. I don't see LM running a second service on that route just 8 minutes behind.

http://www.brtimes.com/#!train?uid=...board?stn=STA&filt=EUS&date=20150822&show=dep

Stafford 0756
Euston 1000

I remember when a small number of Mega Train fares were offered on the Liverpool to Euston route. Bring them back!!

 

[Merseysider]

Yes, it just boils down to individual circumstances really and whereabouts in Merseyside/Cheshire your destination is.

Monday-Friday, don't forget that LM Off-Peak tickets also have a pesky NOT BEFORE 0845 restriction on any service not going to London, which means you have to wait until the 0904 or pay for a single Liv-Run on the 0834.

 

[gray1404]

Yes, it just boils down to individual circumstances really and whereabouts in Merseyside/Cheshire your destination is.

Monday-Friday, don't forget that LM Off-Peak tickets also have a pesky NOT BEFORE 0845 restriction on any service not going to London, which means you have to wait until the 0904 or pay for a single Liv-Run on the 0834.

Monday to Friday could chance it getting on a Liverpool South Parkway ex 0844 and hope it is running 1 minute down on departure - which it normally is.

For me, coming from Formby it is difficult. I could not even make it into LIV for the first LM on a Saturday. At the same time, coming back though Chester would still be a long trip home thereafter on ME.

The return journey LM ex EUS is annoying on a Saturday too as last service is at 17:46 (too early!)

NOTE: for the above service a Super Off Peak would NOT be valid as there is no easement for passengers to Liverpool on a Saturday. Only Monday to Friday can you get the 1849. But on a Saturday there is no easement (1846 only provides service as far as Crewe with on LIV connection on LM). So, the no depature between 16.30 and 19.30 still applies. Therefore the last possible service would have to be before 16.30. So that would be the 15.46 (even though the LM journey planner says this is NOT valid!)

Would a CN priced Chester or Wrexham to London be valid via Crewe? or did someone say it had a destination in the route field on the ticket?

 

[Merseysider]

Yes, one can travel WRX-CTR-CRE-BHM on ATW and then BMO-MYB on CN. Alternatively, CTR-CRE-SHR etc.