Worcester to London Sunday 21st

[snail]

I'm travelling from Worcester tomorrow. Not being from FGW land can someone confirm a couple of things:

- is a Super Off Peak single available on the day?
- is Weekend First available to railcard holders (F&F or 16-25)?

I was hoping to get an Advance ticket but there aren't any showing on the web booking engines.

PS I know LM/Virgin may be cheaper and faster but I haven't been on the Cotswold line and don't want to go via Birmingham anyway.

 

[SephenWorceste]

I have never had an Advance ticket between Worcester and London. One option is to split at Oxford using an Advance from Oxford to London. For me that only seems cheaper for peak travel which I generally avoid. I am not an expert but I believe all fares are walk on.

Foregate Street is a mess at the moment. I am sure it will be better when they finish the renovation. I am not sure what the current situation is regarding ticket vending machines and ticket offices. Shrub Hill has both. Generally London Midland is cutting back the hours of ticket offices.

First Class is nice on the HSTs but if you get a Turbo you might not want to bother. Also the Turbos have no catering and often no working toilet.

There is an odd London train that does not go via the Cotswold Line. They go via Cheltenham. If you want to do the Cotswold Line make you avoid those. The Cotswold Line is quite scenic in a gentle English countryside sort of way.

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

[island]

SSS route EVESHAM/STROUD would be £19.65 with a railcard and is available on the day. Weekend First is £15, not discountable.

 

[snail]

Thanks for the advice. I am aiming to get an HST from Shrub Hill, I'll make sure I check the route first!

 

[Goatboy]

There are no advance tickets offered on this route for stations West of Oxford.

 

[W-on-Sea]

That's odd: a few months ago I had an advance ticket (IIRC for the princely sum of 9 pounds) for Gloucester to Oxford via this route, on a Sunday afternoon too, with the allocated train and associated reservation being Worcester to Oxford. In any case the fares on this line are generally so comparatively cheap that advances aren't really required.

 

[Goatboy]

That an advance over that route rather than on that route, if that makes sense.

You can't get an Advance from stations on the Cotswold Line West of Oxford.

 

[pinguini]

I have never had an Advance ticket between Worcester and London. One option is to split at Oxford using an Advance from Oxford to London. For me that only seems cheaper for peak travel which I generally avoid. I am not an expert but I believe all fares are walk on.

Foregate Street is a mess at the moment. I am sure it will be better when they finish the renovation. I am not sure what the current situation is regarding ticket vending machines and ticket offices. Shrub Hill has both. Generally London Midland is cutting back the hours of ticket offices.

First Class is nice on the HSTs but if you get a Turbo you might not want to bother. Also the Turbos have no catering and often no working toilet.

There is an odd London train that does not go via the Cotswold Line. They go via Cheltenham. If you want to do the Cotswold Line make you avoid those. The Cotswold Line is quite scenic in a gentle English countryside sort of way.

Best wishes, Stephen.

Yes, Foregate Street is a dump at the moment with all the work - but the ticket office area remains open (in fact since the work has started I have noticed the 2nd ticket window open more often) and of course the TVM is still there.

 

[island]

That an advance over that route rather than on that route, if that makes sense.

You can't get an Advance from stations on the Cotswold Line West of Oxford.

A friend asked and was told this is because most of the stations on the route have no TVMs for people to collect online bookings from.

 

[Goatboy]

A friend asked and was told this is because most of the stations on the route have no TVMs for people to collect online bookings from.

Not sure I buy that. Hereford, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill all have TVM's at the very least.

 

[dzug2]

Not sure I buy that. Hereford, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill all have TVM's at the very least.

But most of those are not on the Cotswold line as such - stations between Pershore and Hanborough do not have advance tickets to/from London

You CAN sometimes get advance tickets to/from places like Exeter though - either via Reading or Worcester/Cheltenham. Nowhere to pick them up though - except apparently Charlbury