Yorton to Stoke-on-Trent; possibly returning to Shrewsbury.

[JoeGJ1984]

I was half-thinking of travelling from Yorton to Stoke-on-Trent and return on Thursday for the hell of it (and so I get to use a request stop and my nearest station as the crow flies, according to Bing). I can find an Anytime Day Return for £12.30. But if my return train gets delayed and I miss my connection at Crewe, what if I wanted to go to Shrewsbury instead of Yorton (further, but got more frequent trains; if I miss my train to Yorton I would like to be able to get hte next train to Shrewsbury which does not call at Yorton if I can get an excess)? (I live fairly near both Yorton and Shrewsbury and usually use Shrewsbury, but Yorton is served only two-hourly). Would they sell me an excess at Crewe station? I can find an Anytime Day Return of £16.40 from Shrewsbury to Stoke-on-Trent; would I get an excess for the difference between this and the £12.30 from Yorton to Stoke-on-Trent (£4.10)?

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I was thinking of doing 1234 Yorton to Crewe then 1333 Crewe to Stoke-on-Trent and then pretty much going straight back (like I said, the main purpose is simply to use Yorton station), probably taking 1434 from Stoke-on-Trent to Crewe then 1520 to Yorton.

The reason for starting this thread is because if I miss the 1520 at Crewe, I have a 2 hour wait. But I live fairly close to Shrewsbury as well as Yorton, and will probably get my parents to give me a lift to and from the station, and so could easily just get a lift back from Shrewsbury, taking the 1608 from Crewe to Shrewsbury, which does not call at Yorton.

If I have an Anytime Day Return from Yorton to Stoke-on-Trent, does anyone know what would happen if I get delayed and miss the 1520 from Crewe to Yorton, but then get the 1608 to Shrewsbury not calling at Yorton? How much extra would my ticket cost me?

And while I'm at it, would the 1434 from Stoke-on-Trent to Crewe (an EMT service from Derby) be particularly busy? Does anyone have any experience with these trains? (I ask as I think they are 153s and have heard of them being rammed and people unable to board and being delayed because they are so crowded. I don't think Thursday afternoon in the middle of the working day would be a particularly busy time though).

 

[yorkie]

But if my return train gets delayed and I miss my connection at Crewe, what if I wanted to go to Shrewsbury instead of Yorton

Speak to station staff (or, if they're not co-operative, the guard). A 2 hour delay would cost them a lot in delay compensation so if they can allow you to travel to Shrewsbury instead, that saves them* having to compensate for the delay. As for an excess, no idea what Crewe station is like for excess fares but several stations seem to have great difficulty issuing excess fares correctly (if at all!), again all you can do is ask. But I suspect they may make some alternative arrangements if you had a 2 hour wait due to a delay (providing the connection is a booked connection, which it is in this case).

(* This may not be straightforward in this instance as it would be EMT compensating you however I doubt you would find EMT staff at Crewe which is managed by Virgin, and the onward train is ATW. Compensation is half the cost of a return portion if you are delayed by 1 hour to 1 hour 59 mins, or the entire cost of your return ticket if you are delayed by 2 hours or more).

 

[bb21]

If I have an Anytime Day Return from Yorton to Stoke-on-Trent, does anyone know what would happen if I get delayed and miss the 1520 from Crewe to Yorton, but then get the 1608 to Shrewsbury not calling at Yorton? How much extra would my ticket cost me?

If all else fails, speak to the guard before boarding your train to Shrewsbury. Most guards have been pretty good at sorting out excesses in my experience.

I don't really recommend waiting to the last minute. I would only try this as a last resort if all else fails.

And while I'm at it, would the 1434 from Stoke-on-Trent to Crewe (an EMT service from Derby) be particularly busy? Does anyone have any experience with these trains? (I ask as I think they are 153s and have heard of them being rammed and people unable to board and being delayed because they are so crowded. I don't think Thursday afternoon in the middle of the working day would be a particularly busy time though).

It will not be busy. You might get 158s or other units if lucky.

(* This may not be straightforward in this instance as it would be EMT compensating you however I doubt you would find EMT staff at Crewe which is managed by Virgin, and the onward train is ATW.

I think what will happen is that Virgin staff might ring EMT for authorisation, however given my experiences with EMT, I am not holding my breath, especially as it is not the last service of the day.