Author Topic: Trains from London - any general tips, please?  (Read 58451 times)

Offline Van_Pur

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #160 on: August 19, 2021, 02:31:06 pm »
Yes - I also checked on other apps - but the prices for advanced tickets are insane - I can't belive there will be no cheaper ones later on.
Thanks for info - will be looking and waiting than.

Offline Matthew57

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #161 on: August 19, 2021, 02:43:24 pm »
Yes - I also checked on other apps - but the prices for advanced tickets are insane - I can't belive there will be no cheaper ones later on.
Thanks for info - will be looking and waiting than.


The price hasn't dropped for previous Sundays. Avanti are terrible.

Offline Matthew57

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #162 on: August 21, 2021, 10:03:59 am »
Anyone knows why there are no trains listed for Sundays (London to Liverpool) from 26.09.?
I know it's said that timetables not confirmed yet - but why?
Do they put it randomly or are they do it on specyfic day for each Sunday?

Cheap tickets now up!

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #163 on: August 21, 2021, 10:19:36 am »
Cheap tickets now up!

Where? Cos I've checked the app and it's still £60+ with a railcard and the 3rd October still can't be booked on the website.

Offline Matthew57

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #164 on: August 21, 2021, 10:26:01 am »
I meant for 26 September as mentioned in Van Pur's message.

Offline MKB

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #165 on: August 21, 2021, 04:24:44 pm »
If anyone was quick enough to get back to Lime Street in time for the 14:47 back to Euston today, they were out of luck.  Due to Avanti being short-staffed, it ran on time but without passengers.  The subsequent 15:47 is not only declassified, but all seat reservations were scrubbed.  Some unhappy people on board.

Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #166 on: August 23, 2021, 01:13:05 pm »
If anyone was quick enough to get back to Lime Street in time for the 14:47 back to Euston today, they were out of luck.  Due to Avanti being short-staffed, it ran on time but without passengers.  The subsequent 15:47 is not only declassified, but all seat reservations were scrubbed.  Some unhappy people on board.

not great.

was it packed like normal? what's mask-wearing like?
YNWA.

Offline MKB

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #167 on: August 23, 2021, 03:22:28 pm »
not great.

was it packed like normal? what's mask-wearing like?

About 10% mask usage, if that.   And about 50-75% on the Tube now, where it's still an actual requirement.

Not as packed as pre-pandemic on the return Avanti.  The inbound was only 75% full, which is probably a reflection of the crazy Advance prizes Avanti is currently getting away with.

I wonder if anyone did get back to Lime Street for the cancelled 14:47.  We legged it after the final whistle and were there by 14:54.  A lucky taxi or jogging all the way might just have got to the station in time, so you'd have been mighty pissed off to find it there, running, but with no passengers allowed to board.

There weren't many passengers displaced to the next train, and they would have had first dibs on the unreserved seats on the 15:47, so Avanti cancelling seat reservations made no sense and just upset a lot of people.

The train also arrived in reverse formation, much to the surprise of all the platform staff and passengers.  How the hell does a train set get all the way from Euston to Lime Street without anyone knowing which way round it is?
« Last Edit: August 23, 2021, 03:25:30 pm by MKB »

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #168 on: August 23, 2021, 08:03:03 pm »
In the ten years or so I've been doing this journey I could count on one hand the number of issues I've had with virgin, and these were mainly things out of their control e.g. suicides at Watford

Even the fare were reasonable if you managed to get organised and grab an advanced fare.

This shower are a fucking shambles.
Put the ball in the goddamn basket chief

Offline bradders1011

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #169 on: August 24, 2021, 09:21:19 am »
In the ten years or so I've been doing this journey I could count on one hand the number of issues I've had with virgin, and these were mainly things out of their control e.g. suicides at Watford

Even the fare were reasonable if you managed to get organised and grab an advanced fare.

This shower are a fucking shambles.

Correct. I do, however, like the pettiness that they've printed out a Virgin-logo-less balloon to plaster over all the toilets.

It's at the stage now that from Manchester I often change at Birmingham. Splitting tickets at Wolverhampton and Coventry also often lowers it. I've even considered going via Sheffield or Doncaster, such has been the price difference on occasion.
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Offline Billy Elliot

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #170 on: August 24, 2021, 06:02:25 pm »
Any tips on London to Leeds for 12 September. Is there a cheaper alternative like London Midland to Virgin (or whatever they're now called)?
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Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #171 on: August 24, 2021, 06:10:13 pm »
Any tips on London to Leeds for 12 September. Is there a cheaper alternative like London Midland to Virgin (or whatever they're now called)?

I used Splitmyfare for Norwich

https://www.splitmyfare.co.uk/

There's an option on there for £22.50

Offline Billy Elliot

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #172 on: August 24, 2021, 07:38:37 pm »
I used Splitmyfare for Norwich

https://www.splitmyfare.co.uk/

There's an option on there for £22.50

Will give it a look
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Offline bradders1011

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #173 on: August 24, 2021, 09:39:41 pm »
Any tips on London to Leeds for 12 September. Is there a cheaper alternative like London Midland to Virgin (or whatever they're now called)?

EMR do the odd train through to Leeds that might be cheaper than LNER. Grand Central up the ECML and change somewhere like York to get to Leeds might also be cheaper, GC tend to be the cheapest.
If I were a linesman, I would execute defenders who applauded my offsides.

Offline bradders1011

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #174 on: August 24, 2021, 09:50:25 pm »
On LNER, there's a seat sale happening: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/lner/#53593
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Offline Schmarn

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #175 on: August 25, 2021, 08:00:17 pm »

Allegedly advance tickets went on sale for Oct 3 on Avanti but the only trains showing advance tickets are ones that won’t get you to the game or home afterwards unless you fancy leaving at half time or waiting for 3 hours.

Thieves barely disguised.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #176 on: August 25, 2021, 08:54:14 pm »
Yep that's what I've seen too, just keep on checking the website regularly.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #177 on: August 26, 2021, 09:21:47 am »
Messaged Avanti about there being no advanced fares on any train from 9am til 1230pm released whatsoever and got this bullshit reply

"we do release as many Advance fares as we can. There will be some services where Advance tickets are limited as we expect certain trains to be busier"

Basically admitting that they didn't release those fares because they knew it would be busy due to the football.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #178 on: August 26, 2021, 09:58:18 am »
I've just fired off a complaint to their Managing Director which has made me feel a little better about things haha

phil.whittingham@avantiwestcoast.co.uk

(Freely available on ceoemail.com :) )

Offline Schmarn

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #179 on: August 26, 2021, 10:24:57 am »
Messaged Avanti about there being no advanced fares on any train from 9am til 1230pm released whatsoever and got this bullshit reply

"we do release as many Advance fares as we can. There will be some services where Advance tickets are limited as we expect certain trains to be busier"

Basically admitting that they didn't release those fares because they knew it would be busy due to the football.

That’s a flagrant admission of pure profiteering. Did you get the sense that they don’t intend to release any advance fares for those trains? If anything a busy train should mean they release more advance tickets as they’ll know they can easily make their margin.

The cost of a return for an adult is £132 as opposed to £43 the Sunday before where advance fares are available.  That’s an obscene difference.



« Last Edit: August 26, 2021, 10:27:19 am by Schmarn »

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #180 on: August 26, 2021, 10:27:24 am »
Wow, an admission of pure profiteering. Did you get the sense that they don’t intend to release any advance fares for those trains?

The cost of a return for an adult is £132 as opposed to £43 the Sunday before where advance fares are available.  That’s an obscene difference.





Pretty much yes which is what led to the MD complaint email.

I've not seen prices as expensive as that though, with a railcard I've got it as £60pp. Not the worst but when I paid £35 for Palace its still extortionate.

Offline Alf

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #181 on: August 26, 2021, 11:17:57 am »
I've just fired off a complaint to their Managing Director which has made me feel a little better about things haha

phil.whittingham@avantiwestcoast.co.uk

(Freely available on ceoemail.com :) )

You’ve got other companies like LNER & Northern doing offers to get people on trains & this lot charging double. Some fares last weekend were nearly £200 & this lot cancel the first train after the match.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #182 on: August 26, 2021, 11:19:04 am »
His inbox should be flooded with complaints about the service to be honest Alf

Offline MKB

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #183 on: August 27, 2021, 01:43:18 am »
Bear in mind that First Group, like all Train Operating Companies, is now operating its franchises under a management contract, so it is not directly making money from the current cash grab from passengers.  This is being done as a direct instruction from the Tory government.

That probably explains why life is far from fully back to normal, yet the roads are already rammed.  Plenty of people who would normally get the train, including me, being priced out and back into their cars.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2021, 07:40:00 pm by MKB »

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #184 on: September 1, 2021, 11:56:12 am »
"Advanced fares" are out for the Brighton game. Except there aren't any on any train that will get you back to London after the match has finished and the only ones that will get you to Liverpool in time are ones that get you there several hours before kick off.

Offline Schmarn

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #185 on: September 1, 2021, 12:21:56 pm »
"Advanced fares" are out for the Brighton game. Except there aren't any on any train that will get you back to London after the match has finished and the only ones that will get you to Liverpool in time are ones that get you there several hours before kick off.

So this is clearly how it’s going to be from now on. I have logged a complaint for all the good it will do. It’s pretty much worth driving now if I could reliably stay awake for 8 hours of driving in one day.

Offline Cabbie

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #186 on: September 1, 2021, 12:29:56 pm »
Avanti also doing this standard premium bs🤡

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #187 on: September 1, 2021, 12:32:18 pm »
So this is clearly how it’s going to be from now on. I have logged a complaint for all the good it will do. It’s pretty much worth driving now if I could reliably stay awake for 8 hours of driving in one day.

I've not had a reply from their Managing Director from my last complaint a few weeks ago so I won't hold my breath for this. They're lying on Twitter saying they released advanced fares for all trains, they didn't at all. Sick of it.

Offline Rhi

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #188 on: September 1, 2021, 02:12:57 pm »
They're fucking awful. Joke. Bring back Virgin.
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Offline lfc79

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #189 on: September 1, 2021, 07:10:09 pm »
Avanti are very shit, but part of the problem with the Brighton game is that man city are playing palace at home at 3pm as well, that means the routes via Crewe to Manchester and Liverpool will be really busy, even the London northwestern train have no advance tickets left.

Offline Schmarn

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #190 on: September 1, 2021, 07:13:01 pm »

Also by the time we know the outcome of the members ballot for Brighton we’ll be lucky to get a seat at all, not that that excuses Avanti for shameless profiteering.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #191 on: September 1, 2021, 07:15:04 pm »
Avanti are very shit, but part of the problem with the Brighton game is that man city are playing palace at home at 3pm as well, that means the routes via Crewe to Manchester and Liverpool will be really busy, even the London northwestern train have no advance tickets left.

Its not a case of there being no advance tickets left its a case of them not putting any advanced fares out for any trains that will get you to Liverpool (apart from the 8.07) before the match started or any trains after the match finishes. It's pure discrimination against football fans and them profiteering because they know people will travel anyway.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #192 on: September 1, 2021, 07:16:01 pm »
They're fucking awful. Joke. Bring back Virgin.

I don't think it'll make much difference Rhi as its the same bloke running Avanti, Phil Whittingham

Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #193 on: September 2, 2021, 01:02:35 pm »
it's time to nationalise the rails  :wave
YNWA.

Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #194 on: September 2, 2021, 01:03:27 pm »
Nationalisation doesn't mean prices will drop...

Offline Billy Elliot

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #195 on: September 2, 2021, 01:11:25 pm »
Nationalisation doesn't mean prices will drop...

Having natural monopolies on something essential to a lot of people is a good enough reason. One for the politics sub forum though.
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Offline Welshred

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #196 on: September 2, 2021, 01:13:43 pm »
Having natural monopolies on something essential to a lot of people is a good enough reason. One for the politics sub forum though.

I don't disagree mate, I'd nationalise the railways in a heart beat, but that doesn't mean prices would get cheaper or that they'd stop taking the piss with things like advanced fares.

Offline RainbowFlick

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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #197 on: September 2, 2021, 04:14:57 pm »
Nationalisation doesn't mean prices will drop...

shocking thanks mate
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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #198 on: September 2, 2021, 07:18:12 pm »
I've not had a reply from their Managing Director from my last complaint a few weeks ago so I won't hold my breath for this. They're lying on Twitter saying they released advanced fares for all trains, they didn't at all. Sick of it.

According to the rail regulator you should receive a response within 20 working days.

Would love to to see the response should it materialise
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Re: Trains from London - any general tips, please?
« Reply #199 on: September 2, 2021, 07:20:15 pm »
According to the rail regulator you should receive a response within 20 working days.

Would love to to see the response should it materialise

Had it this afternoon and it was basically a fuck you. I've emailed my MP as well.

"Thank you for getting in touch with us. I'm emailing you on behalf of Phil Whittingham, our Managing Director.

I am sorry to learn that you have been experiencing difficulties when searching for Advance fares for your journeys between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street.

Advance tickets are on offer for many of our services, although not all of them and they are limited in availability. These tickets represent exceptional value for money and as a result are extremely popular.

There are generally more Advance tickets available on our quieter trains, to encourage customers who can be flexible to travel outside of peak hours. To avoid overcrowding on our services we are unable to release those tickets for services which are likely to be extremely busy, which I hope you can understand.

Having looked at the availability for Advance tickets on 30 October, I can see that there are tickets for sale for the 07:03 and the 08:03 services. However, I have checked the availability of Advance fares for the return journey and there aren't any available. I am sorry for the disappointment this will cause.

I would like to take this time to thank you for your comments regarding the fares on offer. I can assure you that your concerns have been logged with our Revenue Management team for their consideration.

Many thanks for contacting our Managing Director's Office.

Yours sincerely

Name removed

Managing Director's Office"