[Travel] Rail Travel - Advice please (Brighton - Cheshire)

[GOM]

From St Pancras direct to Leeds or Bradford as an alternative ?

 

[GT49er]

The loco-hauled Virgin Cross Country service ceased running about 15 years ago. It was a good idea spoiled by bad route planning. I'm sure there was a valid reason for it not going via Kensington Olympia instead of Redhill - Reading (probably too many trains inside the inner London area to make it feasible) but that made for a very long journey. Virgin even set up a driver's depot at Brighton specially for this work. Most displaced drivers moved to Euston I think. It would have been handy for so many away games this season too.

For some reason there always seems to have been a reluctance to use the West London (Kensington Olympia) line, for passengers at least - whenever at all possible, the difficult road from Redhill through Guilford seemed to be preferred for through trains. Today the WL line probably got the best passenger service it has ever had - for many years the passenger service, I seem to remember, was one train each way, daily (not Sundays).

 

[jackalbion]

The reason the long distance service stopped was because it was decided the paths would be better used for London to Brighton commuter services, would have been an absolute life save this season for many away games. There used to be a service to Edinburgh before 2003

 

[Coalburner]

For the future, a look at www.seat61.com might help. It's a very good site for rail travel.

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Long way round but there are hourly trains to Manchester from Southampton. This involves using Southern from Brighton - an hour and three quarters. The direct train from Brighton was withdrawn years ago due to lack of use.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

As much as I hate to say it [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION] is your man here.

Seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the train system.

Providing you swear allegiance to Jeremy Corbyn first of course.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

The loco-hauled Virgin Cross Country service ceased running about 15 years ago. It was a good idea spoiled by bad route planning. I'm sure there was a valid reason for it not going via Kensington Olympia instead of Redhill - Reading (probably too many trains inside the inner London area to make it feasible) but that made for a very long journey. Virgin even set up a driver's depot at Brighton specially for this work. Most displaced drivers moved to Euston I think. It would have been handy for so many away games this season too.

As you say a great idea in practice, but not one that worked out nearly so well in reality. the service was terribly slow, and on many occasions ran hours late. In my experience it often proved quicker to change trains in London anyway.