3-hour overnight wait at either Northampton or Milton Keynes Central

[jednick]

I've seen some very cheap tickets for later this week, advance purchase Euston to Birmingham (routed via Northampton) for just £6.

They leave London very late, after midnight.

There are two options, each with an overnight wait of three hours. But I am prepared to accept this because I save so much money.

So, I can either leave at 12.34am and wait at Northampton between roughly 2am and 5am.

Or, the other service means I leave at 1.34am and wait at Milton Keynes Central between 2.30am and 5.30am.

Which of these two options is best? Would any of these two stations be open during those hours, and have indoor waiting rooms that would be open during those hours?

Or, should I assume that having the three hour wait at Milton Keynes would be best because, being the bigger town, there would be more chance I could visit a 24-hour McDonalds?

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is a 24hr Maccies at MKC, go out of the station, turn left and walk until you see it (about 5-10 minutes).

MKC itself is more likely to be open overnight during the week as there is effectively no gap in service, but they may lock it for an hour or two when it's sparse, I'm not sure.

Edit: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/MKC.aspx claims it is open 24 hours. Doesn't say for Northampton.

 

[Clip]

No offence but is that the best you can find ? have you tried looking at Chiltern too because whilst I applaud the money saving aspect spending 3 hours somewhere and then spending money on maccy Ds you may as well look elsewhere

 

[DarloRich]

I've seen some very cheap tickets for later this week, advance purchase Euston to Birmingham (routed via Northampton) for just £6.

They leave London very late, after midnight.

There are two options, each with an overnight wait of three hours. But I am prepared to accept this because I save so much money.

So, I can either leave at 12.34am and wait at Northampton between roughly 2am and 5am.

Or, the other service means I leave at 1.34am and wait at Milton Keynes Central between 2.30am and 5.30am.

Which of these two options is best? Would any of these two stations be open during those hours, and have indoor waiting rooms that would be open during those hours?

Or, should I assume that having the three hour wait at Milton Keynes would be best because, being the bigger town, there would be more chance I could visit a 24-hour McDonalds?

Firstly - are you mad?

Secondly - Wait at Milton Keynes. There is a 24hour Starbucks and McDonalds close to the station.

Thirdly - are you mad? Why would you do this? Just get a later train. The cost differential is minimal. Why not get the coach if cost is such an issue?

 

[Ianno87]

Firstly - are you mad?

Secondly - Wait at Milton Keynes. There is a 24hour Starbucks and McDonalds close to the station.

Thirdly - are you mad? Why would you do this? Just get a later train. The cost differential is minimal. Why not get the coach if cost is such an issue?

Surely if he intends to kill time in McDs/Starbucks, he'll end up spending more money than there fare saving?

Unless its effectively to save a hotel cost or something (as a pseudo-sleeper train).

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 24 hour Starbucks is drive-through only after about midnight. The McD's is properly 24 hour.

 

[A0]

Neither are particularly good places to while away 3 hours at that time of night.

There's no shortage of homeless people camping around Central MK at the moment - quite a few near the station. Northampton station is on the edge of the red light district.

MK station is in the middle of nowhere, Northampton's slightly better - in that the town centre is closer - and I think one of the McDs in town now is open alot later - though not sure if it's 24 hours.

I think DarloRich's suggestion of use a coach makes most sense - if you're on an NX coach leaving London around mid-night which gets into Birmingham at 5am, you'd at least have had chance to sleep and not worry about other people..

 

[Hadders]

I’d wait at Milton Keynes. I suspect Northampton station gets locked up at night and as others have said there are more options at MKC.

I’d look at other options at a more social hour though.

 

[cambsy]

If you're looking at going London to Birmingham late night and cheap, then I would go NX coach, as the fare will be about 6, you will have leather seats, Wifi, Curtains etc, so a comfortable journey and that time of night the journey on a quick one is a about 2hrs 30 mins, or some which go further north, stop more and take a bout 3hrs or s

If really must be train then for probably few quid more with advance ticket, you could do it during the day, and have a lot nicer journey.

 

[higthomas]

Honestly, there are lot of tickets for £16 from my cursory look, given you'll spend a few quid in McDonalds just get them, honestly.

 

[BlueFox]

I've seen some very cheap tickets for later this week, advance purchase Euston to Birmingham (routed via Northampton) for just £6.

They leave London very late, after midnight.

There are two options, each with an overnight wait of three hours. But I am prepared to accept this because I save so much money.

When do you have to be there?

There are advance tickets on Chiltern on the 06:05 from Marylebone tomorrow for £9, and on Friday for £5.50.

 

[civ-eng-jim]

There are advance tickets on Chiltern on the 06:05 from Marylebone tomorrow for £9, and on Friday for £5.50.

And £6 ones at 0705 from Euston on Saturday.

I've tried to be frugal in the past by getting a slower train...but almost immediately regret it when the train barely gets up to maximum speed before slowing down for another station.

 

[gazthomas]

An alternative route, coach and MK in that order

 

[Supercoss]

watch out for that 05:37 MKC to New Street it starts at MK and arrives empty advertised for platform 2 but frequently has last minute change to platform 3
Plenty of freight passing to keep you busy and regular patrols by station security guards, coffee shop (AMT) opens at 5am in station concourse

 

[mrcheek]

Northampton station is on the edge of the red light district.

.

well I think we answered the question there

 

[Merseysider]

well I think we answered the question there

 

[Bletchleyite]

I must admit to being surprised Northampton has an actual red light district. It's hardly Amsterdam!

"Middle of nowhere" is more what I'd call the station. Much more so than MKC, which is at one end of what is essentially a business park.

 

[dviner]

I must admit to being surprised Northampton has an actual red light district. It's hardly Amsterdam! .

At first reading, it was certainly an ... unusual ... alternative to McD's for wasting some time...

 

[class303]

I must admit to being surprised Northampton has an actual red light district. It's hardly Amsterdam!

"Middle of nowhere" is more what I'd call the station. Much more so than MKC, which is at one end of what is essentially a business park.

Street prostitution in the area is virtually non existent these days. It used to be full of strung out, drug addicted working girls but it's pretty much died a death. It's still not a particularly nice area, especially at night, so I'd be weary if you're not familiar with the place. You could up end up losing a lot more than your saved train fare!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Er.. yes it is a big town and it has it's fair share of crime but Northampton is NOT Las Vegas. The main issue you'd have (after being turfed out the station after it's closed) is how you explain to the police why you are on the relatively deserted streets at that hour of the morning. " I missed the Last Train Home" was pretty viable but "I got off here on my way to Birmingham to save money" might seem a little less credulous to the local constabulary.

 

[Merseysider]

I overnighted at Northampton about 6/7 years ago, around similar times of night, and the last bloke to lock up was quite happy to let me stay in the station from about 02:00 until the 05:xx train I was on (“but don’t tell no-one yeah, and the fire exit’s that way”).

Don’t think you’d get away with that now though

 

[Bletchleyite]

Now I'm thinking on, MKC is used as a bit of a "taxi waiting room" overnight, I've certainly been in there after the last train has gone (while waiting for a taxi) and not got any hassle from the security guards. The only time it's completely closed and locked up is Christmas Day. (With the homeless issue in MK as it is it'd be nice if they'd do the same as Euston there and open it as a shelter).

That Maccies also isn't short of business in the late evening.

FWIW Bletchley doesn't get locked up either (the building is open all night with no[1] staff present, which is unusual but I guess the staff going through to/from the traincrew depot deter any issues). Though there's nowt there and the toilets are locked overnight (as at MKC).

[1] There are presently security guards in an attempt to reduce suicides, but they are a recent thing and I suspect not a permanent fixture. Normally it was completely unstaffed.

 

[Starmill]

is how you explain to the police why you are on the relatively deserted streets at that hour of the morning.

Is this really likely? I walked around both some unpleasant suburbs and several city centres at 0300 in the morning and I have never been stopped by the police and asked to explain where I am going or what my purpose is (walking home, typically). This has happened to me once, when I was on my way with two other forum members to the entrance to Ardwick station, around 20 minutes before the train was due (so it was early evening, not 3am!). The officers in their car were bemused but seemed satisfied with my answer that we were going to catch the train!

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Is this really likely? I walked around both some unpleasant suburbs and several city centres at 0300 in the morning and I have never been stopped by the police and asked to explain where I am going or what my purpose is (walking home, typically). This has happened to me once, when I was on my way with two other forum members to the entrance to Ardwick station, around 20 minutes before the train was due (so it was early evening, not 3am!). The officers in their car were bemused but seemed satisfied with my answer that we were going to catch the train!

'''
I didn't say it was likely just less likely than entering 'Northampton's Twilight Criminal Under World'

 

[johnnychips]

I got stopped in Penrith, of all places, at about eight at night in the early 80s “in case I was the Yorkshire Ripper.” Needless to say, I wasn’t.

 

[6Gman]

Neither are particularly good places to while away 3 hours at that time of night.

There's no shortage of homeless people camping around Central MK at the moment - quite a few near the station. Northampton station is on the edge of the red light district.

Well, that'll give him something to pass the time.

 

[acned]

I must admit to being surprised Northampton has an actual red light district. It's hardly Amsterdam!

"Middle of nowhere" is more what I'd call the station. Much more so than MKC, which is at one end of what is essentially a business park.

As well as having 'ladies of the night', back in the day Northampton used to have underground trains! http://www.vintagetransport.org.uk/northamptonunderground/main.php

 

[MK Tom]

I've walked the streets of Northampton at silly times of night many times. Police drive on by if you're not stumbling into the road. It's the gangs of youths that pose more of a threat.

MKC if you avoid the one particularly aggressive homeless lady in Station Square you're fine. Oddly they don't actually seem to be around at night anyway. Couple of interesting pieces about that in the Citizen recently.

Like everyone else I'm completely bemused as to why this is your only option vs National Express / Megabus / Chiltern / any other LM/VT advance ticket.

 

[philthetube]

just don't wear a black and white striped shirt and have a bag labeled swag over your shoulder

 

[W-on-Sea]

The only city I have been concerned to see cops on patrol while I was wandering around in the early hours (indeed in anticipation of an eventual train departure) was Tashkent. Really, in any terms, not least in not being located in a police state, Northampton is nothing in comparison.