Advice on fares and routing, Exeter to Maidstone please

[geoffk]

I’ve booked a steam railway tour in Kent and Sussex in April and, rather than go for the inclusive price with rail travel, I’ve decided to book my own rail tickets, from Exeter (Polsloe Bridge to be exact) to Maidstone and return.

I have a fare of £69.95 for a super off-peak return with Senior Railcard. I entered “not via London terminals” to get a fare via the North Downs line, Redhill and Tonbridge, departing POL at 09.46, the earliest possible with this ticket. Arrival at Maidstone West is at 15.31, this route being quite slow but avoids going via London with luggage.

The quickest route, via Paddington, St. Pancras, then HS1 to Strood, gives an arrival at MDW at 14.27 (from the opposite direction, of course). This also comes up with a fare of £69.95.

My question is - as the fare by both routes is the same, can I decide on the day which way to go or do I have to commit myself to one route or the other when I book? In other words can I ask for an “any permitted route” ticket? A possible snag with the North Downs route is that trains between Redhill, Tonbridge and Maidstone are only hourly so a cancellation could make me late checking in to the hotel.

I’m not going to book just yet as we can’t be sure what timetable will be operating in April, but we hope the Covid situation will mean there will be more trains and not fewer. There’s also the matter of possible engineering works over the Easter period.

Any advice welcome!

 

[Watershed]

I’ve booked a steam railway tour in Kent and Sussex in April and, rather than go for the inclusive price with rail travel, I’ve decided to book my own rail tickets, from Exeter (Polsloe Bridge to be exact) to Maidstone and return.

I have a fare of £69.95 for a super off-peak return with Senior Railcard. I entered “not via London terminals” to get a fare via the North Downs line, Redhill and Tonbridge, departing POL at 09.46, the earliest possible with this ticket. Arrival at Maidstone West is at 15.31, this route being quite slow but avoids going via London with luggage.

The quickest route, via Paddington, St. Pancras, then HS1 to Strood, gives an arrival at MDW at 14.27 (from the opposite direction, of course). This also comes up with a fare of £69.95.

My question is - as the fare by both routes is the same, can I decide on the day which way to go or do I have to commit myself to one route or the other when I book? In other words can I ask for an “any permitted route” ticket? A possible snag with the North Downs route is that trains between Redhill, Tonbridge and Maidstone are only hourly so a cancellation could make me late checking in to the hotel.

I’m not going to book just yet as we can’t be sure what timetable will be operating in April, but we hope the Covid situation will mean there will be more trains and not fewer. There’s also the matter of possible engineering works over the Easter period.

Any advice welcome!

Walk-up through fares are available in two routes - "✠VIA TAUNTON" (more expensive) and "✠VIA HONITON" (cheaper). The via Taunton fares are also valid via Honiton, should you wish to travel that way. So they are effectively Any Permitted.

Neither route obliges you to travel via London (nor to avoid it), and as both are routes of walk-up tickets, neither ties you to a specific train or itinerary.

Depending on your exact dates and times of travel, it may be cheaper to buy a combination of tickets and/or Advance tickets. However, the £69.95 Super Off-Peak Return via Taunton is good value for money in my view, given the flexibility it offers.

 

[geoffk]

Via Honiton is around £3 cheaper and is still quicker than via North Downs, despite the LSWR main line being quite slow. I could start from Pinhoe, then via Waterloo/Waterloo East and Paddock Wood. I can get a bus to Pinhoe and don't have to worry about being on the wrong side of the level crossing!

 

[Class800]

Via Honiton is around £3 cheaper and is still quicker than via North Downs, despite the LSWR main line being quite slow. I could start from Pinhoe, then via Waterloo/Waterloo East and Paddock Wood. I can get a bus to Pinhoe and don't have to worry about being on the wrong side of the level crossing!

I live in Cranbrook and often this line isn't that reliable due to long stretches of single track, delays can build up. But if it's on time, it's good. If it's closed - can happen in bad weather - acceptance is offered via the Taunton route, with the usually not permitted routing via Exeter SD encouraged. But only when there's a closure.

 

[Watershed]

Via Honiton is around £3 cheaper and is still quicker than via North Downs, despite the LSWR main line being quite slow. I could start from Pinhoe, then via Waterloo/Waterloo East and Paddock Wood. I can get a bus to Pinhoe and don't have to worry about being on the wrong side of the level crossing!

Beware that with the new SWR timetable, the West of England line service is split at Salisbury. The connections don't match up particularly well, either. There's no knowing how long it will go on for.

 

[Class800]

Beware that with the new SWR timetable, the West of England line service is split at Salisbury. The connections don't match up particularly well, either. There's no knowing how long it will go on for.

Probably quite a while - that was the case last time they introduced this split working. And it can be quite annoying, slower, but also at Salisbury two train loads of passengers have to swap units via a narrow tunnel at the same time, people coming both ways. Can be a bit claustrophobic. With the difference in price for this routing being quite small, I personally wouldn't recommend going for the cheaper via Honiton tickets at the moment

 

[Alfonso]

With such a small difference in price I'd buy the via Taunton one just in case. If carting bags is an issue you could go Exeter SD to reading to Waterloo (slow but avoids underground)

 

[paul1609]

I'm not really sure what fares you are looking at, with your railcard Polsoe Bridge to Maidstone Stations there are two routes with Super Off Peak tickets +via Honiton at £58.70 and +via Taunton at £69.95
Maidstone has three stations the main one is East which is on the Victoria to Dover Line this is on the East Side of the River Medway and closest to the town centre, Maidstone West and Maidstone Barracks on the Stroud to Paddock Wood Branch (the Medway Valley Line) which is on the West Side of the River Medway. Maidstone Barracks is only really a halt on the branch line across the river from East.
Either ticket allows any route from London but be aware of extra time restrictions on HS1 from St Pancras
The quickest way will be always be in to Paddington and depending on your arrival time there by various routes.
In normal times the easiest way with luggage would be Exeter St Davids to Clapham Junction, change there for a Victoria Train its basically down a set of stairs right under 2 tracks and up the next set of stairs, trains to Victoria are normally every few minutes.
At Victoria walk across the concourse from the Southern side to the Southeastern side and take a semi fast service to Maidstone East via Bromley South.
All you really need to know is that if when you were born your local station was West or Barracks you are a Kentish Man, if Maidstone East you are a Man of Kent. Modern developments on this is that if you were born north of the M2 you are a Chav, if you were born in London you are a "DFL" (down from London).

 

[geoffk]

Thanks for information. I'll probably go via Paddington and St. Pancras to Strood and on to Maidstone West as that's the quickest, especially if going via Salisbury means changing there (why are they splitting the route?) and it would be good to try the Javelin service. My mate from Bradford will be coming into Kings Cross so it's a good journey for him going that way. We did a lot of overseas steam tours up to a few years ago so this should be easy but of course we were younger then!

 

[Class800]

Thanks for information. I'll probably go via Paddington and St. Pancras to Strood and on to Maidstone West as that's the quickest, especially if going via Salisbury means changing there (why are they splitting the route?) and it would be good to try the Javelin service. My mate from Bradford will be coming into Kings Cross so it's a good journey for him going that way. We did a lot of overseas steam tours up to a few years ago so this should be easy but of course we were younger then!

Why are they splitting the route? It's something they often do in disruption and temporary timetables - I think it's so staff shortages and/or delays between Exeter and Salisbury don't affect the Salisbury to London service! Or that's what us down in the west country tend to think.

 

[Watershed]

Either ticket allows any route from London but be aware of extra time restrictions on HS1 from St Pancras

There are no time restrictions on the use of HS1 (Southeastern) services from St Pancras in the electronic fares data and thus journey planners will readily offer itineraries on any service.

The restriction codes referred to - CI and CJ - are set by EMR, and the intention of only restricting travel on EMR is demonstrated by the fact that the electronic data limits St Pancras restrictions to travel on EMR.

 

[geoffk]

Maidstone has three stations the main one is East which is on the Victoria to Dover Line this is on the East Side of the River Medway and closest to the town centre, Maidstone West and Maidstone Barracks on the Stroud to Paddock Wood Branch (the Medway Valley Line) which is on the West Side of the River Medway. Maidstone Barracks is only really a halt on the branch line across the river from East.

Yes, the early railways bypassed the town altogether! Is Maidstone part of a station group, i.e. routed to "Maidstone stations"? I'm going to travel out via the quickest route, i.e. St. Davids - Paddington and St. Pancras - Strood - Maidstone West. Coming back I might use a different route, which appears to be allowed, so either Maidstone West - Paddock Wood - Waterloo East then Waterloo - Exeter OR Maidstone East - Victoria then to Clapham Jn, the reason being that I can meet my son in London.

 

[Watershed]

Yes, the early railways bypassed the town altogether! Is Maidstone part of a station group, i.e. routed to "Maidstone stations"? I'm going to travel out via the quickest route, i.e. St. Davids - Paddington and St. Pancras - Strood - Maidstone West. Coming back I might use a different route, which appears to be allowed, so either Maidstone West - Paddock Wood - Waterloo East then Waterloo - Exeter OR Maidstone East - Victoria then to Clapham Jn, the reason being that I can meet my son in London.

Yes, tickets are generally issued to a group identified as Maidstone Stations or Maidstone East/West.

 

[geoffk]

I'm going to travel out via the quickest route, i.e. St. Davids - Taunton - Paddington then St. Pancras - Strood - Maidstone West. Coming back will be Maidstone West - Paddock Wood - Waterloo East then Waterloo - Exeter, after meeting my son at Waterloo. I need to leave there before 16.00 with a super-off peak return i.e. 15.20 latest. I ran all this past Barry Doe and he concurred, with one proviso - that Polsloe Bridge fares are set as from Exeter stations and the Taunton route to London is not 'any permitted' so the via Honiton fares cannot be used that way. There's an easy way round it, which is to buy my ticket from Digby & Sowton and the fare is then routed "+ Any Permitted" so can be used either way. + means via London Underground, is that right?

Also there's a fare increase on March 1st and to travel after that date at current fares I need to buy the ticket by January 31st!

 

[Haywain]

Also there's a fare increase on March 1st and to travel after that date at current fares I need to buy the ticket by January 31st!

Who told you that?

 

[Class800]

I'm going to travel out via the quickest route, i.e. St. Davids - Taunton - Paddington then St. Pancras - Strood - Maidstone West. Coming back will be Maidstone West - Paddock Wood - Waterloo East then Waterloo - Exeter, after meeting my son at Waterloo. I need to leave there before 16.00 with a super-off peak return i.e. 15.20 latest. I ran all this past Barry Doe and he concurred, with one proviso - that Polsloe Bridge fares are set as from Exeter stations and the Taunton route to London is not 'any permitted' so the via Honiton fares cannot be used that way. There's an easy way round it, which is to buy my ticket from Digby & Sowton and the fare is then routed "+ Any Permitted" so can be used either way. + means via London Underground, is that right?

Also there's a fare increase on March 1st and to travel after that date at current fares I need to buy the ticket by January 31st!

+ shows it includes London Underground (can be a dagger or Maltese cross symbol)

 

[geoffk]

Who told you that?

It was Mr. Doe himself! Is it not correct?

 

[Haywain]

It was Mr. Doe himself! Is it not correct?

No, it isn't. This is from another thread:

Big bang change on 1st March for English fares. Fares sold up to and including 28th February, for any future date, are at the old price.

 

[geoffk]

No, it isn't. This is from another thread:

OK thanks. So no need to buy next week!

 

[paul1609]

I'm going to travel out via the quickest route, i.e. St. Davids - Taunton - Paddington then St. Pancras - Strood - Maidstone West. Coming back will be Maidstone West - Paddock Wood - Waterloo East then Waterloo - Exeter, after meeting my son at Waterloo. I need to leave there before 16.00 with a super-off peak return i.e. 15.20 latest. I ran all this past Barry Doe and he concurred, with one proviso - that Polsloe Bridge fares are set as from Exeter stations and the Taunton route to London is not 'any permitted' so the via Honiton fares cannot be used that way. There's an easy way round it, which is to buy my ticket from Digby & Sowton and the fare is then routed "+ Any Permitted" so can be used either way. + means via London Underground, is that right?

Also there's a fare increase on March 1st and to travel after that date at current fares I need to buy the ticket by January 31st!

A lot of the Medway Valley Branch trains go forward to Tonbridge. If you are on one of those you are better off staying on to Tonbridge as the Medway Valley trains that go through to Tonbridge at Paddock Wood use the down main line platform in both directions so it's a trek over the footbridge to the up main line. Tonbridge is normally a cross platform interchange. Tonbridge also has a much more frequent service.

 

[geoffk]

A lot of the Medway Valley Branch trains go forward to Tonbridge. If you are on one of those you are better off staying on to Tonbridge as the Medway Valley trains that go through to Tonbridge at Paddock Wood use the down main line platform in both directions so it's a trek over the footbridge to the up main line. Tonbridge is normally a cross platform interchange. Tonbridge also has a much more frequent service.

Thanks, noted. I have been to both Paddock Wood and Tonbridge stations but a few years ago now (early 1990s). I can pick up a Hastings train at Tonbridge of course.