Help planning a trip during the Easter closure of the West Coast mainline

[roadie]

Evening all

The alternative for south bound from Carlisle at no additional charge is via the Settle and Carlisle line.

Or for additional cost via Newcastle.

I was planning to be around the area at Easter but these local DMUs will be packed.

Are these alternatives suggested by Virgin trains real?

 

[najaB]

Evening all

The alternative for south bound from Carlisle at no additional charge is via the Settle and Carlisle line.

Or for additional cost via Newcastle.

I was planning to be around the area at Easter but these local DMUs will be packed.

Are these alternatives suggested by Virgin trains real?

Where do you want to go from/to?

 

[Kite159]

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/asset...improvements-easter-2015-lon-car-scot-map.pdf

Looks that way for any Carlisle travellers, Glasgow travellers have been suggested to go via Edinburgh and East Coast

 

[Class83]

Evening all

The alternative for south bound from Carlisle at no additional charge is via the Settle and Carlisle line.

Or for additional cost via Newcastle.

I was planning to be around the area at Easter but these local DMUs will be packed.

Are these alternatives suggested by Virgin trains real?

They're asking people to pay more to take a slower alternative route?

 

[roadie]

I stay in Horton in Ribblesdale and use the train to access different areas of the Dales.

 

[185143]

Evening all

The alternative for south bound from Carlisle at no additional charge is via the Settle and Carlisle line.

Or for additional cost via Newcastle.

I was planning to be around the area at Easter but these local DMUs will be packed.

Are these alternatives suggested by Virgin trains real?

They're asking people to pay more to take a slower alternative route?

Presumably there is a route:Via Newcastle ticket that is more expensive?

Will confuse people if guards on VTEC from Newcastle say 'I'm sorry Sir, this ticket isn't valid on this train, it's only valid on Virgin!'

There is nothing on the trains themselves (livery wise) to say Virgin trains East coast or West! I know enthusiasts know the different between that God-awful monstrosity VTEC have applied to 91105/91124 and pendo livery but do normals? They will see the word 'Virgin' and get on won't they!

I was on an EMT the other day and I was talking to the guard and he said they have been told basically 'anything goes' with Watford Blockades however I doubt that will apply here as VTWC have specifically prohibited it.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There are two tickets to London: via Newcastle and Any Permitted. Via Newcastle is more expensive; the via Newcastle Super Off Peak return is about £20 more than the any permitted Off Peak return (and the via Newcastle Off Peak return is about £100 more!).

Whether that's worth it depends on where you're going. Passengers are being diverted because of the work at Watford Junction closing the WCML. If you're not going to London it probably isn't.

It's a great way to run a railway, isn't it? "You'll have to pay extra for the diverted service, sir". I know why they've done it- to stop Newcastle passengers buying Carlisle tickets on the cheap- but it just looks petty.