Kingston to Wallingford on Sunday 3 September 2023

[infobleep]

A friend is going to Wallingford on Sunday. I was surprised at how long it takes to get from Kingston to Reading. It's 1 hour 44 minutes.

By car it's only 55 minutes, which is 49 minutes faster.

The train includes a 30 minute wait at Twickenhan as the train arrives just as the Reading train departs. What a great junction station timetable wise. I do accept timetabling is complex and that might be the best solution overall.

One alternative is to get a bus to Richmond as that would be slightly faster.

Does anyone have any alternative suggestions?

I believe there are plenty of buses from Reading to Wallingford. It's just the getting to Reading issue.

 

[JonathanH]

One alternative is to get a bus to Richmond as that would be slightly faster.

Does anyone have any alternative suggestions?

X26 (now SL7) to Hatton Cross, 90 to Hayes & Harlington, train to Reading, then bus.

Walking from Cholsey to Wallingford may be feasible for some people.

 

[infobleep]

X26 (now SL7) to Hatton Cross, 90 to Hayes & Harlington, train to Reading, then bus.

Walking from Cholsey to Wallingford may be feasible for some people.

I did see that partly route, although it also suggested changing at Twyford for the train to Henly on the Thames and then a bus from there but I can't remember if that was Sunday or not. I was also looking up other days to sew if it was just Sunday awkward travelling or everyday awkward travelling.

It seems every day.

 

[infobleep]

I got it wrong, there is only one bus an hour from Reading to Wallingford Via Hayes and Harlington gets one into Reading at 9:43 and the bus isn't until 10:21.

The alternatives involving additional train journeys as well as a bus, depart respectively at 10:26 and 10:37.

It seems going to Feltham on the 285 works. I do wish the TfL journey planner would give you the arrival times for your intermediate stops.

The 8:33 gets in at 9:02 and then one gets the 9:09. Get into Reading at 10:03 and then the 10:22 bus gets to Wallingford at 11:01.

So a total journey time of 2 hours 28 minutes.

Google also suggested the Rail Air Coach to Reading but I suspect that would cost more than from Twickenham.

Hayes and Harlington to Reading are probably the cheapest but you have a long wait.

 

[judethegreat]

As you say, the bus from Reading to Wallingford is only hourly on Sundays, half hourly other days. Still good though compared with a lot of places..

However, the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is running that day, in fact Friday to Sunday according to their website is their Bunkfest.

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway

A Great Western Branchline based in South Oxfordshire countryside, with links to the Great Western Mainline.

www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com

The CWR of course interchanges directly with semi fast trains from Paddington at Cholsey station.

Thought they ran every Sunday in summer, but from what i can work out, it seems their running days may be very rare... So get it while you can!

 

[infobleep]

As you say, the bus from Reading to Wallingford is only hourly on Sundays, half hourly other days. Still good though compared with a lot of places..

However, the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is running that day, in fact Friday to Sunday according to their website is their Bunkfest.

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway

A Great Western Branchline based in South Oxfordshire countryside, with links to the Great Western Mainline.

www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com

The CWR of course interchanges directly with semi fast trains from Paddington at Cholsey station.

Thought they ran every Sunday in summer, but from what i can work out, it seems their running days may be very rare... So get it while you can!

I will check that one out.

Alas the District line is closed between High Street Kenaington and beyond Paddington so my other thought is Wimbledon to Paddington and then the train but doesn't work as well. I will check it all out though.

 

[infobleep]

I checked out the Bunk Lime but the times didn't seem to work if coming from Kingston I felt.

Whilst the Hayes and Harlington works going. Coming back it wants you to go to Ealing Broadway.

I cannot find a way to route someone back via Hayes & Harlington because no doubt it's slower, even if it was only by 2 minutes.

I need to provide them with a journey planner link.

So via Feltham seems best, even though it is slow on the way back, as one can't get a return from Feltham if one wants to return to Ealing Broadway.

If only Google allowed via points with public transport. Sharing individual journeys is bad enough.

I found I had to go to the mobile Web Site to do it on my phone.

 

[181]

Train into Waterloo, Bakerloo line to Paddington amd a fast train to Reading? Crossing London can usually be done rather faster than journey planners suggest.

Sometimes rather than waiting for the bus from Reading it can be quicker to get a fast train to Didcot (or stay on one if that's how you're arriving at Reading), or even a slow one, and get the bus from there. Didcot-Wallingford buses are also hourly on Sundays.

Those options would presuambly cost a bit more, but it might be worth it.

Bus to Surbiton and then train via Basingstoke or somewhere is maybe unlikely to be faster, but it doesn't seem impossible if the connections work out.

Your friend doesn't ride a bicycle, do they? Cycling to Twickenham and from Cholsey would then be a possibility.

 

[Dr Day]

Even though it may feel like doubling back, it may be worth considering getting a bus to Wallingford from Didcot , and/or travelling via Paddington rather than something more direct as the crow flies. I’ve a vague memory the official railway bus link to Wallingford is via Goring not Reading so that might be worth considering ?

 

[181]

Even though it may feel like doubling back, it may be worth considering getting a bus to Wallingford from Didcot , and/or travelling via Paddington rather than something more direct as the crow flies.

Looks like we were having the same thoughts simultaneously!

I’ve a vague memory the official railway bus link to Wallingford is via Goring not Reading so that might be worth considering ?

Not any more -- buses from Goring are now Mon-Fri only, and less than hourly then.