Portsmouth Harbour-Oxford journey.

[Gloster]

On Saturday 2 March I am hoping to go from Ryde Esplanade to Oxford and back, going out earlyish and back mid- to late-afternoon. Reading elsewhere it seems that Cross-country trains can be so crowded that you can’t board or have to stand, something that is definitely beyond me in my current state.

The only option that the National Rail site gives me from Portsmouth Harbour is to Southampton and then on a through Cross-country, with the return being the same. Going via London, which is not a permitted route, looks a poor alternative due to work at Wimbledon meaning very extended journey times.

The NR site won’t provide times via Guildford and North Camp, even though it appears to be a permitted route in the Routeing Guide, possibly because there are buses between North Camp and Reading. This seems to be the best option if I want a seat throughout, with a Cross-country on from Reading if there is space on it and a Great Western if there isn’t.

Searches have been done using Portsmouth Harbour as the starting point because it really doesn’t like Ryde.

Any thought about this: am I right not to risk Cross-country? Is North Camp a legitimate route and can I get a through ticket, or must I split? (I am on a Senior’s card.)

 

[JonathanH]

Changing at Basingstoke and Reading using SWR and GWR is an option, without needing to use CrossCountry.

Trains run direct from Portsmouth to Basingstoke, the stopping train to Reading runs half hourly from platform 5 at Basingstoke, and there are regular trains from Reading to Oxford with both GWR and CrossCountry.

CrossCountry between Southampton and Oxford may be fine, or may not be. Really depends on the number of people choosing to travel that day.

The off-peak day return from Portsmouth Harbour to Oxford is £35.20 with the Senior Railcard. Just catch the trains with capacity.

 

[jfollows]

Or go via London using the +ANY PERMITTED ticket, LONDON is a valid route.

Going via London, which is not a permitted route, looks a poor alternative due to work at Wimbledon meaning very extended journey times.

Noted, but it is a permitted route.
There is also a "NOT VIA LONDON" fare which is cheaper than the "+ANY PERMITTED" one of course.

 

[JonathanH]

From Ryde Esplanade, it works out cheaper to split at Portsmouth & Southsea if going via Basingstoke and Reading.

 

[jfollows]

Is North Camp a legitimate route and can I get a through ticket, or must I split? (I am on a Senior’s card.)

Guildford-Reading is a valid route, yes.

 

[Gloster]

Changing at Basingstoke and Reading using SWR and GWR is an option, without needing to use CrossCountry.

Trains run direct from Portsmouth to Basingstoke, the stopping train to Reading runs half hourly from platform 5 at Basingstoke, and there are regular trains from Reading to Oxford with both GWR and CrossCountry.

CrossCountry between Southampton and Oxford may be fine, or may not be. Really depends on the number of people choosing to travel that day.

The off-peak day return from Portsmouth Harbour to Oxford is £35.20 with the Senior Railcard. Just catch the trains with capacity.

The trouble with using the direct Portsmouth-Bingstoke is that you have nearly an hours wait at Portsmouth off the ferry and then a tight connection at Basingstoke on a day when the service is going to be completely reorganised. I really must avoid tiring myself out: it is only ten days since I made my first trip off the island for five years.

From Ryde Esplanade, it works out cheaper to split at Portsmouth & Southsea if going via Basingstoke and Reading.

Thanks. I will check that with the ticket office at Esplanade.

Guildford-Reading is a valid route, yes.

Thanks. I thought it would be, but ‘National Rail, it say no’. London journeys are so extended on that day that I would probably not have time to get on from Oxford to Abingdon before I needed to start back.

 

[jfollows]

Thanks. I thought it would be, but ‘National Rail, it say no’. London journeys are so extended on that day that I would probably not have time to get on from Oxford to Abingdon before I needed to start back.

Maps XS and RB at https://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps
I could not see any "easements", either positive or negative, covering this route on your proposed day of travel.
RB misses out the Portsmouth-Havant leg, but XS seems fine.

 

[Birmingham]

I think I would still stick with the direct CrossCountry service between Southampton and Oxford if I were you — as long as you’re able to be seated, it should be a much easier journey than via London or other changes.

You shouldn’t find it too difficult to get a seat on an early journey from Southampton and southbound, they tend to empty out quite a lot at Oxford as long as the Chiltern main line and WCML aren’t closed, which they aren’t on that date.

 

[ollie_hunt1660]

On Saturday 2 March I am hoping to go from Ryde Esplanade to Oxford and back, going out earlyish and back mid- to late-afternoon. Reading elsewhere it seems that Cross-country trains can be so crowded that you can’t board or have to stand, something that is definitely beyond me in my current state.

The only option that the National Rail site gives me from Portsmouth Harbour is to Southampton and then on a through Cross-country, with the return being the same. Going via London, which is not a permitted route, looks a poor alternative due to work at Wimbledon meaning very extended journey times.

The NR site won’t provide times via Guildford and North Camp, even though it appears to be a permitted route in the Routeing Guide, possibly because there are buses between North Camp and Reading. This seems to be the best option if I want a seat throughout, with a Cross-country on from Reading if there is space on it and a Great Western if there isn’t.

Searches have been done using Portsmouth Harbour as the starting point because it really doesn’t like Ryde.

Any thought about this: am I right not to risk Cross-country? Is North Camp a legitimate route and can I get a through ticket, or must I split? (I am on a Senior’s card.)

Southampton is only the first stop after Bournemouth so I can imagine it will be possible to get a seat

 

[david1212]

..... I would probably not have time to get on from Oxford to Abingdon before I needed to start back.

Is Abingdon is your destination? If so is the bus from outside Didcot Parkway station an alternative? The X3 looks to run every 20 minutes taking just over 1/2 an hour plus potentially more options to avoid XC.

In case you are not aware there is a road closure outside Oxford station under the railway so some bus routes may be altered / journey times extended.

 

[Gloster]

Is Abingdon is your destination? If so is the bus from outside Didcot Parkway station an alternative? The X3 looks to run every 20 minutes taking just over 1/2 an hour plus potentially more options to avoid XC.

In case you are not aware there is a road closure outside Oxford station under the railway so some bus routes may be altered / journey times extended.

Thanks, but the X1 is half-hourly and goes right past the college; I think it goes down the Abingdon Road from Oxford station. The buses from Didcot mean either a fairly long (for me) walk in Abingdon or changing buses.

 

[redreni]

Changing at Basingstoke and Reading using SWR and GWR is an option, without needing to use CrossCountry.

Trains run direct from Portsmouth to Basingstoke, the stopping train to Reading runs half hourly from platform 5 at Basingstoke, and there are regular trains from Reading to Oxford with both GWR and CrossCountry.

Stopping trains between Basingstoke and Reading and between Reading and Oxford are unlikely to be crowded.

What I would not recommend is trying to board a fast train at Reading going towards Oxford if concerned about overcrowding. Both the fast GWR and XC trains can get badly overcrowded at times and are often pretty full before they get to Reading. I would expect less crowding boarding an XC at Southampton than boarding either an XC or a GWR fast train at Reading, heading towards Oxford.

As you say, getting a seat is key. If the train becomes crowded after that it's not really the OP's problem.

 

[hermit]

The trouble with using the direct Portsmouth-Bingstoke is that you have nearly an hours wait at Portsmouth off the ferry and then a tight connection at Basingstoke on a day when the service is going to be completely reorganised. I really must avoid tiring myself out: it is only ten days since I made my first trip off the island for five years.



Thanks. I will check that with the ticket office at Esplanade.



Thanks. I thought it would be, but ‘National Rail, it say no’. London journeys are so extended on that day that I would probably not have time to get on from Oxford to Abingdon before I needed to start back.

I have done this journey quite often, and have normally changed from the Portsmouth-Basingstoke train to XC at Winchester. Nice same-platform interchange, not too rushed. In normal circumstances I have found no difficulty in getting a seat, but there is the caveat that Saturday tends to be the turn-round day for cruise ships at Southampton, many of whose passengers have packages including rail transport back home. I remember one particularly horrendous trip when it was hardly possible to board, let alone find a seat, because of the number of cruise passengers and their astonishing amounts of luggage.

The downside for islanders using the Portsmouth -Basingstoke route is, as you say, that it involves a long wait if you’ve come off the Wightlink catamaran. The connections when returning to the island are even worse, with the boat leaving just before the train gets in. Nonetheless, I’ve usually concluded that that is still the best route for Oxford.

As it happens, I’ll be travelling off the island to London on 2 March. I’m avoiding the extended journey times on the Guildford route by travelling Southern to Victoria via Barnham. I did wonder whether that’s another option for your Oxford trip, but I don’t think there would be any time saving and I’m not sure you could get a through ticket.

 

[jfollows]

As it happens, I’ll be travelling off the island to London on 2 March. I’m avoiding the extended journey times on the Guildford route by travelling Southern to Victoria via Barnham. I did wonder whether that’s another option for your Oxford trip, but I don’t think there would be any time saving and I’m not sure you could get a through ticket.

The more expensive "+ANY PERMITTED" ticket will be valid via Barnham, Victoria and London. It's just there's also a cheaper "NOT VIA LONDON" ticket which wouldn't be. London is a valid route for "ANY PERMITTED" tickets Portsmouth Harbour-Oxford.

 

[Gloster]

Thank you for all the comments. A couple of further complications are that Southampton FC are playing in Birmingham and a 5000+ capacity cruise ship will be turning round. I think I will take a Southern train to Victoria and GW from Paddington.

I may come up with questions about the ticket arrangements for crossing London as I haven’t been there since 2018 and my Oyster is probably dead. I presume that it is still a quick cross platform change at Oxford Circus: Victoria to Bakerloo, the opposite to what I could do on auto-pilot in the past. But first I will double-check my times.

 

[jfollows]

I may come up with questions about the ticket arrangements for crossing London as I haven’t been there since 2018 and my Oyster is probably dead. I presume that it is still a quick cross platform change at Oxford Circus: Victoria to Bakerloo, the opposite to what I could do on auto-pilot in the past. But first I will double-check my times.

The "+ANY PERMITTED" fare is a shorthand with the "+" meaning the maltese cross which includes the cross-London underground fare, so you have no need of Oyster.
Marylebone is an option as well.

 

[david1212]

Thank you for all the comments. A couple of further complications are that Southampton FC are playing in Birmingham and a 5000+ capacity cruise ship will be turning round. I think I will take a Southern train to Victoria and GW from Paddington.

I may come up with questions about the ticket arrangements for crossing London as I haven’t been there since 2018 and my Oyster is probably dead. I presume that it is still a quick cross platform change at Oxford Circus: Victoria to Bakerloo, the opposite to what I could do on auto-pilot in the past. But first I will double-check my times.

Yes still the same presuming no work is going on. I can't definitely recall now if very tight on time or just to get off the arrival platform without walking along it to a cross-passage where you need to be on each train. I'm thinking from Victoria northbound at the front and from Paddington, Marylebone or Baker Street southbound at the rear but happy to be corrected.

Once I arrived at Marylebone and 18 minutes later was on a Brighton train out of Victoria !!

 

[Gloster]

Yes still the same presuming no work is going on. I can't definitely recall now if very tight on time or just to get off the arrival platform without walking along it to a cross-passage where you need to be on each train. I'm thinking from Victoria northbound at the front and from Paddington, Marylebone or Baker Street southbound at the rear but happy to be corrected.

Once I arrived at Marylebone and 18 minutes later was on a Brighton train out of Victoria !!

The same time as I once managed from the exit of the Eurostar customs to the barriers at Waterloo (Main Line), but that time everything just went perfectly with the buzzers on the trains just starting as I came on to the platforms…and in those days I could still jump in. If I remember correctly the straight across tunnels were at the north end of the northbound trains.

 

[hermit]

The same time as I once managed from the exit of the Eurostar customs to the barriers at Waterloo (Main Line), but that time everything just went perfectly with the buzzers on the trains just starting as I came on to the platforms…and in those days I could still jump in. If I remember correctly the straight across tunnels were at the north end of the northbound trains.

There are several straight-across passages, quite widely spaced. If you are anywhere in the train except either end you will not be very far from one.

The same time as I once managed from the exit of the Eurostar customs to the barriers at Waterloo (Main Line), but that time everything just went perfectly with the buzzers on the trains just starting as I came on to the platforms…and in those days I could still jump in. If I remember correctly the straight across tunnels were at the north end of the northbound trains.

There are several straight-across passages, quite widely spaced. If you are anywhere in the train except either end you will not be very far from one.