Tamworth minimum connection time

[The_Train]

Evening all,

Am I right in my thinking that minimum connection time at Tamworth is 5 minutes? If so, if I was to catch 1M00 2250 Derby-Tamworth scheduled to arrive Tamworth at 2109 to connect with 1U53 2316 Tamworth-Stafford (the last train to Stafford) I'd have to be provided with alternative transport home if 1M00 was late and I missed the connection?

When I planned my days out 1U53 was showing as a 2312 departure from Tamworth (seems to have run at that time last week) and so I'd decided it was too risky and was going to drive and leave the car at Tamworth but now I'm thinking that with 1U53 timetabled later at Tamworth that I can save some pennies by just using the train. Obviously I don't want to be caught out though and have to fork out for a taxi from Tamworth myself

 

[_toommm_]

It is indeed five minutes:

BR Times - Train Times & Station Platform Finder

Alternative journey planner featuring full schedule details including platforms and connection times, for every passenger train on the National Rail network.

www.brtimes.com

 

[The_Train]

Thanks @_toommm_

Just noticed the revised time of 2316 is only Mon, Tues & Weds anyway and it's for Thurs and Fri I was more interested in so I'll revert to the car option after all

 

[yorkie]

Any ticket booking site / journey planner will take care of minimum interchange times automatically.

If you obtain an itinerary in conjunction with the ticket(s) you purchase, this is evidence of a contract, which would still take effect if any of the trains are subsequently re-times.

Am invalid connection won't be offered by a journey planner. I would advise against planning a journey using manual methods without checking it in a journey planner.

 

[Haywain]

Obviously I don't want to be caught out though and have to fork out for a taxi from Tamworth myself

That sounds entirely reasonable, but I would suggest that if you are going to be in this situation it would be wise to ensure you have the means to 'fork out' if necessary.

 

[The_Train]

Any ticket booking site / journey planner will take care of minimum interchange times automatically.

If you obtain an itinerary in conjunction with the ticket(s) you purchase, this is evidence of a contract, which would still take effect if any of the trains are subsequently re-times.

Am invalid connection won't be offered by a journey planner. I would advise against planning a journey using manual methods without checking it in a journey planner.

Thanks. I've checked that particular journey on National Rail and it comes up as an itinerary. Makes more sense to do it that way than try and work out min. connection times yourself.

That being said, I'm using a rover and therefore don't as such have an itinerary. I've planned my outing and have even reserved seats on some services to meet the demands of certain TOCs but there are some services I'm travelling without specific tickets or reservations so where does that leave things on a 'contractual' basis?

That sounds entirely reasonable, but I would suggest that if you are going to be in this situation it would be wise to ensure you have the means to 'fork out' if necessary.

I mean, I would always ensure I had the means to pay for anything like that but the question is should I have to if I have met all the conditions of travel or should a TOC ensure I get home at no extra cost?

 

[ashworth]

Thanks. I've checked that particular journey on National Rail and it comes up as an itinerary. Makes more sense to do it that way than try and work out min. connection times yourself.

That being said, I'm using a rover and therefore don't as such have an itinerary. I've planned my outing and have even reserved seats on some services to meet the demands of certain TOCs but there are some services I'm travelling without specific tickets or reservations so where does that leave things on a 'contractual' basis?

I mean, I would always ensure I had the means to pay for anything like that but the question is should I have to if I have met all the conditions of travel or should a TOC ensure I get home at no extra cost?

Many years ago I had to make a connection at Tamworth when travelling back to Derby on a Saturday evening. I had quite a while to wait at Tamworth so there should have been no problem. In those days it was a Virgin train which I got on at Nuneaton and all was going well until it came to a stop just south of Tamworth station. Apparently there was a broken down train in the platform at Tamworth. Without any explanation the train set off, gathered speed and sailed straight through the fast central lines of Tamworth station. This was soon followed by announcement that the next stop on this service will be Stafford!

There were about a dozen other people who also were wanting to get off at Tamworth and we all went to find the guard. Fortunately the train was stopped at a signal in the platform at Lichfield Trent Valley and we were allowed to get off. Taxis were soon found for those wanting to get back to Tamworth but I needed to get to Derby and it was too late to go back to Tamworth. I had to wait nearly 1 hour at Lichfield before a taxi was provided to take me to Derby.

I was travelling using a rover ticket and no one asked to see it! The staff at Lichfield were very apologetic about what had happened and never asked to see any ticket when I told them I needed to get to Derby. It was, however, a very worrying experience especially when I thought I was going to be taken to Stafford late on a Saturday evening.

 

[Haywain]

I would always ensure I had the means to pay for anything like that but the question is should I have to if I have met all the conditions of travel or should a TOC ensure I get home at no extra cost?

My comment wasn't based on whether you should have to so much as the simple expedient of being able to get home.

 

[The_Train]

Many years ago I had to make a connection at Tamworth when travelling back to Derby on a Saturday evening. I had quite a while to wait at Tamworth so there should have been no problem. In those days it was a Virgin train which I got on at Nuneaton and all was going well until it came to a stop just south of Tamworth station. Apparently there was a broken down train in the platform at Tamworth. Without any explanation the train set off, gathered speed and sailed straight through the fast central lines of Tamworth station. This was soon followed by announcement that the next stop on this service will be Stafford!

There were about a dozen other people who also were wanting to get off at Tamworth and we all went to find the guard. Fortunately the train was stopped at a signal in the platform at Lichfield Trent Valley and we were allowed to get off. Taxis were soon found for those wanting to get back to Tamworth but I needed to get to Derby and it was too late to go back to Tamworth. I had to wait nearly 1 hour at Lichfield before a taxi was provided to take me to Derby.

I was travelling using a rover ticket and no one asked to see it! The staff at Lichfield were very apologetic about what had happened and never asked to see any ticket when I told them I needed to get to Derby. It was, however, a very worrying experience especially when I thought I was going to be taken to Stafford late on a Saturday evening.

You'd have enjoyed a night on the streets of Stafford.........lot's of people seem to anyway

Glad that the situation was resolved although it seemed a bizarre way of dealing with the situation in the first place. I know running fast is a regular choice but it always seems so unfair that some are inconvenienced for the purposes of trying to get back to time. That discussion is probably for another thread haha.

My comment wasn't based on whether you should have to so much as the simple expedient of being able to get home.

Ah, fair enough. I tend to work to the premise of planning for all eventualities and also to deal with situations as they happen and then fight anything worth fighting after that

I got the answer to my question in the best and worst possible way last night. 1M00 was caught at a points failure after leaving Sheffield and was late enough into Derby to ensure I missed the connection at Tamworth.

Quick message to XC twitter team and they sorted me a taxi at Tamworth