University Birmingham to Wakefield

[tomreynolds93]

Heyy i'm trying to get home from university for my birthday weekend, and was wondering if anyone knows the cheapest route and tickets

Outward:
University station to either of the wakefield stations
departing 2/3/12 after 1700 (at the earliest)

Returning:
Wakefield Stations to university station
departing 5/3/12 any time

No railcard and the cheapest possible fares (i'm a poor student)

Thanks

 

[sonic2009]

Define the Cheapest? I could think that National Express could be cheaper than the train.

Advance Tickets will limit you to specfic trains and for the journey you wish to make the total cost will be £42.50 STD Advance XC only

Outward 1839 UNI - WKF 2046 one change at BHM £22.50 2/3

Return 1124 WKF - 1330 UNI with one Change at BHM or 1224 WKF - UNI 1430 again with one change at BHM. Both Trains £20.00

So personally i would get Off Peak Returns splitting at Derby. This will cost you £42.20 but offer more flexibility.

University - Derby £15.60 valid after 0930
Derby -.Wakefield Westgate £26.60 valid after 0930

I would check National Express though as well.

Key :

UNI : University Bham
BHM : Birmingham New Street
WKF : Wakfield Westgate

 

[dvboy]

No railcard when you are obviously entitled to one? :/

 

[yorkie]

Advance tickets will be cheapest, if there are none from University try splitting at Birmingham. A through ticket, if available, is likely to be cheaper when booking an Advance. The cheapest quotas will have long gone (they generally go on sale up to 12 weeks in advance).

What is the best price you have found so far? And how late can you arrive at Wakefield? (leaving Birmingham New Street around 1700-1800 is best avoided!)

Do you only travel infrequently? as for this route, like with most, you would save a lot if you got a Railcard. Full time equivalent students are eligible for a 16-25 Railcard.

 

[SS4]

Splitting at Derby (DBY) usually yields good results (especially for a day return). If you do this journey three times or more in a year it will make a railcard viable.

UNI - DBY
£15.60 (SVR)

DBY - Wakefield (Direct)
Advance
£11.50
19:41 - 20:46 *

Wakefield - Derby (Direct)
Advance
£11.50
11:24-12:26 (also an hour later for the same price)

Total £38.60

======================================================

* this train is the 1903 off BHM. With the above combination you can get the 1903 at BHM and split at Derby onto the advance ticket.

By having a walk-up ticket you don't have to hang around university for your train to depart (assuming the UNI-BHM leg is reservable) or if you wanted to break your journey in Birmingham

 

[GadgetMan]

As above but you should really consider getting a 16-25 railcard. On this journey alone the saving would pay for half the railcard cost. A similar trip within the next 12 months and it will have paid for itself. If you make any other trips after that then you will have effectively got yourself a 'free' 34% discount.

The saving between off-peak returns splitting at derby and using advance fares is about £4. My choice would be to pay the £4 and stick with off-peak fares as this gives you more flexibility.

 

[dvboy]

I'd have thought since University-Birmingham isn't reservable, and fares to University are generally the same as Birmingham from outside the West Midlands, that the number of advance tickets and their prices would be the same for both origin stations, so a split at Birmingham is only going to make things more expensive?

I would definitely be looking at splitting at Derby.

 

[SS4]

I'd have thought since University-Birmingham isn't reservable, and fares to University are generally the same as Birmingham from outside the West Midlands, that the number of advance tickets and their prices would be the same for both origin stations, so a split at Birmingham is only going to make things more expensive?

I would definitely be looking at splitting at Derby.

Agreed. Especially since LM's journey planner suggests changing in Birmingham rather than Derby.

 

[dvboy]

Agreed. Especially since LM's journey planner suggests changing in Birmingham rather than Derby.

If you are buying advance tickets you would have to. On other tickets you could change at Derby if you leave UNI on an XC train, which for the quickest journey you would, but no such option on the way back.


Your cheapest combination of 2x single advances is £40 but all of these involve departing UNI at 20:42 on the Friday arriving Wakefield WG 22:59, with various options for the return on Monday.

If the OP has an NUS Extra card he can get 10% off booking through crosscountrytrains.co.uk

 

[34D]

So personally i would get Off Peak Returns splitting at Derby. This will cost you £42.20 but offer more flexibility.

University - Derby £15.60 valid after 0930
Derby -.Wakefield Westgate £26.60 valid after 0930

I would check National Express though as well.

Seems good advice. Ditto re checking the coach too

 

[sonic2009]

I've just checked the coaches at National Express

Currently looking at the Website you can get two FunFares from Birmingham Digbeth Coach Station to Leeds Coach Station for £7.50 on your outward and £3.50 on the return.

Funfares are cheap tickets, non-refundable but are amendable should you choose to change your mind on your departure time. Of course a fee will be applicable, all FunFares are print at home tickets and sent to your email.

So if you wish to travel via Coach you would need to Do this :

Outward 2nd March :

The Coach leaves from Birmingham Digbeth at 1900 and Arrives into Leeds at 2200, so i would say leaving University Bham to Catch the Train to Birmingham New Street at around 1730.

For the Train Journey you would need to Purchase a Anytime Single costing £1.90
For the Coach Journey you would need to Purchase the FunFare costing £7.50

When you arrive in Leeds you will of course need to get to Wakefield :

You can either walk to the Train Station or Catch the 110 direct from the Bus Station (where your coach drops you off). A single will cost you no more than £3.00

There appears looking from the Timetable a 2215 110 departure to Wakefield, but do remember you may miss this if the Coach is late.

Return 5th March

Your Coach leaves Leeds Bus Station at 1740 arriving back into Birmingham at 2050, I will leave you to decide how you get to the Bus Station if you take up this Option. Again a single on the 110 should cost no more than £3.00 and the train from Wakfield to Leeds is also £3.00 single.

The Coach journey is a funfare costing you £3.50. When you arrive back into Birmingham you will need again a £1.90 Anytime Single to University.

So the total cost would be £18.90. Rather Cheap I think

 

[OwlMan]

There are also Megabus tickets available at £7-00 each way from Central Birmingham Departing 1900 or 2000 on the 2nd and all day on the 5th

 

[dvboy]

There are also Megabus tickets available at £7-00 each way from Central Birmingham Departing 1800, 1900 or 2000 on the 3rd and all day on the 5th

He wants to go on the 2nd.

 

[OwlMan]

He wants to go on the 2nd.

sorry, corrected