London Midland Super Off-Peak Restrictions

[JamieLei]

Long story short, I have a Cambridge interview next Monday, need to stay Sunday night, need to be flexible. Ticket involves buying a LM Super Off Peak Return from Birmingham to London, but can't find restrictions anywhere - would anyone happen to know them and which trains are eligible? Thanks!

[MjD]

I think that is the new name for the SuperSaver ticket which could mean that the restrictions are the same as a normal Off Peak Return, except that you can't use this one on a Friday.

Just a guess though.

MD

[JamieLei]

Hmmm - I would have imagined it's akin to the Chiltern Super Off Peak which chiefly isn't valid on any train arriving in London before 1300. I don't think there was a ticket like this before, although back in the days, Central and Silverlink did share a discount-ticket to compete with Virgin but it never really took off.

[Dave]

Think they'll be re-introducing something similar now they've got the 1tph into London.

[JamieLei]

Oh they've had the Off Peak (Day) Return and ODTC for ages now, which was always priced about a pound or two cheaper than Chiltern's. They've also had since last year a limited number of Birmingham - London through trains, although not on the regular scale as now.

I beleive that from what I can see, the Super Off Peak fare is valid on any train Sunday (unlike Chiltern where is used to be but they changed it), and trains leaving London in the afternoon. What I'm wondering about is Evening Peak restrictions however...

[Dave]

Oh they've had the Off Peak (Day) Return and ODTC for ages now, which was always priced about a pound or two cheaper than Chiltern's. They've also had since last year a limited number of Birmingham - London through trains, although not on the regular scale as now.

I beleive that from what I can see, the Super Off Peak fare is valid on any train Sunday (unlike Chiltern where is used to be but they changed it), and trains leaving London in the afternoon. What I'm wondering about is Evening Peak restrictions however...

Evening peak only applies to Virgin, I believe - other "off-peak" services are merely after 9:30.

Could be wrong.

[Barmybill]

Is the quickest/cheapest way to Cambridge from Birmingham via London? Not knowing any better, I'd have assumed the Liverpool/Anglia trains that Central used to run, would have been an option. Have they stopped those now? The ones that went via Peterborough. Would you have had to change at Leicester?

[Ameecher]

Is the quickest/cheapest way to Cambridge from Birmingham via London? Not knowing any better, I'd have assumed the Liverpool/Anglia trains that Central used to run, would have been an option. Have they stopped those now? The ones that went via Peterborough. Would you have had to change at Leicester?

Nope. Brum New Street straight to Stansted Airport, operated by Cross-Country, voes via Nuneaton, Leicester, Peterborough, Ely, Cambridge

[Dave]

Which begs the question - why do you need to go to London in the first place?

[JamieLei]

1. Had to wait for confirmation of accommodation which by the time they'd got to me was too late to pick up any cheap advance tickets
2. Would like to meet friend in London on Sunday
3. It's cheaper than an Off-Peak Return from Birmingham to Cambridge direct.

Going Virgin and then FCC's Cambridge Flyer is actually faster than the direct CrossCountry service, especially now that BHM-EUS is down to 1h20. Although the booking engines used to give the two routes the same travel time, the connection between Euston and Kings Cross is mandated at a minimum 35 minutes, whereas until today, the actual connection was 34 minutes which was ignored.

I inquired at the station today, and the Super Off Peak return has restrictions only from Monday to Friday, not valid on trains arriving or leaving London before 10:30. Which begs the question - what's the point of the Ordinary Off Peak return then, it being only useful for those wanting to travel between 9:30 and 10:30.

[Barmybill]

3. It's cheaper than an Off-Peak Return from Birmingham to Cambridge direct.

Going Virgin and then FCC's Cambridge Flyer is actually faster than the direct CrossCountry service

Does'nt seem to make much sense, does it?

[JamieLei]

Does'nt seem to make much sense, does it?

Well even though it's out of the way, you're on a Super-Fast 125mph tilty thing, walk for about 8 minutes and then straight onto a Commuter train that goes non-stop 100mph up the ECML, completely ripping the hell out of the motor. The CrossCountry train on the other hand stops absolutely everywhere, takes a detour around Leicester and then decides to sit at Peterborough for an age before finally getting to Cambridge.

It's A LOT more enjoyable via London, simply because on the ECML, there are quite a few tunnels and diving straight into them at high speed on a train with open hopper-style windows creates huge booms which cause to unsuspecting tourists to jump for their lives.

[Dave]

I wonder if super off-peak is only bookable in advance?

[JamieLei]

I wonder if super off-peak is only bookable in advance?

It's available on the day, and there's no quota.
I would have thought that anything that needs booking in advance is now called Advance, but certain Business tickets require just that and they still exist.. (ie: Chiltern's, which includes a "breakfast").

[Ameecher]

3. It's cheaper than an Off-Peak Return from Birmingham to Cambridge direct.

Did you try splitting the journey at somewhere like Nuneaton or Peterborough? Central were notorious for having massively high fares for the whole route but very cheap for in between stops.

[JamieLei]

Did you try splitting the journey at somewhere like Nuneaton or Peterborough?

No

Because I wanted to see a friend in London. Anyway I doubt I would have got the journey down to under £28 (which is what I just paid) from about £37. Those sort of tricks mainly work in PTE areas where rail fares are subsidised anyway

[Ameecher]

So you're travelling down the West Coast on a Sunday?

[JamieLei]

So you're travelling down the West Coast on a Sunday?

The first Sunday that the works are at last finished, and the first day of the new timetable!

No Bustitution for me

[Ameecher]

So you're travelling down the West Coast on a Sunday?

The first Sunday that the works are at last finished, and the first day of the new timetable!

Expect utter chaos. Timetable changes confuse the crap out of the everyday public.

[JamieLei]

Expect utter chaos. Timetable changes confuse the crap out of the everyday public.

There were big signs up at New Street today indicating that there's a major change tomorrow, and that everyone should check their times. Nonetheless I hope at least the drivers and station staff know what they're doing