Great Western Coffee Shop

Hi All,

I think I done my research but could you please help with the following, thinking of taking my young Nephew tommorrow through the Tunnel on a HST.

1 If i buy a anytime return to Bristol will I be able to go Cardiif to BPW then BTM and back to Cardiff?

2 Does the Loco Hauled train stil run and if so what time from BTM to Cardiff on Saturdays

Thanks

Basset

In response to your ticketing issue, an Anytime return is valid via Bristol Parkway.

But I have a feeling that the loco-hauled service does not operate on weekends. I'm sure someone else here can confirm or correct that.

Personaly, along with Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Reading and other major cities, I believe there should be a "Bristol Stations" option on tickets, to allow you to travel to any Bristol station and back to another.

I'm not sure if you are intentionally buying an Anytime return, but wouldn't an Off Peak Day be cheaper?

Hi All,

Thanks no have looked on FGW web site and entered Cardiff to Bristol one adult and one child and you are right a Off peak day return is great value at 8.00 with railcard so i am righ tin thinking i could catch the 11.25 to BPW and the 12.12 to BTM, have a bitof lunch before heading back BTM to Cardiff.

Basset

Yes, you can go CDF to BRI (it's not BTM - at least not according to the railway!) via BPW, for the same fare as a direct service. And as Devon_Metro says, it's a Saturday so an Off Peak Day Return is valid at all times.

When planning your journey, just use the 'travel via' option on the journey planners.

Although there isn't a 'Bristol Stations' ticket it is perfectly allowable to travel from Cardiff to Temple Meads via BPW.

Indeed for the same fare you could even travel on the Newport to Gloucester line via Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester/Cheltenham if you have a fear of long tunnels!

Is that really a permitted route?! I could believe it when the tunnel is shut, but under normal circumstances...?!

Debateable.

Just checked it with a journey planner and you're right, no longer available through to Gloucester. But use a Mixing Desk JP and put Chepstow in as a 'via' station and it gives you times to Chepstow and doubling back to Severn Tunnel Junction for the same fare as direct, something that shouldn't be allowed according to the Routeing Guide.

The Routeing Guide rules appear to allow CDF-BRI via GCR/CNM as the routeing points are one one map and a permitted route is one that can be traced from origin to destination without passing through any station twice.

The loco hauled sets don't run on a saturday by the way, except for an ECS working from Bishops Lydeard to Canton on Saturday afternoon.

Yes, you can as a break of journey is permitted on that ticket.