Great Western Coffee Shop

Journey by Journey => London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury => Topic started by: chuffed on February 13, 2018, 08:52:50



Title: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: chuffed on February 13, 2018, 08:52:50
Trying to book a journey next Monday 19th on the 1307 from Stonehouse to Bicester Village. GWR and NRE journey planners are sending me to Reading rather than Swindon and Didcot. Anyone know why this is ?


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: ChrisB on February 13, 2018, 09:22:46
Fastest journey....


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: brooklea on February 13, 2018, 09:36:00
Fastest journey....
It's not on this occasion however, as it takes just as long via Reading as it does changing at Swindon and Didcot. Fewest changes could be the reason?

In answer to chuffed, I don't know the reason for the routing offered, but Didcot is open, and the work around would be to enter 'avoiding Reading' in the search options.


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: ChrisB on February 13, 2018, 10:03:21
Yup, fewest changes is another parameter it uses.


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: didcotdean on February 13, 2018, 10:19:58
Does it take into account the need to go up and down long escalators possibly in a howling gale :)

Although the change at Didcot is rarely cross platform these days.


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: stuving on February 13, 2018, 10:33:17
Fastest journey....

Indeed it is. If you start on the 13:07, the earliest arrival via Didcot is later than via Reading because of the trains that skip Didcot on both services. But when it works, via Didcot is quicker.

Via reading isn't a valid routeing for the direct ticket. That's sort-of indicated - you have to know that (for the NRE JP at least) not showing a price in the results page means you'd need separate tickets split at Reading. And for those two tickets, that makes it well over twice as much!


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: didcotdean on February 13, 2018, 10:38:52
On your return journey you'd might want if you can to avoid the Oxford-Didcot shuttles anyway if you are travelling in commuting time. The 2-car ones get rather crowded.


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: stuving on February 13, 2018, 10:46:47
Fastest journey....

Indeed it is. If you start on the 13:07, the earliest arrival via Didcot is later than via Reading because of the trains that skip Didcot on both services. But when it works, via Didcot is quicker.

Via reading isn't a valid routeing for the direct ticket. That's sort-of indicated - you have to know that (for the NRE JP at least) not showing a price in the results page means you'd need separate tickets split at Reading. And for those two tickets, that makes it well over twice as much!

Having looked again, I think that's incorrect behaviour in the NRE planner. If I select "Show only fastest trains", it is reasobale to suppress the normal routeing with change at Didcot in favour of another, even if it costs more. But by default that's not set - so surely then it really ought not to suppress the one-ticekt journey and only show one only 10 minutes quicker and a lot more expensive.


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: chuffed on February 13, 2018, 11:13:20
Thanks for all your help, folks !


Title: Re: Is Didcot closed next Monday ?
Post by: brooklea on February 13, 2018, 11:47:20
Fastest journey....

Indeed it is. If you start on the 13:07, the earliest arrival via Didcot is later than via Reading because of the trains that skip Didcot on both services. But when it works, via Didcot is quicker.

But as I said earlier, in this particular case leaving Stonehouse at 1307 the arrival time at Bicester Village should be exactly the same (1527) regardless of whether you take the via Reading route suggested, and the price penalty for so doing (more than double :o), or change at Swindon, Didcot and Oxford.

As you observe stuving, this appears to be incorrect behaviour in the NRE planner.



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