What the issue with the 19.29 advance booking

[whole diary]

[basset44]

Hi All,

Trying to book a Train from Cardiff to Hayes & Harlington for the 21st May call me tight but i allways look to see if it is cheaper splitting at Swindon its usualy the same train just have to change at Reading.

If i look at the 18.25 from Cardiff its one change at Reading, but if I try to split at Swindon it arrives at 19.27 but when I try to book it comes up with 19.41 the 19.29 is not showing this is happing a lot I think the train runs cause I could book from Cardiff it appears either it not allowing people from Swindon to join?

Basset

[Southern Stag]

It doesn't show the 1929 because taking the 19:29 from Swindon would not get you to Hayes & Harlington any earlier than taking the 19:41. I haven't been able to find a way to force the booking engine to give you an option on the 19:29 train because as far as it's concerned there is no reason for you to take the 19:29, as you'd leave earlier but arrive at the same time.

Edit: I have now managed to get the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) booking engine to give an option on the 19:29. If you specify Swindon to Hayes & Harlington via Taplow it will give you an option taking the 19:29 with one change at Reading and it currently only costs ^8.30

[basset44]

Thanks

Southern Stag thats half pint saved it all helps, was going to book the 17.55 from Cardiff now i can do the 18.25 split at Swindon and save 1.70.

Once again for your direction on how to use the booking engine I would not have thought of that

Basset

[grahame]

The booking engines do what most of the people want most of the time - which is to send people on the latest possible train in order to connect on the given itinerary.

Just occasionally, this isn't what people want, and sometimes it removes the possibility of a lower fare.  A couple of examples:

a) With heavy luggage, I prefer to take a preceding Gloucester line train from Paddington rather than the following South Wales train if I'm changing onto the TransWilts service.   Not only does it save a rush under the subway at Swindon, but it also makes for a more reliable connection there if things get a bit held up out of London  / at Reading

b) Travelling with two changes, where the middle section of the journey is more frequent that either of the outer sections, the system will route you via the LAST suitable middle section train rather than the first.   From Swindon to Glasgow last week, I got to Cheltenham Spa to find that I wasn't to catch the next train to Birmingham, but rather I was booked to loiter there for a later train.

Neat trick - in the example given - from 'Southern Stag' ... shame that it's not a universally applicable dodge!

[basset44]

Hi All,

Things just seem to get more weird, just entered leaving from Swindon to Hayes & Harlington entering leaving at 19.00 and 19.30.

It shows from Today the 19.29 but not the 19.41

Next week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday all show the 19.29 and not the 19.41 but on the Friday it goes to just the 19.41.

I know it runs I just checked DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Train timetable, after Friday using random days I cant get the 19.29. Unless I put in via Taplow.

Basset

[Southern Stag]

That's because Mondays-Thursdays next week the 1941 from Swindon to London Paddington isn't running. The service through from Cheltenham will be formed of a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) rather than an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and terminate at Swindon. I can't find anything on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website which explains why.

[ChrisB]

Redoubling work....

[Southern Stag]

I don't think it is. The 1536 Paddington-Cheltenham and 1834 Cheltenham-Paddington are the only services that are altered and a DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) is running in near enough the exact same timings between Swindon and Cheltenham as the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) should have been. Every other HST service is unaffected.