I might be going up to Darlington for the weekend of 21st/22nd March. I can get up there on a direct train for £60, or just £48 if I don't mind arriving till 14:59, so that's excellent. But coming back on on Sunday there is nothing under £100 and no direct trains listed at all. Even worse (cos I'll be taking a bike up there), every other service includes a bus. There seem to be two problems:
LNER» timetable not finalised beyond the end of February – but this need not matter as I'd rather take a direct
XC▸ than travel via London; and XC services replaced by bus between Worcestershire Parkway and Gloucester – I presume there are engineering works.
Obviously I could just ride the bike from WOP to Gloucester. So I checked tickets from Darlington to WOP and they're more expensive than all the way to Bristol.
But at least they're direct. So I guess my question boils down to, are there any "clever splits" or other ways to reduce the cost, other routes? Thanks!