Reading - Balloch

[whole diary]

[Ollie]

A bit of a random one for you all if you want to give it a go.

On Sunday 21st February I am going to travel from either Reading or Swindon to Balloch, departure time somewhere between 08:00 and 09:00. The catch is I only want to use First Group TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s
Going via London I understand that LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) will be required, and that is the only exception to the First Group TOC Rule.

Good luck (and thanks in advance as if anyone gets a reasonable journey, saves me finding myself - lazy I know)

[Chris from Nailsea]

You monkey! 

[Ollie]

In fairness I had it all planned for leaving tomorrow, but I'm not now, Sunday might be a bit more complicated and longer journey times, might end up having to buy a ticket if can't find a reasonable journey via First Group TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s

[John R]

If you're prepared to stick around all day on Sunday then presumably the sleeper from Euston to Glasgow is valid.  Though I accept that's a bit of a cop out of an asnwer, and means a bit of a rough night, unless you cough up for a sleeper supplement (which would probably be worth it).   

[Ollie]

Thanks John, sorry I should have added I need to be there at some point in the evening on Sunday.

[readytostart]

Don't think you'll be able to make it on First alone, FHT are starting at PBO due to engineering.
Sleeper could be a bit iffy too as FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) STMs will be on strike with the rest of the guards on Saturday though I don't think they'll be displaced due to no Saturday night service.

[Ollie]

Don't think you'll be able to make it on First alone, FHT are starting at PBO due to engineering.
Sleeper could be a bit iffy too as FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) STMs will be on strike with the rest of the guards on Saturday though I don't think they'll be displaced due to no Saturday night service.

Oh that's a pain, ah well looks like I will be paying then Thanks RTS

[Hafren]

First Capital Connect would bridge the gap from London to Peterborough...

Just checking whether this work will affect FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect), the interweb says 'Services will operate once an hour in each direction between London and Peterborough, these trains will not call at Hitchin. Customers travelling to/from Hitchin should use replacement buses to travel between Hitchin and Stevenage/Arlesey. Customers travelling to/from Hitchin should allow an extra 30 minutes. Until approximately 0900, buses will replace trains between Stevenage and Peterborough. From approximately 2100, buses will replace trains between Stevenage and Biggleswade.'

Assuming you'll need a fairly early Hull Trains service, you might need to use the FCC bus if it's too early to connect with the first direct London-Peterborough.

[coachflyer]

Pity you have to travel on Sunday as Hull Trains are terminating at Peterborough.

Your journey would be:

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to Paddington

bus 205 to KGX (engineering works on LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd)!!)

FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) to Peterborough 1st train 1015

Hull Trains Peterborough to Doncaster

TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express) Doncaster to Manchester

TPE Manchester to Carlisle

Scotrail Carlisle to Glasgow

Scotrail Glasgow to Balloch

This would get you to Balloch around 2300 but with some transfers of less than 5 mins would be unpractical.

Would suggest going FGW to Banbury then buying a single to Manchester then using TPE/Scotrail from there.

[readytostart]

Engineering Oxford to Banbury too if I read my diagrams right!

[Ollie]

Aha looking at the FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect)/FHT option I came up with this:

Reading - Paddington (FGW^▸ (First Great Western)) (Departs 09:01 and Arrives: 09:39)
Paddington - Oxford Circus (LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd)) (Departs: 09:47 and Arrives: 09:55)
Oxford Circus - Kings Cross (LUL) (Departs: 10:02 and Arrives: 10:08)
Kings Cross - Peterborough (Departs: 10:15 and Arrives: 11:38) (FCC)
Peterborough - Doncaster (Departs: 11:50 and Arrives: 12:48) (FHT)
Doncaster - Manchester Piccadilly (Departs: 13:42 and Arrives: 15:06) (TPE^▸ (Trans Pennine Express))
Manchester Piccadilly - Preston (Departs: 15:46 and Arrives: 16:32) (TPE)
Preston - Glasgow Central (Departs: 16:42 and Arrives: 19:00) (VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises))
Glasgow Central - Balloch (Departs: 19:14 and Arrives: 20:00) (FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail))

So just payment for the Virgin Trains and Underground required. Might be a reasonable option except the Reading - Kings Cross bit is very tight.
For reference the normal route that NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) is suggesting would get in at 18:30 (leaving Kings Cross at 10:30 instead of 10:15) so it's not too much of a difference.

[johoare]

36 minutes (if my adding up is right) from Paddington to Kings Cross isn't too bad and easily done..if only the circle line were open.. I'm guessing it's sending you via Oxford Circus because the circle line will be shut (as is usual at weekends).. This will obviously take longer..

The Reading to Paddington time seems very long too.. I'm assuming there are no intercities at that time that are first stop Paddington? Although looking at the journey planner there appear to be no fast trains from Reading to Paddington on Sunday morning... strange.. engineering works I guess...

[Mookiemoo]

Having spent 2 years at stirling university - why in the name of all thats holy do you WANT to go to balloch


unless you want to commute to HMRC in Cumbernauld

[Ollie]

Having spent 2 years at stirling university - why in the name of all thats holy do you WANT to go to balloch


unless you want to commute to HMRC in Cumbernauld

I have friends that live in Jamestown so it's either Balloch or Alexandria, and they have told me Balloch is a bit closer. I've not been there myself so somewhere new for me to go too

36 minutes (if my adding up is right) from Paddington to Kings Cross isn't too bad and easily done..if only the circle line were open.. I'm guessing it's sending you via Oxford Circus because the circle line will be shut (as is usual at weekends).. This will obviously take longer..

The Reading to Paddington time seems very long too.. I'm assuming there are no intercities at that time that are first stop Paddington? Although looking at the journey planner there appear to be no fast trains from Reading to Paddington on Sunday morning... strange.. engineering works I guess...

And thanks for that Jo. Think I will just go for it and try this route, if something goes wrong then I'll just have to use East Coast.

And Sunday Service pretty much always has extended journey times unfortunately. The 09:01 is actually a InterCity service (Starts Bristol TM^‡(resolve))