Great Western Coffee Shop

If I get an off peak ticket from Newton Abbot to Edinburgh via London would this be valid only via London and not via Birmingham?  How are the fares set on this route, is it a combination of FGW and NXEC?  If I get an advance ticket do they take into account how busy both FGW and NXEC trains are, I tried looking at prices online and could only get a specific departure time from Newton Abbot and then added the next train north out of London, it would not let me select a specific train north of London.

why do you need to go that way?

So I don't have to go on an HST without a buffet or a Voyager.

and it would be faster.

how long would it take your way because my way would have a the buffet supposedly required at bns and only one change journey taking 7:54 leave at 1051 into ed at 1819 and im sure cheaper than via london! you know you can take a flask and some sarnies :0)

that does confuse me tho... ^149.90 for an off peak return for a jourey this long it starts at off peak times but your still on the train at peak times is this a mistake on the booking site? thats not an advance fair!!

If you brought a ticket from Newton Abbott to Edinburgh via London then yes, you can still go via Birmingham on this ticket, although can I ask why you would buy the more expensive ticket option of "route London" when you don't actually want to go via London?  ???

I was just thinking in the event of major disruption on the ECML south of York for the return journey.

Out of interest I always think it curious that several times a day two trains depart from adjacent platforms at Birmingham New St bound for Edinburgh at xx03. One goes up the West Coast, the other up the East Coast and takes an hour longer (currently, due to Sheffield work.) That always struck me as a recipe for passenger confusion, especially if you are travelling to an intermediate station and not the whole way.

Zoe,

If your not sure which way you're going to come back, you don't have to purchase the more expensive before hand. You could buy the cheaper route Bristol return ticket, then if you want to come back via London you can get a Alternative Route Excess ticket on the day for half the difference of the two prices.

TLM

A bit off-topic, but the 1154 EXD-PAD that had been running as a HST+7, had it's buffet car back again yesterday.

happens from time to time.  Probably the 2+7 set was out for scheduled maintenance so a 2+8 with buffet was provided.