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Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > Fare's Fair > Advance Fares - Cotswold Line
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Author Topic: Advance Fares - Cotswold Line  (Read 11069 times)
bobm
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« on: February 14, 2011, 18:56:31 »
I like to make first class advance ticket journeys on FGW▸ (First Great Western) but I've noticed the Worcester/Hereford route never seems to have any available - weekdays or weekends.  Is that correct and if so is it really the case that all the services run close to capacity?
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Timmer
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« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2011, 19:15:29 »
Advance fares are not available on the Cotswold line.
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bobm
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« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2011, 20:00:13 »
Which leads on to my second point - are the services really all close to capacity?  I travel a lot for leisure using First Class Advance but never go on the Coltswold line because there are no bargain tickets.
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inspector_blakey
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« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2011, 20:13:10 »
In many cases not - if you take a look through some of the threads already on the Cotswold Line board there are various discussions there about how many previously HST▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))-operated services are now formed of Turbo stock, due at least in part I suppose to loadings not justifying an HST. Weekday peak services and Sunday afternoon can be very busy, outside those times my impression is that capacity generally is not an issue.

There are no advance tickets on Cotswold Line flows essentially for historical reasons: it's not that there are advance fares in the database that aren't made available because the trains are too busy, it's simply that advance fares don't exist. The other side of this argument is that the Cotswold Line enjoys "walk-up" fares that are far cheaper mile-for-mile than other flows over a similar distance.
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2011, 20:15:30 »
Nevertheless - welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, bobm!

Chris.  Wink
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bobm
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« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2011, 20:20:57 »
Quote from: inspector_blakey on February 14, 2011, 20:13:10
The other side of this argument is that the Cotswold Line enjoys "walk-up" fares that are far cheaper mile-for-mile than other flows over a similar distance.

I must admit I havent seen them.  I regularly can travel from Reading to Cheltenham Spa for ^15 first class single.  I'd just like to go to Worcester or Hereford sometimes!
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bobm
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« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2011, 20:21:29 »
Quote from: chris from nailsea on February 14, 2011, 20:15:30
Nevertheless - welcome to the Coffee Shop forum, bobm!

Chris.  Wink

Thanks - should have registered ages ago!
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willc
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« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2011, 22:37:46 »
If you just want to do the trip up the Cotswold Line and don't have a specific purpose/appointment in mind, travel on a Saturday or Sunday using weekend first on an HST▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))-worked service. Lots of space. I've sometimes had almost an entire coach to myself, both into and out of Paddington on Saturday journeys. This is despite standard being jammed full between London and Oxford both ways - it's only a fiver to do that leg on weekend first but people just don't seem to want to pay it.

And Network Card fares apply all the way out to Worcester.
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Mookiemoo
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« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2011, 23:07:32 »
I commuted for 6 years from WOS» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) to PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains) - almost daily - and can say there was never advance fares

HOWEVER

I was happy to pay the FC▸ (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) fare - so much so that now I live in Bristol I cry at the FC fare and am gradually de sensitizing myself to cattle class
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ChrisB
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« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2011, 09:41:18 »
Other than the student special to / from Oxford, are there Advance fares to anywhere within the old NSE▸ (Network South East) area?.....
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JayMac
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« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2011, 11:23:34 »
There are advance fares from Waterloo to Weymouth and Exeter with SWT▸ (South West Trains).

London Midland offer advances to Northampton.

Southern offer advances to many destinations on their network.

Chiltern offer advances along their routes.
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
ChrisB
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« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2011, 13:40:58 »
Sorry, I meant on FGW▸ (First Great Western).....
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JayMac
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« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2011, 14:44:55 »
The only advance fares in the LTV▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) area are on PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains)<>OXF» (Oxford - next trains) standard class only.

At the weekend/bank holiday splitting at Oxford and combining with Weekend First can make the fare a bit more agreeable to/from Worcester or Hereford.

As an example, travelling this Saturday on the 1213 HST▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) from Hereford:

HFD» (Hereford - next trains)-OXF Off Peak Day Single ^19.80
OXF-PAD Standard Advance ^4.00
Weekend First upgrade ^15.00

Total: ^38.80.

That's only a fiver more than the through Standard fare and half the price of the through First Class fare.
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
ChrisB
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« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2011, 14:53:38 »
Although technically, I believe you can't Weekend First a Standard Advance?
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JayMac
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« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2011, 14:56:52 »
Yes you can. From FGW▸ (First Great Western) website:

Quote
You can buy in advance at ticket offices and on board High Speed services. However, please note that Weekend First is not available in advance to holders of advance tickets; these tickets can, however, be upgraded on board, subject to availability.
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"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
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