jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
Thameslink nothing to do with me!
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[Albion] Norwich trains
- Thread starter kevo
- Start date
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
You can via Peterborough, but the EMR service between there and Norwich is quite unreliable in my experience. I personally will be doing Brighton to Royston, Royston to Cambridge North (bus), Cambridge North to Norwich, the Bus operation on that part is pretty efficient in my experience.
Last edited:
Uh_huh_him
Well-known member
- Sep 28, 2011
- 12,573
You think the rail replacement buses will be any better?
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
Doing the car for this one
Well, you should get a seat (after queuing for an age).
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
Should be fine on this route.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
I know you work on the railway but these are my local trains so apologies if I am missing something here but can I ask why you want go to Cambridge North to get a train to Norwich? The replacement bus does not go to Cambridge North it terminates in Cambridge as the train would!
You would have to get on another train from Cambridge to get to Cambridge North which if you are going to do that you might as well get on the train at Cambridge because it has to go through Cambridge North to get to Norwich anyway. You will also be looking for a seat on a train that will already have hundreds of Brighton supporters already seated on it when they got off the replacement bus and joined the Norwich train at Cambridge!?
I use these trains weekly and it’s my regular route from London or Brighton and frequently between Norwich and Cambridge - I would recommend keeping it simple and making as few changes as possible - I know the PT system here pretty well and there’s often delays on the Cambridge Thameslink service but the Cambridge Norwich train is very reliable.
(The Peterborough to Norwich train won’t save much time imo not if coming up from Brighton - it joins up with the Cambridge Norwich line going through Ely and Thetford (which you have to do anyway when travelling from Cambridge). Kings Lynn is miles out and I don’t think you can’t get direct to Norwich from Kings Lynn again, you have to come back down and go via Cambridge or Ely .)
Which ever way you look at it, its a drag.
Im glad for once I have an easy 30 minute bus ride from my house to Carrow Road!
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- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
There’s more than enough busses - when I did it a few weeks ago the buses were going every 5 or 10 minutes until everyone had a seat who had gotten off the train.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
It goes via Thetford which you have to go through coming from Cambridge any way. It’s quicker just to go from Cambridge.
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
The bus operation goes from Royston to Cambridge North direct, where you can meet the same train but its quicker to use the ring road rather than navigating Cambridge City Centre, the routing is also different as the Foxton level crossing is closed so is quicker to Cambridge North, especially if you are travelling onwards.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
That’s not the replacement bus for the Thameslink is it?
The replacements buses running a few weeks ago were all terminating at Cambridge because that’s where the direct Thameslink service from Brighton terminates.. There were all emptying out at the bus stops in front of the main station concourse.
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
There are two buses, one to Cambridge, and one to Cambridge North that leave Royston at the same time.
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
Yes that is a Great Northern operated Bus.
Don Tmatter
Well-known member
So, what route would you suggest if coming from Sussex and want to avoid replacement buses on Saturday?
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
It took me 40 minutes on the bus from Cambridge to Royston (20 minutes more than the train would be) - and I picked up the Norwich train which the stopped at Cambridge North. If the 10 minutes you can save by going to CN rather than CAM means you can get an earlier train it’s worth it. Trains direct to Norwich go about every hour at least when I use them so you could still end up on the same train to Norwich even if the bus is 10 minutes faster
.
- Oct 20, 2022
- 7,558
There isn’t a direct route without the buses. If you really want to avoid a bus ride then ( and I did this last year travelling to the Amex) I would probably go Thameslink from Brighton to St Pancras/ walk over the road to Kings X and get the fast train to Peterborough. I would then get a train to Norwich ( which converges with the Cambridge Norwich route at Thetford).
It added an hour to my journey but I didn’t have to use the bus between Royston and Cambridge. I don’t like Peterborough station tbh it’s cold and poor facilities and I had to wait for a connection - In retrospect the bus from Royston over Christmas was incredibly easy ( lots laid on so no one standing) and right next to the platform.
jackalbion
Well-known member
- Aug 30, 2011
- 5,135
Brighton to St Pancras, Kings Cross to Peterborough, Peterborough to Norwich, is the ONLY route without buses this does take longer than the route via Royston however, the train between Peterborough and Norwich can be a little bit chaotic at times, as it originates in Liverpool, but all going as planned should be fine.
southstandandy
WEST STAND ANDY
- Jul 9, 2003
- 6,148
Helicopter from Shoreham. 1hr 15mins
- Jul 27, 2024
- 885
Just get a fan coach. Who could be bothered with all this stress and all these changes? Public transport is an utter disgrace in this country.