[Travel] Rail Travel - Advice please (Brighton - Cheshire)

[junior]

I'm after some help please from anyone who is clued up on rail travel.

My elderly mother was due to travel from Brighton to Cheshire tomorrow in a car with someone but they have pulled out last minute. I've been doing some investigating online about trains but without success.

Whilst she is ok getting a train she's not happy about crossing London on the underground. When i was younger I'm sure there was a train every morning that went from Brighton to Manchester loco hauled. I can't seem to find it listed anywhere so assume it doesn't run anymore.
I also seem to remember a train called the Thameslink that went direct to somewhere the other side of London, possibly Luton or Bedford? But i can't seem to find that listed anywhere now either.

So can anyone tell me please where the furthest north is you can get to from Brighton, direct, by rail? I could then drive down and pick her up from that point. Alternatively she might be able to change trains from there to Crewe or Manchester which is not far for us to pick her up.

Ideally we want to go from Brighton to Crewe (or anywhere nearby) avoiding the London Underground and with minimal changes.

Would really appreciate some help with this and hope i get a few replies before it gets moved to 'other stuff'.

 

[Frutos]

You can get as far as Bedford directly on Thameslink, goes through London at St Pancras.

 

[Petee]

Thameslink to St Pancras and then walk over to Kings Cross

 

[Frutos]

www.thameslinkrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/timetables

 

[GT49er]

I'm after some help please from anyone who is clued up on rail travel.

My elderly mother was due to travel from Brighton to Cheshire tomorrow in a car with someone but they have pulled out last minute. I've been doing some investigating online about trains but without success.

Whilst she is ok getting a train she's not happy about crossing London on the underground. When i was younger I'm sure there was a train every morning that went from Brighton to Manchester loco hauled. I can't seem to find it listed anywhere so assume it doesn't run anymore.
I also seem to remember a train called the Thameslink that went direct to somewhere the other side of London, possibly Luton or Bedford? But i can't seem to find that listed anywhere now either.

So can anyone tell me please where the furthest north is you can get to from Brighton, direct, by rail? I could then drive down and pick her up from that point. Alternatively she might be able to change trains from there to Crewe or Manchester which is not far for us to pick her up.

Ideally we want to go from Brighton to Crewe (or anywhere nearby) avoiding the London Underground and with minimal changes.

Would really appreciate some help with this and hope i get a few replies before it gets moved to 'other stuff'.

There's one through train a day to Gloucester - couple of hours drive down the M6 and M5 from Cheshire.

(8.59am from Brighton - takes about four hours. There are a few later trains which involve just one change, at Southampton, which is pretty straightforward.)

 

[junior]

St Pancras or Kings Cross trains don't seem to go to Crewe. Does anyone know what the closest you could get to Crewe is from either of those train stations? I'm using the National Rail journey planner but no matter where i put as a starting location, as soon as i put Crewe as a destination it says to go on the underground to Euston first.

At the moment it looks like the best option is to drive to either Bedford or Gloucester and she gets the train there from Brighton.

 

[Mtoto]

If she's happy to take a taxi, could go Thameslink to St Pancras, taxi half a mile to Euston then train to Chester?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[junior]

If she's happy to take a taxi, could go Thameslink to St Pancras, taxi half a mile to Euston then train to Chester?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

That looks the best option, though to Crewe rather than Chester.

Don't suppose you or anyone know how much a london cab would cost roughly for that journey? I've never got a taxi in London.

 

[Beach Hut]

That looks the best option, though to Crewe rather than Chester.

Don't suppose you or anyone know how much a london cab would cost roughly for that journey? I've never got a taxi in London.

Suspect a minimum £10 going around 3 miles

 

[AnotherArch]

To miss London, change at Clapham Junction, then Milton Keynes. Can then get to Crewe easily. Cheapest on London Midland.

 

[Mtoto]

Suspect a minimum £10 going around 3 miles

From St Pancras to Euston is well under a mile. Can’t believe even a London cabbie would charge a tenner for that?

 

[Beach Hut]

From St Pancras to Euston is well under a mile. Can’t believe even a London cabbie would charge a tenner for that?

I could well imagine they would but to be fair have never been in a black cab for that journey

Think I may be right.......

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares

 

[Ernest]

Better to call assisted travel and ask them

 

[Hillian1]

As much as I hate to say it [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION] is your man here.

Seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the train system.

 

[Eeyore]

To miss London, change at Clapham Junction, then Milton Keynes. Can then get to Crewe easily. Cheapest on London Midland.

Looks like it's an elderly person. I think that may be a bit of a chore with the packed Junction train and the platform switch.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

My mum is 84, and came to us in Cheshire in July on National Express coaches from Brighton, via London Victoria, Birmingham and Chester. Only cost about £35 return including £10 coach card, but it took all day.

 

[Ernest]

As much as I hate to say it [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION] is your man here.

Seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the train system.

True, that's why I said get in touch with assisted travel as they can arrange transportation between London stations etc

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/disabled_passengers.aspx

 

[Hillian1]

True, that's why I said get in touch with assisted travel as they can arrange transportation between London stations etc

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/disabled_passengers.aspx

We don't see eye to eye on anything Ernest, but your knowledge of all things rail is unsurpassed to anything. And I know you'd help if you could.

Still think you're an arse though.

 

[theboybilly]

I'm after some help please from anyone who is clued up on rail travel.

My elderly mother was due to travel from Brighton to Cheshire tomorrow in a car with someone but they have pulled out last minute. I've been doing some investigating online about trains but without success.

Whilst she is ok getting a train she's not happy about crossing London on the underground. When i was younger I'm sure there was a train every morning that went from Brighton to Manchester loco hauled. I can't seem to find it listed anywhere so assume it doesn't run anymore.
I also seem to remember a train called the Thameslink that went direct to somewhere the other side of London, possibly Luton or Bedford? But i can't seem to find that listed anywhere now either.

So can anyone tell me please where the furthest north is you can get to from Brighton, direct, by rail? I could then drive down and pick her up from that point. Alternatively she might be able to change trains from there to Crewe or Manchester which is not far for us to pick her up.

Ideally we want to go from Brighton to Crewe (or anywhere nearby) avoiding the London Underground and with minimal changes.

Would really appreciate some help with this and hope i get a few replies before it gets moved to 'other stuff'.

The loco-hauled Virgin Cross Country service ceased running about 15 years ago. It was a good idea spoiled by bad route planning. I'm sure there was a valid reason for it not going via Kensington Olympia instead of Redhill - Reading (probably too many trains inside the inner London area to make it feasible) but that made for a very long journey. Virgin even set up a driver's depot at Brighton specially for this work. Most displaced drivers moved to Euston I think. It would have been handy for so many away games this season too.

 

[junior]

Thanks for everyones advice on the thread. I thought I'd finish it off by letting those that contributed know that we settled for:

Brighton > St Pancras
St Pancras > Euston (Taxi)
Euston > Crewe

3 hrs 20 mins door to door.