I’m looking for trains to take a day and overnight trip from London to Liverpool and back before my Rick Steves trip which begins June 30, 2024. I’ve looked and it seems that July dates aren’t available yet. Is that typical? Do you know when those dates will be available? I’m hoping to go June 28 and return June 30 in the morning. Or leave July 6 in the afternoon and return July 8. Which train company is the best? Or which website is best to use to get the best price?
Posted by
Lake District, England
5824 posts
Weekdays are available until 12 July but the weekends are on hold due to waiting for engineering work information.
30 June is due to be released on 8 May, and 6 July is due to be released on 15 May.
I was looking earlier for myself and on 30 June there is due to be morning engineering work between Crewe and Stafford until 1145, and very early morning work in the London Euston area (before 8am).
So trains will be diverted in the morning of 30 June (probably via Stoke on Trent adding maybe 10 to 15 minutes to journey times.
No work is currently showing for 6 July but may yet be added.
This is entirely typical. Just wait and see what happens.
For speed and no train change there is only one choice-Avanti. Their fares when released should be about £25 each way Advance Fare (tied to a specific train)
For slower trains, and a change at Birmingham use London North Western but the saving in fares (no more than £5 or so) is not worth the extra time and change of train IMO.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32798 posts
that's pretty much the conclusion I would have come up with but I'm surprised that the diversion would only take 10 or 15 minutes.
If the work is north of Searchlight Junction then a train can get over to Stone (very slow around the corner) and to Stoke reasonably quickly although nowhere near the 125 mph on the West Coast Main Line, but then there is still the slow junction at Kidsgrove and then the single line after Alsager... I would have thought longer.
If the disruption is all the way to Stafford then they may well use Colwich Junction (the usual Manchester route) which goes through Stone at a higher speed but there are still lower speeds, and the junction at Kidsgrove and the single line and then the rejoining of the main line.
The stop is normally at Crewe but the stop it used to make at Stafford is no more.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thanks for the information. I may just try June 28 to 29 and see how that goes.
Posted by
Lake District, England
5824 posts
I don't think the diversion is much over 15 minutes.
Down the main line Crewe to Stafford is timed at 20 minutes. Stopping services on the LNWR 350's round Stoke road are timed at 42 minutes- so 22 minutes more. They make 5 passenger stops. I don't know what the official allowance is for a station stop but on my line with 156's and 195's (so slower diesel, not electric) semi fast trains and ecs moves suggest 90 seconds (for deceleration, dwell time and acceleration) .
5 x 90 seconds= 7 1/2 minutes, 22 minutes minus 7 1/2 minutes= 14 1/2 minutes.
So if a diversion gets a clear run, not a lot of difference. Sectionally I think I've done the diversion in about 13 to 14 minutes, although my memory may or may not be playing tricks. The point is it doesn't make a lot of difference, in the same way as a diversion south of Rugby via Northampton running non stop adds a bit of time, but not so much as to make a big difference.
What would worry me more, and it happens sometimes, is if Avanti diverted out of Liverpool via Manchester non stop through Manchester Pic Platform 13 then down either Manchester to London route. That adds real time- 45 minutes or so depending on Manchester congestion.