Sorta pre-planning our trip via nationalrail.co.uk website. New to rail/train travel.
I'm confused because you have to switch rail lines and go to different platforms, but at the time our first leg arrives, the second leg departs (having to switch lines), just wondering how this is physically possible? Or are trains a minute or two early?
It's NOT physically possible. You have to have at least 5-10 minutes between trains. If you give us your route and desired departure time, someone will check the site and then tell you if you're reading it correctly.
I routed out: Bath Spa (BTH) to Canterbury (CBE) 7:13am departure.
It reads:
7:13 Departure, 8:45 Arrival (from BTH to PAD)
then
8:45 Departure, 9:32 Arrival (from PAD to VIC)
then
9:33 Departure, 11:00 Arrival (from VIC to CBE)
For the Leg 2 of 3 (you have to take the Underground) it says:
From London Paddington take the Bakerloo Line (Southbound, Platform 4) to Oxford Circus Undergound Station. Change and take the Victoria Line (Southbound, Platform 5) to London Victoria.
^^^
Reading that it sounds like you have to physically get on and off different trains and different platforms (again I'm new to rail travel so I don't know if platform 4 and 5 are 2 inches away or blocks away).
Based on when your train from Bath will arrive at Paddington, the National Rail site gives you the next departure time (08:45) for traveling on the Underground between Paddington and Victoria and the last arrival time (09:32) prior to your train's departure time from Victoria. However, the trip will only take about 15 minutes and you can simply go below ground, buy a ticket (£4.00), and catch the next available train. Trains run about every 3-4 minutes on the suggested route (Bakerloo line and Victoria line). When you get to Oxford Circus you simply walk through the tunnels to the Victoria line and take the next available train. Or take the Circle line directly from Paddington to Victoria. Trains run about every 7-8 minutes.
To see this for yourself, go to www.tfl.gov.uk and use the Journey Planner to get times and routes for Paddington-Victoria.
Okay I think I understand now... they take the time that you have between first and last arrivals because trains are constantly running (for the Underground, at least)... I think? yes?
Okay, well it does make sense now. Thank you for the explanation Tim!
less then 24hrs and I'm on a plane to Great Britain... EEEEEEeeeeee!!!!
So excited!
You're welcome, Tina.
Yes, in this case National Rail gave you the first Tube (Underground) train departure time from Paddington and the last Tube train arrival time at Victoria before your National Rail train departs for Canterbury.
You might want to take a look at a Tube map on the TFL site to see your route in advance. Click on "Getting around" on the home page and then look for the Maps heading on the left-hand side of the new page you'll be given.
Have a great trip!
Tina, to make what I'm gong to write easy to understand, please realize the the London Undgerground and the Tube are the same thing. Officially, it's called the London Underground but most people just call it the tube.
The Trains that take you into Paddington and out of Victoria are not the same type of trains that will take you between Paddington and Victoria. That's done on the tube.
At Paddington, you won't just walk over from one platform to another to get the Bakerloo line. You have to walk over the the London Underground station at Paddington, and go down to the tube lines. At Victoria, you'll go from that tube station to the Victoria train station.
With the underground, rather than looking for platform numbers, look for the names of the lines and determine which direction you need to go.
Have a good trip.
