Sealink
Service Attendant
From London to Birmingham there are three different ways of travelling. One of the rare examples of real rail competition in the UK.
Virgin Trains operate the fast Pendolino services from Euston. Journey time of around 1hr 22 minutes.
London Midland Trains operate the stopping services from Euston. Basically commuter trains and a journey time of around 2 hours.
Chiltern operate the slower route from London Marylebone Station. Journey time of around 1 hr 50 minutes.
The result is some amazing bargains. The one I got was a ticket from London to Birmingham - a distance of 117 miles - for... 25p. That's £0.25. Or $0.38 at todays exchange rate!
I think part of the offer is to raise awareness of this alternative service as most people think Virgin Trains are the only way to get to Birmingham.
So I went on a fun day out to Birmingham, for 50p return! Here’s what I found:
Proper trains!
These “Silver Trains” also have a business zone which offers bigger seats and free hot drinks.
All passengers benefit from free WiFi.
The ticket was a "Print at Home" one.
The standard class seating was very nice, and the train very smart.
I had breakfast on board, coffee and a bacon roll for £3.75
The service was nice, staff friendly and before long we arrived in Birmingham.
The service takes longer than Virgin Trains but I found this journey much more comfortable.
No trip to Birmingham is complete without a picture of the Bullring Shopping Centre.
Discovered a lovely pub called The Joint Stock.
Where I sampled a beer called Pain in the Arse.
I then visited a local National Trust property called Back to Backs, an example of a style of housing where houses where built “back to back”.
The very informative guide give an insightful commentary on this kind of housing, three houses can be visited, with each furnished from a different time period.
These “Back to Backs” are the last of their kind, and are surrounded by contemporary Birmingham.
WIth the Chiltern Trains ticket you can take advantage of two-for-one entry at National Trust Back to Backs. Pick up a leaflet at the station.
Virgin Trains operate the fast Pendolino services from Euston. Journey time of around 1hr 22 minutes.
London Midland Trains operate the stopping services from Euston. Basically commuter trains and a journey time of around 2 hours.
Chiltern operate the slower route from London Marylebone Station. Journey time of around 1 hr 50 minutes.
The result is some amazing bargains. The one I got was a ticket from London to Birmingham - a distance of 117 miles - for... 25p. That's £0.25. Or $0.38 at todays exchange rate!
I think part of the offer is to raise awareness of this alternative service as most people think Virgin Trains are the only way to get to Birmingham.
So I went on a fun day out to Birmingham, for 50p return! Here’s what I found:
Proper trains!
These “Silver Trains” also have a business zone which offers bigger seats and free hot drinks.
All passengers benefit from free WiFi.
The ticket was a "Print at Home" one.
The standard class seating was very nice, and the train very smart.
I had breakfast on board, coffee and a bacon roll for £3.75
The service was nice, staff friendly and before long we arrived in Birmingham.
The service takes longer than Virgin Trains but I found this journey much more comfortable.
No trip to Birmingham is complete without a picture of the Bullring Shopping Centre.
Discovered a lovely pub called The Joint Stock.
Where I sampled a beer called Pain in the Arse.
I then visited a local National Trust property called Back to Backs, an example of a style of housing where houses where built “back to back”.
The very informative guide give an insightful commentary on this kind of housing, three houses can be visited, with each furnished from a different time period.
These “Back to Backs” are the last of their kind, and are surrounded by contemporary Birmingham.
WIth the Chiltern Trains ticket you can take advantage of two-for-one entry at National Trust Back to Backs. Pick up a leaflet at the station.
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