Time to head home on the cheap
Polishing Silver
As we land in Britannia one more time this trip, I am finally in the right country, but the wrong city. It’s time to find some trains to get me to my home in the West Midlands.
In this Tier Point-laden adventure
- All I ask is for one decent airfare. Just ONE. Anyone?
- Off to Birmingham Airport
- FR669 Birmingham to Dublin Airport with Ryanair
- Welcome to Dublin, Premier Inn – Dublin Airport
- Early Morning Dublin Airport and US Preclearance, 51st and Green Lounge
- AA723 Dublin to Philadelphia – Flagship Business Class
- A Rocky Interlude – Exploring Philadelphia
- Return to PHL and the Philadelphia American Airlines Admirals Club
- AA2663 Philadelphia to San Francisco – US Domestic First
- A new terminal and The Crowne Plaza, Burlingame
- The Intercontinental San Francisco (and trying the new BART trains)
- Asian Eats around San Francisco
- A challenge unto myself: Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
- Ferrying around the bay with Golden Gate Ferry
- Of Dragons and Lions – Celebrations in San Francisco Chinatown
- Back to SFO, American Airlines Admirals Club
- AA164 San Francisco to New York JFK – Transcontinental Business Class
- A snow-laden pit stop at JFK and the American Airlines/British Airways Greenwich Lounge
- AA104 New York JFK to London Heathrow – Flagship Business Class
- Transiting across Heathrow Terminals and the British Airways Galleries North
- BA836 London Heathrow to Dublin Airport – Club Europe
- A Two Hour Dublin Turnaround featuring the Dublin Airport Lounge
- BA4469 Dublin to London City Airport – Club Europe by BA CityFlyer
- To the trains
- Points in the bag
Getting off the aircraft at London City Airport, there was a small distance to walk, as we were a UK and Ireland arrival – meaning we had to use a different door to normal arrivals. This also has the benefit of skipping past the UK Border Force and dealing with them.
Something to be thankful for, with the Common Travel Area.
I took the opportunity to get comfortable, then returned to one of two luggage belts to wait for my baggage. It seemed with peak time travel, bags took a little longer than usual, but I had my bag 10 minutes after getting off the aircraft.
Still more than acceptable.
With that, I exited the secure area for the final time this trip and into the public zone.
My focus turned to transit and how to get home. Checking the clocks, it looked like I would make the cheaper trains home from Euston, as it would be past 7pm when I got to the mainline station.
I therefore headed to the Docklands Light Railway, tapping my card in to validate my ticket.
Heading up the escalator, I heard the familiar sound of a train arriving, which I jumped straight away.
Later, I found it was heading to Bank station – which is exactly where I wanted to go.
I also managed to luck out on getting the seats that make you look like a train driver- and that’s one of the big appeals of travelling the DLR.
If you don’t sit on these seats, did you even ride the DLR?
Whilst the DLR made its way to Canning Town, Popular and towards Bank, I needed to get a train ticket to get home. As I was in the mood to be cheap, a £19 single to Birmingham was the order of the day.
I told you I was cheap, considering Avanti West Coast wanted £46, and Chiltern wants £34 for a similar, but faster journey.
I booked this via the Uber App – which in the UK has an offer of 10% back in Uber Credit – which is good as cash for me (and also 19 more Avios).
There’s been a major improvement using this – in the past, you had to do odd things to pull your ticket (ie. log into the mailbox you ordered your ticket from, or grab the PDF). Now, it integrates with Apple Passbook – a much more fluid experience.
With a ticket in hand, the train dived into the loop tunnel to take it to Bank Station. The perfect time to get my bags in order, and get ready to face the back end of a London peak hour.
Arriving at Bank Station, it was a case of following the signs for the Northern Line (because Bank Statio can be an unpleasant maze on the best of days, and on the worst of days a hotter mess than your author).
Thankfully, most of the peak time travel had dissipated, so when I got to the Northern Line platforms, a train was waiting to go.
I found a perch spot, and the train doors closed for the short ride on the Bank Branch up to Euston Station
Exiting at Euston Station, I made my way to the exit and blipped out.
Heading up the station, there’s been a change since I’ve been here – with a new entrance constructed for the underground – rather than exiting into Euston station, you now exit the station, then do a 180 to enter the mainline rail station.
I guess it allows crowd management and separation, but it’s a bit of a “why” move.
Passing the departure boards, I saw that the train I was targeting already had a platform. I’ll take this as a plus, as I don’t have to deal with the Euston mass rush for a train,
Heading down to the platform, there were 10 minutes to find a seat that I liked.
Train!
New Birmingham trains fill in until the Londoners get their new trains
London Euston – Birmingham New Street.
London Northwestern Railway
Super Off-Peak Single
£19
Heading down the train, it was made up of two Class 350 trains. The rear portion was made up of the nicer Class 350/4 train, whilst the front portion was made up of a commuter Class 350/2, which has 2-3 seating in it, spread among the 2-2 seating.
I surprisingly went for the 350/2 – as I saw two seats near a door – and more importantly, space for everything to live.
The train continued to fill out, as this was the first nighttime off-peak train to Birmingham, calling everywhere between London and the Midlands.
This is the problem with a cheap service – you are going to be spending a lot of time on train stops, including Watford Junction, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton Northampton (for a 15-minute stop), Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry and local stations in the Midlands to Birmingham New Street.
The seating is the classic seating they have in the Siemens Desiros – so firm would be the term I would use. Others would call them ironing boards. I find them comfortable enough for an hour or two – it’s just the last half hour that can be… Bottom-numbing.
With most of the passengers leaving the train at Betchky and Milton Keynes Central, I had two seats to myself once past Milton Keynes.
Of course, there was a ticket inspection from Northampton onwards, and people were getting caught left right and centre for not purchasing a ticket, or being unable to produce a ticket. Which suited the conductor as he blipped them for full-price tickets.
My barcode was scanned and accepted as a valid travel token for the journey. I just scrolled away, thinking of the last part of the journey – how to get home.
Entering the West Midlands, the train made local stops between Coventry and Birmingham International, then operated fast to New Street station.
It was about 21:30 by the time I stepped off the train and onto the platform at New Street.
Going against the flow of traffic, I headed for the escalators (as I didn’t want to fight for a lift or deal with steps at this point – having a case with wheels put different perspectives on things).
Even at 21:30, the ticket barriers were still closed at New Street station – which required the barcode to be pulled up one last time to exit into the station concourse.
Ozzy the Bull guarding New Street.
Heading outwards, I made my way to one of the many station exits, and towards the taxi rank.
Normally, I wouldn’t get a black cab driver much business – but at this point, I could not be bothered to wait for a local Uber to get me home.
Thankfully, I found a driver happy enough to drive me to the flat. With some of the changes in the Birmingham Roads, that can be more of a challenge than any of us would like these days. With a little local knowledge, sign following and UTurns, I was at the entranceway to the flats.
With a last push, I gathered my trash and got everything through the gates of the flat and to the front door of my flat,
Seven Segments, 640 Tier Points and 12,710 miles – done.
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