Just found out via a post on the Wigan Board that there are extensive engineering works planned on the West Coast line on Bank Holiday weekend. To get down to London requires at least two changes and a five hour journey, and as for getting back that night - forget it. This has scuppered my plans as I was goingto do the journey by train, even if we don't get there.

I know that Network Rail will hardly take much account of the Challenge Cup Final but twith at least one, and hopefully two, of the teams being based on or near the West Coast line it will still be incredibly inconvenient, to say the least.

Be warned!

i checked on price / availability for train there and back on the saturday. £125 and 5.5 hours to get back.

i was laughing at the operator for about 45 mins before i politly declined the offer

Not again, it was dreadful last year.

how's it looking on the Sunday?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

I tried putting a Sunday return in and it came back with a Monday morning train. I tried for 'earlier trains' and it gave me, wait for it ....

Depart London 23:06 on Saturday night
Arrive in Preston 15:50 on Sunday after 5 changes including 3 buses. Sixteen and three quarter hours



Forget trying to get back on the Sunday via West Coast. Basically no trains at all on the Sunday.

It's laughable how the railways treat customers on weekends and bank holidays as persona non grata. You still have to pay through the nose to stand next to a toilet, but this time you have to change 39 times and it'll take you 3 days.

Try Liverpool or Runcorn to Birmingham then Birmingham to London or Wembley.

That is the route I took last year.

Or get a coach for 30 quid tops!

I have a family rail card. £65 for me and 3 children

I have a 'Traveller' ticket which gives me free first class travel on Virgin Trains at the weekend, but going any other way than West Coast means using different providers.

We go every year Friday to Sunday.

It's OK getting there on the Friday but the Sunday return is virtually impossible. One of the only ways i found was to go London Kings Cross to York. Then York to Warrington Central.

Every journey is 5-6 hours and numerous changes.

IIRC National Rail coaches also seem messed up returning on that Sunday.

I suppose there are compensations to living in Yorkshire then. Last year we went with Hull Trains, direct, no stops, on time and £30 each way.

Full of Hull fans though........

I love that service. Used to use it as a teen travelling up to Saints games and to visit my old man.