Mystery Train from London Bridge to Bedford? Newbie asking
 

Hope I'm not abusing your hospitality but I've been driven demented these past few months trying to work out this railway timetabling problem.

Many of you may not be interested in the subject area but you may know someone who is. At very least you will know much more than me, and possibly point me in the right direction!

on the odd occasion for work I have to connect from a South East Train service at London Bridge to Kings Cross or St Pancras to points north.

All timetables tell me to get off at LDN BRG and go by tube to Kings X, which at certain times of the morning is not fun, especially for a woman! It's just so crowded and uncomfortable.

One morning I got off at Platform 6 (the Hastings train) and there was a First Capital Connect service on the opposite platform heading for Bedford stopping at Kings Cross.

I'm almost certain that I took either the 6.01 from Battle or the 6.44, in any case, this mystery train doesn't appear on any timetable, although when I head up to London I have seen it there on other occasions at the same time. On another occasion as I got off at LDN BRG I asked the guy with the whistle if the Bedford train was stopping at Kings Cross and he said, it'll be along in 15 minutes" so I waited as it is a far more comfortable journet than the Tube option.

It's also clear from the announcements inside the train and the electronic ticker board that this is a scheduled stop so I'm now completely mystified wondering whether I'm going quietly crazy.

When I get on to the trainline by telephone, their staff look at the same computer I'm using and tell me "computer says no"

So, am I going crazy, or am I completely mistaken about the time? :confused::confused:

Apart from any other routes, London Bridge is on the First Capital Connect service from Brighton to Bedford, which goes through the "basement" platforms of St Pancras (Not Kings Cross) It may be that on line journey planners dont show these because they are not the quickest

Also there are trains "upstairs" at St Pancras to Bedford by East Midlands Trains.

You need to check if these are "permitted routes" from wherever you are starting from but I dont see why not, particularly as South East and FCC are sharing a number of routes.

Rereading your post, are you actualy going to Central London? What is your destination?

thanks
 

thank you wyvern! I sometimes have to get to Leicester, Sheffield and Nottingham, about 6-8 times a year, and you're completely correct of course, it is the St Pancras stop.

The static timetable is here: http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk...TL1_SX_OUT.pdf
and it clearly shows that this service does not stop at London Bridge at the time I am nearly 98% certain I took it (a few minutes after 8).

and yes, there are no ticket restrictions.

again, thank you for replying!

I should add that there are also services from Ashford to Bedford that also go through St Pancras Low Level (not the Javelins)

There are I believe going to be umpteen trains per hour through the low level STP and most will go thrugh London Bridge. I dont know why National Rail Enquiries insists on you catching the tube.

there are 3 services from 0630 - 0730
0646,0658 to Bedford and the 0724 to St Panc all starting from Brighton
I did cheat and had a look on National Rail Enquires for services from Gatwick Airport:D