Thetownend.com

Heart Wiltshire News not normally one to break news, but I can't see this being reported anywhere else, just that FGW are meeting with Network Rail.

http://www.heart.co.uk/wiltshire/news/local/swindon-rail-works-headache-for-football-fans/#29ZQ7OXPdReEDlDE.97 (http://www.heart.co.uk/wiltshire/news/local/swindon-rail-works-headache-for-football-fans/#29ZQ7OXPdReEDlDE.97)

Here's an update from the club for now though.

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/article/important-travel-information-2453453.aspx

It's really not the end of the world and as bad as first expecting. This should only put an extra half an hour on the journey I expect and kick off is later than usual anyway.

I think we'll drive over from Bath as it's just the two of us. Meeting people there is the plan!

I take it SAS travel are still running coaches from the ground too?

I shall be driving up early, parking the car in Peckham at my brothers place and then staying over night in the Park Royal Travelodge to avoid the need for transport worries post match.

Yep they were asking for for coach stewards yesterday as need one per coach
No details on pricing yet tho

Great, cheers!

I'm driving, probably park in Hammersmith and tube it.

Not much sympathy for FGW that trains aren't running as they would have robbed Swindon fans blind by pulling group savers etc. If fans drive to Didcot, the fares will be a lot cheaper but could be chaos with parking there (and our yellow friends).

I always drive to Uxbridge and get Metropolitan line straight into Wembley Park. Park up in the Shopping centre cp though you'd have to check the closing times on a Sunday.

Hillingdon and Ickenham, the 2 stops after Uxbridge, are pretty decent options as well. Right next to A40, reasonable sized car parks.

Anyone up for walking?

Easy for our troupe straight form Banbury to Wembley 1hour 10 mins

Hillingdon is £6 for all day parking from memory as well.  Loads of Swindon fans used this route on previous visits.

£1.50 on Sundays

Stanmore has plenty of parking, and a quick tube ride to Wembley

I would recommend it

Start now and we will see you there next Sunday!

Drive to Denham Railway station and couple of stops on the train to Wembley.

Dirt cheap parking and trains run well. Worked well for last two visits........!

Nay bother for me - bus to Hammersmith, H&C line to Moorgate for brunch and the Met Line back out to the torch for 1330. Lovely stuff.

Getting bus/coach from swindon station to Didcot. Onto reading, change there for london paddington. £34 return, not too bad. But only for the 10:10am which is limited.

Will there be any coaches left in the region!  I'd imagine they'll use Reading based providers for the rail replacement service.  The M4 might be a sight for a while.

Like Convoy, but with coaches. .

(http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BODg2NzkyODc0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDMwNzEzNA@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg)

Ten-four.

I don't know if this has been mentioned but Network Rail voted for strike action yesterday, and the dates the union is contemplating is the bank holiday weekend !!

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-32705376

I will be bringing my own convoy from Chard/Yeovil, got one car so far....

I think we'll be driving up from Bath, parking up somewhere around the end of the M4 then get the tube up to Wembley. Bish bash bosh.

Town fan from Bucks here - managed to park at Chalfont and Latimer on FA Cup semi final day no issue. £1.50 just like Hillingdon/Uxbridge. Worth having a look at Chiltern Railways and any of the Met stops outside of the capital.

Coming from the M4, I think I'll be driving to Reading, parking there (they have a massive car park apparently) then training it to Paddington. Grab a bite to eat there, then train it up to Wembley Park to soak up some atmosphere and watch us get promoted :)

Just noticed the separate thread on here re offer from Wealdstone FC. Free parking and a bar that is cheap!!! 5 mins walk to Ruislip tube.

Train tickets booked 👍

Last time I went to High Wycombe via the M40 - large multi-storey Car Park at the station - easy straight to Wembley in 30 mins - £11 single.

Watching this one from my sofa  :no: :no: :no:

You will get a good kicking from the Wealdstone Raider.......Do you want some ? 😃

Banbury train for me this time.
Previously drove to Wembley and used pre-paid parking.

 Looks like Preston have train problems too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-32736522

Play off final weekend and they decide to shut down the rail network.  :no:

I got tickets yesterday for train, going down to bath catching train from there, direct to London. Got a group saver for 4 of us. £36.80 and that includes underground tickets all day as well  :D

Hence why my local Facebook up here in Lancashire is full of questions about the best places to hire minibuses and drivers for the day!

Cannot really blame Network Rail, these things are planned c.1 year in advance and they woul have no idea who was going to be in the play offs then.

However the bloody football league should grow a pair and not stand for the 5.30 kick off on a Sunday night - that's ridiculous!

Train booked from Exeter ... Straight through to Paddington (no coaches  :D) ... but £77!!! and that was after trying every combination of split ticketing - robbing b***rds.

Is the Bath - London line not the same one that runs through Swindon? In which case it'll be a replacement bus service.

 :D

If you go from Bath, there are trains to Paddington via Westbury.

Watching how this develops, surely a bus from Swindon to Reading? If not I'm on it.

FGW site states the train is direct?

I'll give it ya...

If you catch a train direct to Paddington from Bath, it will go via Westbury and miss all the fun and games around Swindon, and you will not have a rail replacement bus service.

May as well start at Westbury

This is magnificent

Did you use the Wembley parking or unofficial? What was it like getting out afterwards?

I apologise, after posting I read my post back and decided it was too rude for the internet, and deleted it without first seeing your reply.

It'll take some doing to post something too rude on here

Driving to Wycombe and getting train from there seems the best bet.
Direct line to Wembley station. Only 30 mins on train and only £13.60 off peak return. trains run every 30 minutes it seems

Anyone going in on the Waterloo line, if so what pub will the gathering take place?
 

Bloke at work mentioned if you drive to Uxbridge (just north of Windsor) you can get decent parking and a tube direct to Wembley park station, could be easier and more regular than going via FGW

No such problems from Bournemouth

I have already posted such a suggestion.

Preston fans being messed about by work being done on West Coast line by Virgin Trains. Which may undo any goodwill Virgin Trains had created by spending a six-figure sum sponsoring them:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/14/virgin-trains-preston-play-off-final-trains

Bicester, direct trains, If you live the wrong side of Swindon?

Just booked 4 adult and 2 children from Bicester North to Wembley stadium - £71-50 (although we do have a friends and family railcard).

Hi everyone,

If anybody is on the lookout for a fun way to get to Wembley, look no further. We've had a few broken promises from people in our group resulting in spaces on our party bus.

http://www.theswindonlimocompany.co.uk/party-bus-limo-hire-swindon.htm

We were never going to fill the bus as most of our group aren't really town fans but we were hoping for more than the 7 of us.
There are 9 spaces going at £40 each. Leaving the county ground at midday coming home straight after the match.

There are no Burberry wearing, green street wannabe's amongst us. Just drunken idiots that love their fun.

An takers?

PS: apologies for the shite username

I'm out then.

Milan is that you?

£640 total cost?   ???

If you book from the Chiltern Trains website there are no additional costs such as booking fees and postage that you encounter on The Train Line!

Yes, this is exactly why I need a few more people

To be truthful, it's £600. I'm not expecting to fill it though, so spreading the cost a bit. £40 would be the max price though, I'd cover the rest if/when it doesn't fill up.

Shame you didn't mention yesterday, just ordered an 8 seater limo this morning.

Just looked at trains from South Coast - Portsmouth/Havant/Chichester area and there seems to be a bus replacement service on the Waterloo line so best to go the longer route and into Victoria.

That was close

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32748029

Sucks to be a Championship fan in the Play Off Final

What's the quickest way to get to London Paddington from Swindon? Would presume, drive to didcot and get a train to Paddington?

Probably just as quick, if not quicker, to drive to Reading, park up and get the fast train to Paddington. It's a Sunday too so traffic should be OK.

yeah, apart from 18000 plus swindon supporters traveling on the M4 :nod:

We're driving up to Pangbourne (near Reading) which is free parking and getting the train from there. £75 total for 5 people, not bad.

Drop in the sea compared to normal weekday traffic. Plus Didcot is an arse to get to, M4/A34 or cross country?

I'll be going back to westbury. There is an 8 o clock out of Paddington or 9.15 out of Waterloo. All depends on extra time and if we actually win the game I suppose

I went to bath yesterday and it was coach to Chippenham and train to bath. There were also coaches running to Bristol. There were about 100 of us affected but the organisation of the busses was fucking awful and the people there next to useless. I would not suggest going to the station to get a bus to reading next Sunday.

Just checked, Lines from Hertford East and Hertford North all running a full schedule next weekend.

I'm alright Jack

5 of us. £60 Megabus. Winning.

Indeed. I've been on the receiving end of their bus replacement service a couple of times, complete nightmare.

Any one doing soccer express coaches still undecided on transport sure they leave a little earlier than Barnes.

Mate at work is.
Go outdoors at 1130 £20
Barnes leaving CG at midday £22 or whatever it is

just booked it 20 plus 75 p booking fee they leave at 11.45   :pint:

What coach number ? Mate is on 15.
Didn't realise they were running that many  :eek:
Never heard of soccer express prior to this

not sure yet should get ticket in a few days they are manchester based company do abroad trips as well