To ask if anyone works for a train operator and can help?

[Skippetydoodah]

I need to get to Liverpool today from Bristol. Normal route cross country is cancelled however looks like I could get there by going into London then out again. Can I just buy a Bristol to Liverpool normal ticket given the circumstance or will I have to buy a ticket to London and then a separate one to Manchester (it's waaay more expensive). Thanks!

you need a ticket valid for 'via London'.

Buy your normal "not London" ticket (buy from one of the machines) then talk to staff to ask them. If you are told by staff to go via London they shouldn't charge you for the upgrade, but if you make the decision yourself you will have to pay the "via london" price.

it is do-able, journey time is about 5 hours and fare is £123.

National express to bham and then get the train the rest of the way?

National express website says nothing going in or out of Bristol or Birmingham sadly. I thibk it's train via London or drive, and train seems like the better (safer!) option

Aaaand the London trains have now been cancelled. Argh!

The London trains from Bristol are planned to run at half the usual frequency today - that was announced yesterday. The first one will be at 7:00 then 8:00. Can you delay your departure? I wouldn't plan to leave till after 9:00 then you can keep track on the live departures Web page and see if the 7:00 gets through to Paddington at 8:44 as planned or whether it gets stuck in a snow drift in Wiltshire.

The 7 and the 8 have just been cancelled by the looks of it, when I checked early doors they were both running but now they're not. I guess it's a case of waiting a few hours to see what's happening...at least it's stopped actually snowing!!

Do you really need to travel? If it is visiting a sick relative then maybe, or getting back home, but otherwise?

Where are you getting that info OP? I am looking on GWR's journey check page which lists the 7.00 and 8.00 as running but delayed due to staff shortages.

I'm technically supposed to be going to London this afternoon but I have no intention of doing so until the live departures pages show trains to be running reliably.

It was on live departures, however it now looks like the 9.00 has departed ok so I'm going to follow it's progress to London!

Are you on a train yet OP? I'd appreciate an update about how crowded the trains are - as I mentioned up thread I have to decide whether to go in to London as planned this afternoon.