Clyde1998stealthpapesblythspartan I am going to this one as I haven’t been to the DW Stadium before and I’ll be up in Chesterfield. Stupidly, I thought it would be about an hour on the train, but now I have bothered to check it’s going to be a bit of pain. I can’t be bothered to drive so it’ll be trains, buses and taxis.
I would have thought doable with one change in Manchester? EMR tren to Manchester, Manchester to Wigan. May need to change stations in Manchester. But looked on trainline and .. well I'm glad I'm starting further north that day. Godspeed.
Anyway, IN!
I had a look myself and it appears you have to do Chesterfield -> Sheffield -> Manchester Piccadilly -> Wigan North Western and get to the ground after that. Google Maps reckons you'd have to leave at 10:11 to get to Wigan North Western at 13:03, plus a half-hour walk to get to the ground.
There appears to be an alternative route that goes Chesterfield -> Derby -> Birmingham New Street -> Wigan North Western where you'd have to leave at 10:48 and get to Wigan North Western at 13:37. Route 1 is 2 hours, 52 minutes; route 2 is 2 hours, 49 minutes - so basically the same.
The most direct train from Reading appears to leave at 10:15 and get to Wigan North Western at 13:37 (with a change at Stafford); 3 hours, 22 minutes - so only around 30 minutes longer.
Seems a complete joke that Reading to Wigan is somehow only 30 minutes longer than Chesterfield to Wigan by train.
It's all the change overs, Manchester is notorious for it, can't say I'm surprised there isn't a direct train. The walk to the ground isn't great either, a newer ground on an industrial estate it's well out of the way of the town centre. Luckily, parking isn't that bad I haven't found before. Might go to this game if I get the opportunity, Wigan away will live long in my memory after Puscas' 5 minute hat-trick. Everything before that was basically a standard Reading away day, drab.