Manchester Picc to Bromsgrove vs. Hough Green to Malvern Link

[scouseyb123]

Hi there! I am travelling to Bromsgrove on Friday 29th at peak time and on a PRIV and returning the next day. I was going to buy simply a Man to Bromsgrove SOR but i noticed if I buy a Hough Green to Malvern Link SVR with an 8A restriction code that is noticeably cheaper and it is a valid route, technically, to go from Hough Green via Manchester to Bromsgrove!

I find myself worried to buy it though in case XC do not accept it on their 09:07 peak time departure down to Birmingham next Friday so I just wanted to check with you guys if it is definitely valid in terms of time restriction?

Thanks! Hope that makes sense

ps. I should add that it seems once you go beyond Malvern Link on a Hough Green ticket on that Bromsgrove route SVRs become available that are not available on stops before that including Bromsgrove itself.

 

[bb21]

Route looks fine to me but note that an 8A ticket is not valid for break of journey on the outward.

It's an 8A ticket with no time restriction. If XC do not like it, tough. They shouldn't make their own fares such rip-offs in the first place by treating their passengers like cash cows.

 

[Romilly]

I agree with bb21 but surely the implication, then, is that the ticket is valid neither for starting after the origin on the outward journey nor for finishing before the destination on the outward journey, both of which are proposed.

 

[Jonfun]

It's an 8A ticket with no time restriction. If XC do not like it, tough. They shouldn't make their own fares such rip-offs in the first place by treating their passengers like cash cows.

Someone has to pay for the railways, and since we now have another five years of Cuts and Co in charge, it looks like rather than subsidy off the government, it's going to be down to the passenger! Don't like it? Try again in five years. If we still have a railway system then which hasn't been scraped to the bone, of course.

But yes, I digress. Most Off Peak Returns have the restriction code printed on the front these days and anyone checking your ticket who doesn't understand what "8A" means ought to consider a change of career. It's probably the simplest restriction going.

 

[bb21]

Someone has to pay for the railways, and since we now have another five years of Cuts and Co in charge, it looks like rather than subsidy off the government, it's going to be down to the passenger! Don't like it? Try again in five years. If we still have a railway system then which hasn't been scraped to the bone, of course.

There's me believing that they changed (or attempted to change) all 8X restrictions to 2V's, because "passengers found them confusing", and a blanket 0930 restriction was far more welcome "according to our research".

 

[30907]

I agree with bb21 but surely the implication, then, is that the ticket is valid neither for starting after the origin on the outward journey nor for finishing before the destination on the outward journey, both of which are proposed.

But the OP can start at Hough Green and travel to Bromsgrove via Malvern Link, breaking their journey on the return, which is clearly their intention.

 

[yorkie]

Hi there! I am travelling to Bromsgrove on Friday 29th at peak time and on a PRIV and returning the next day. I was going to buy simply a Man to Bromsgrove SOR but i noticed if I buy a Hough Green to Malvern Link SVR with an 8A restriction code that is noticeably cheaper and it is a valid route, technically, to go from Hough Green via Manchester to Bromsgrove!

Yes it's a valid route.

I find myself worried to buy it though in case XC do not accept it on their 09:07 peak time departure down to Birmingham next Friday so I just wanted to check with you guys if it is definitely valid in terms of time restriction?

It's valid, and I wouldn't worry that XC will not accept it on their train Up )) to Birmingham, as I am sure XC Guards are capable of checking restriction codes! If you were incorrectly charged an excess for this reason, you could of course obtain a refund of the incorrect charge.

As for break of journey, NRE says:

Break of journey is allowed on the outward portion of Off-Peak tickets unless otherwise indicated by a restriction shown against the ticket's validity code and in all cases on the return portion of Off-Peak return tickets.

So it's only the outward portion that may be barred from break of journey. The return portion cannot be restricted in this way.

The NRCoC states:

You may start, or break and resume, a journey (in either direction in the case of a return ticket) at any intermediate station, as long as the ticket you hold is valid for the trains you want to use. You may also end your journey (in either direction in the case of a return ticket) before the destination shown on the ticket. However, these rights may not apply to some types of tickets for which a break of journey is prohibited, in which case the Ticket Seller must make this clear when you buy your ticket.

So, if the ticket seller makes it clear break of journey is not permitted on the outward journey, you may not break your journey on that portion. So make sure you start at Hough Green, walk between Victoria & Piccadilly, and break your journey on the return leg, and you're entirely valid then. Note that the walk from Victoria to Piccadilly does NOT constitute a Break of journey.

If the ticket seller does not make it clear, then the break of journey restriction clearly does not apply, in my opinion. The word "must" means exactly that!

 

[Merseysider]

If the ticket seller does not make it clear, then the break of journey restriction clearly does not apply, in my opinion. The word "must" means exactly that!

Indeed. I think there are a lot of 'ticket sellers' who would never bother to make it clear. Additionally, do TVMs make it clear?

 

[30907]

Yes it's a valid route.

So make sure you start at Hough Green, walk between Victoria & Piccadilly, and break your journey on the return leg, and you're entirely valid then. Note that the walk from Victoria to Piccadilly does NOT constitute a Break of journey.

Yorkie, you are geographically challenged. I recommend an urgent trip to CLC territory, Vic is rather off-route

 

[185143]

Yes it's a valid route.

So make sure you start at Hough Green, walk between Victoria & Piccadilly, and break your journey on the return leg, and you're entirely valid then. Note that the walk from Victoria to Piccadilly does NOT constitute a Break of journey.

Yorkie, you are geographically challenged. I recommend an urgent trip to CLC territory, Vic is rather off-route

definitely! Nice trip too! (Not my local line or anything...)