Northern Rovers and Rangers in 2016

[NORMAN471]

Is it likely that the current range of Northern Rovers and Rangers will continue to be available after the new Northern and Transpennine Franchises take over from Northern and FTPE in 2016?

Now would be a good time to make some improvements to the validity of the routes and boundaries should the new TOCs continue to offer them for sale. It would also be useful if the current TOCs such as Grand Central and Hull Trains were included in those.

I'd like to see rail map changes such as the removal of Carlisle to Dumfries and to Lockerbie and replaced with Warrington Bank Quay to Crewe, Crewe to Chester and Crewe to Manchester for the Freedom of the North West Rover tickets.

There used to be an area 22 rover ticket back in the 1980s which had better options for overlapping two rovers/rangers which was more suited to having the name North West in its description and I would like to see that or something similar introduced to the current range of rover tickets.

Does anyone have any other ideas for Rover and Ranger changes that would make better use of the rail services offered by the TOCs serving particular geographic area across the UK?

 

[47802]

I doubt Rover Tickets at least will change much, most are similar to BR days I doubt that the Freedom of the North West Rover I bought in 1976 was much different to Todays one, well except the price of course.

I believe GC and HT being Open access operators don't have to accept Rover tickets, and I expect some of the franchised TOC's would probably like to get rid of them if they could.

 

[causton]

Before I got free travel on Southeastern I hated the poor South-East and South rovers, there are none really! Nothing for South West Trains out of Waterloo (like the FGW Thames Valley one would be good!) and nothing for Kent apart from the expensive Kent Rover! The North is a lot better for choice of rovers!

 

[Bungle965]

Before I got free travel on Southeastern I hated the poor South-East and South rovers, there are none really! Nothing for South West Trains out of Waterloo (like the FGW Thames Valley one would be good!) and nothing for Kent apart from the expensive Kent Rover! The North is a lot better for choice of rovers!

Agreed
Sam

 

[dave87016]

I remember them day rangers every Saturday I used to buy one from Blackburn IIRC it was "North West Day Ranger Zone 1-4 which covered all the North West and allowed travel to Shotton and Bidston

Cant understand why Crewe isn't a valid station on Freedom Of The North West Rover when its actually in the North West !!

 

[thealexweb]

Does the Greater Manchester Rail Ranger (Train only / £5.20?) still exist? It was removed from the National Rail website ages ago and when I contacted both National Rail and Northern Rail separately about this they both knew nothing about it.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/rangers_and_rovers.aspx#G

 

[bb21]

The GM Rail Ranger certainly still exists.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Does the Greater Manchester Rail Ranger (Train only / £5.20?) still exist? It was removed from the National Rail website ages ago and when I contacted both National Rail and Northern Rail separately about this they both knew nothing about it.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/rangers_and_rovers.aspx#G

Yes, see 5th section down on this link.

http://tfgm.com/journey_planning/Tickets/Pages/tickets_rail.aspx

 

[thealexweb]

Thank you to you both. The National Rail is in a bit of a mess. They do not have the Rail only ranger anywhere on the site and the rail and bus ranger is unlisted it seems. I can only access it because I previously bookmarked it.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/prf0f796163043cf960bf53ef5923b3a.aspx

 

[theshillito]

As my whole original deal was visiting and taking a selfie at every station on the Cheshire Day Ranger map, and I'm slowly expanding to overlapping rangers, I really do hope they remain. It also means I can make a day trip to Buxton from Crewe cheaper than with a standard return ticket (as it's a month-long return rather than a day return).

 

[DarloRich]

I find this site very useful:

http://www.railrover.org/

 

[gray1404]

What routes a likely to change between the 2 TOCs (i.e. Northern give up and which ones will they receive)?

What is the date of the change over?

 

[dave87016]

I think its worth bearing in mind that Northern Day Rangers and Northern Rail Rovers are actually referring to the area of validity and not the train company , however Northern do seem to promote and advertise the Rovers more than any other TOC in the North