I went to the ticket office today to purchase a Dundee to Brentwood Off-peak return ticket. I expected it to cost £151.70 but was surprised when the clerk said it was £141 and change.
Turns out there is a "not via London" fare for this route - Cue surprise from both of us: how do you avoid London? So the clerk tries an itinerary for this fare. The system spits out: Dundee, Edinburgh, Darlington, Derby, St Pancras, London Liverpool Street, Brentwood.
My English geography isn't the best but I'm pretty sure that St. Pancras, the tube and Liverpool Street are all in London.
I guess it's just a badly named fare, but why does it exist? It is priced by EC, but the only real difference is that it forces you off their service and down the MML.
Turns out there is a "not via London" fare for this route - Cue surprise from both of us: how do you avoid London? So the clerk tries an itinerary for this fare. The system spits out: Dundee, Edinburgh, Darlington, Derby, St Pancras, London Liverpool Street, Brentwood.
My English geography isn't the best but I'm pretty sure that St. Pancras, the tube and Liverpool Street are all in London.
I guess it's just a badly named fare, but why does it exist? It is priced by EC, but the only real difference is that it forces you off their service and down the MML.