trivran
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Would this be honoured? East Kilbride to Tweedbank
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Sneeeaky!Believe ScottishIain works for Scot rails pricing manager
It turns out this is a red herring. Although the itinerary says "Depart: Galashiels (via Berwick)" the ticket doesn't print with that origin, it simply prints as from Galashiels. The itinerary given isn't via Berwick either.
I don't know why the booking confirmation displayed "Galashiels (via Berwick)" as the origin, but BRFares finds no fares for that origin.
I don't know why the booking confirmation displayed "Galashiels (via Berwick)" as the origin, but BRFares finds no fares for that origin.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
That was my thought the bus link but BR fares didn't show it
Correct. However, the itinerary showing Galashiels (via Berwick) as the origin is replicable on NRE and forwardable to the VTEC site.
So, exactly what is going on here nobody knows. ScotRail say that Galashiels (via Berwick) tickets are valid on trains from Galashiels station. But that doesn't appear be the ticket issued, so !?!?
scottishchris
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Looks like the fares are available between Tweedbank-Armadale and Tweedbank-Blairhill too, although you could argue these will already have been covered by stopping short on the East Kilbride fare.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
VTEC price the bus link according to BR Fares
Yeah, and it's Scotrail's pricing mistakes, so it wouldn't make sense for a fare set by VTEC to be affected.
It's got to be an NRE error, though it's interesting that the booking engine shows the incorrect origin too. It must get that from NRE. Very odd indeed! But I wouldn't like to travel via Berwick on that basis and wouldn't recommend anyone tries that!
ScottishIain
Member
Believe ScottishIain works for Scot rails pricing manager
Haha, don't work in any role within the rail industry. Bookkeeper in an accountancy practice.
If you departed Galashiels at the date and time shown I'm not sure the journey plan could be rejected. Particularly as it has been issued by VTEC.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
You wouldn't get the ticket accepted on the bus
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ScotTrains
Member
Just booked some 65p (using railcard) tickets on the transpennine website. You get cashback, nectar points and free first class delivery. Plus no booking fee! 
You would if it were a Galashiels Bus Via Berwick ticket - which is what the booking engine tells you it is selling you. Only after the ticket has been issued does it become clear that this is not hte case.
Just bought another from Eskbank to Kildonan. Looks like the fares apply to every single Far North Line station if anyone fancies boosting the usage figures of some of the more lightly used stations.
A PM about what?Can I have a PM too? Just seen this thread. Hope I'm not too late
If you mean to get the via Berwick ticket, I would not recommend it, as despite being told you are issued with a via Berwick ticket, it won't actually be issued like that!A PM about what?
Oh well. I think Scotrail are watching this thread incredibly carefully as the Kildonan ticket hasn't appeared as £1 on the NRE page unless I'm doing it wrong....?
RochdalePioneers
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Think this has been stopped overnight
SickyNicky
Verified Rep - FastJP
Are they? I can still find them on Trainline.
Edit: OK - they are available at £1 for dates after mid-May. Before then, they are now a much higher price. If this is an error, and not a deliberate sale, I would expect this to be rectified soon, as I'm sure Scotrail are reading this thread. (Hello!)
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Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
There are two different origins, depending on where you are going. Looking at Hull Trains, a single ticket today to Newcastle from Galashiels is £55 but from Galashiels via Berwick by bus is it £30.
Hull Trains will not display itineraries from Galashiels via Berwick by bus to stations north of Berwick upon Tweed (I've tried Edinburgh, Oban, Dunbar, Lockerbie and Carlisle). I couldn't get it to when this supposed "loophole" was highlighted before.
RochdalePioneers
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I got to this thread a little late. Has got me looking at Scotrail fares through, and £5 advance single from Tweedbank to stations north of Inverness or Helensburgh isn't half bad. Odd (or perhaps not...) that these cheap advances don't cover places elsewhere - Tweedbank to Beauly changing at Inverness is £5 advance, Tweedbank to Inverness cheapest single is £55 Anytime Day...
Abellio promised £5 Advance fares and a lot of them do exist, I suspect that the same issue that caused these £1 fares to appear is also responsible for the absence of some £5 Advances that you would expect to see - someone sorted the wrong column on a spreadsheet (or similar IT gaffe).
mbreckers
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Have the £5 fares officially been launched? I dont remember an official launch and I imagine there would be quite a bit of fanfare from ScotRail's marketing department
In limited quantities, yes. Not on all routes
Turn it on it's head and you might be on to something: IT gaffe causes £1 Sale, also adds £5 Advance fares? The reason I say is because there were already some Advances from Galashiels to north of Inverness stations (they're still there, this year at £27.80). The £5 fares are in addition to that. Now, Galashiels to Mallaig is similar, Advance for £37.50 and for £5. Quite the jump eh.
Where the £5 fares have also been introduced is journeys like Aberdeen to Edinburgh - let's take the AP SCOTRAIL ONLY fares for that:
VA1 £24.30
VA2 £17.10
VA3 £11.40
VA4 £8.00
VA5 £5.00
So that makes sense as a sensible sliding scale of price discrimination. After all, ScotRail haven't got their new InterCity trains yet, which I believe is kinda what they were going for such cheap Advances for, to promote the new trains and contribute to the sale of all of the extra space when they arrive. You're going to want to be careful with VA5 and VA4 there on a train which only has 3 coaches. NB - no First Class advances yet either (First is very limited on those 3 car sets).
What does not really make sense is having a Galashiels to Kyle of Lochalsh VA1 at £34.30 and VA5 at £5.
£5 Advance tickets are also available Aberdeen <> Glasgow, Aberdeen <> Inverness, Inverness <> Edinburgh and Inverness <> Glasgow. Although not available Edinburgh <> Mallaig, they are available Glasgow <> Mallaig.
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That could well be the case.
But at the same time not at all in the same league of disastrous. £5 is ludicrously cheap for Edinburgh to Inverness and it will be quite a restricted availability. As such, Galashiels to Dingwall for £5 coming out of the same quota isn't going to cause much damage.
185143
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Apparently some bookings that haven't been collected yet have been cancelled? Is this true?? I'll be absolutely gutted if it is!!
EDIT:Misunderstanding thankfully!!
EDIT:Misunderstanding thankfully!!
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I collected the now no longer existing Eskbank-Kildonan ticket about 45 minutes ago, so this isn't the case in at least some circumstances.
Indeed, there's still some of the £1 fares left, so if you'd like details of those drop me a PM seeing as ScotRail are most likely stalking this thread! *waves*
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