Problem is that the barriers won't allow a break of journey, which means that you can't get through them even though you're perfectly entitled to in some cases. All to often I've been let out but not back in, or just stranded inside the barriers. They seem to understandably assume that they are the boundary of the station, but at Glasgow Queen Street you'd look like a right plonker if you stayed within the barriers, and the staff would probably ask why you were still there. Besides, the toilets and all other facilities are outside the barriers.
In this case, human barriers are much better. I've been allowed to leave the station when I have a 45 minute connection and things like that, so I can go and buy some breakfast or something to read. And I don't think it's unreasonable where the connection is more than, say, 15 minutes or half an hour.
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im still puzzled
can i buy a return to birmingham and stop anywhere i want then on the way there and back, i.e chester-crewe, birmingham-shrewsbury, chester
In short, yes. As long as you use the outward portion from A-B then the return portion from B-A and do not double back at any point on either leg, then you're fine.