Very interesting thread. I think I missed that at the time and I can't see how it would be valid; the ticket's validity would expire after Deansgate, unless it was specifically issued to Victoria.
Maybe the people in that thread who say it would be valid are falling back on the case of it being contractually valid if the itinerary was issued by a buggy booking engine/journey planner?
I'm no expert on intricacies of routing but, rather than a bug in the booking engine, is the 'change at Salford Crescent' thing a result of the 'permitted within 3 miles of shortest route' rule (considering your actual origin or final destination station in Manchester)?
Another example in similar vein is planning a journey from Bradford Interchange to Deansgate on a weekday. Journey Planners generate two distinct itineraries, usually repeating each hour:
- Change at Man Victoria & Salford Crescent.
- Change at Victoria, then TPE via Ordsall Chord to Oxford Road (passing through Deansgate), then double-back from Oxford Rd to Deansgate.
Both for the price of one straightforward Bradford Stns to Manchester Stns ticket.
I had thought double-backs along line-of-route like this were
verboten in journey planners - and had expected they would restrict you to the hourly itinerary via Crescent. But you learn something every day.