For extra amusement/pain, https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/JM seems to be written in three different fonts.Oh, I see, sorry, I thought JM was the super off peak. It's just total garbage, then. Why doesn't that surprise me given the TOC involved?
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West Midlands Trains tickets to Manchester Piccadilly
- Thread starter Starmill
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I was just about to comment on the triumvirate of fonts!
I could not get one of the Virgin-branded ticket machines at Piccadilly to sell any of these tickets. The only tickets on offer for a journey to Euston are the VTWC priced ones, as shown in the attached photo I took of the TVM screen.
I've messaged @LNRailway about the problem, explaining the ticket type and price I was asking for help with and including a screenshot from the NRE page for JM.
They told me they were sorry but they don't have this information because it isn't 'their route' and that I should contact @VirginTrains.
I messaged @VirginTrains with the same question and also explained what'd happened with @LNRailway, and they said the tickets are valid any time in the afternoon from Manchester but not between 1500 and 1900 from London. I asked again if they're sure and they said they are and that tickets are valid in accordance with this PDF they sent me.
My only conclusion from this is that absolutely nobody at all knows what times these tickets are valid at.
They told me they were sorry but they don't have this information because it isn't 'their route' and that I should contact @VirginTrains.
I messaged @VirginTrains with the same question and also explained what'd happened with @LNRailway, and they said the tickets are valid any time in the afternoon from Manchester but not between 1500 and 1900 from London. I asked again if they're sure and they said they are and that tickets are valid in accordance with this PDF they sent me.
My only conclusion from this is that absolutely nobody at all knows what times these tickets are valid at.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
First Off Peak £310? They are living on another planet. Do they ever sell any?
The correct price for that ticket would be around £145 or so (i.e. roughly one and a half times the price of the Standard ticket).
The correct price for that ticket would be around £145 or so (i.e. roughly one and a half times the price of the Standard ticket).
To be honest, I'm not surprised the TVMs won't sell them. The only way I've been able to find one just looking online now is using trainscanbecheaper, and specifying that I want a journey which includes LNR and TfW. Even the TPE mixing deck just won't offer any of these fares to me at all.
I'd be surprised. Virgin seem to think that's "reasonable" though - until recently only the FOR at £484 was available
The First Off Peak return from Wigan is "only" £278, mind you
WMT seem to be living on another planet too, though, if they think their First Class "offering" from Man/Crewe to London and back is worth £150.
There isn't even any First between MAN and CRE on TfW.
transplanted
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it is an incredibly competitive price though and faster than the coach.
i can imagine it being a very popular train for students with railcards on the superoffpeak.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Not in First Class. There is literally no point in it, particularly once the 350s are all tarted up and have power points in both classes. The comfort level is lower than Standard, the legroom inferior to most Standard seats except the cramped airlines in the centre section of some coaches, and if boarding at Crewe or Euston there are no issues getting a seat.
Reseat to 2+1 as per the TPE units on the other hand...
There seems to be no problem showing them at tickets.tpexpress.co.uk as long as you know to check the right box under 'show slower routes'.
Using the trainline-powered journey planner at lnr.co.uk makes it almost impossible to find the fares, as you have to click on the text at the bottom of the page in tiny writing, then individually select from every single Manchester to London fare. There are hundreds, including all of the Advance tickets and many that cannot be sold.
If you use trainscanbecheaper.info or trainsplit.com, they show up if you select value mode on the top after your results are generated; you don't have to select the operators yourself. You may want to select 'flexible' on the right to assist. The Trainsplit app also highlights the tickets.
Somehow I can see the trainsplit and affiliated websites selling more of these than lnr.co.uk or tfwrail.wales!
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General Zod
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Do you have to be logged in to see the ticket buying web page with the "mixer desk interface" ? The bog standard TPE ticket page is a very simple GUI with no "advanced options" available.
Indeed, TPE have changed their website in recent years to make the cheapest fares more difficult to find. You can still visit tickets.tpexpress.co.uk
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