Southport to Chester - no journeys shown

Saperstein · 1 Feb 2020

Hi,

I am looking at a journey for tomorrow (Sunday 2nd February). Southport (SOP) to Chester (CTR) and back.

I am aware of engineering work closing the line between Hooton (Hoo) and CTR so I thought I’d try going via Liverpool South Park Way (LPY) and the TfW train.

I have tried to get journey planners to return journeys from SOP to CTR via LPY but no results are being returned, perhaps it’s not a permitted route as LPY to CTR journeys are showing fine.

The thing is, even though there is engineering works why is the SOP to CTR journey not being returned? I just get an error message.

Thanks,

Saperstein.

RailUK Forums

yorkie · 1 Feb 2020

Train company websites won't offer any itineraries because all the viable itineraries tomorrow avoid Birkenhead, but the only fares available are specifically routed "via Birkenhead"

Do you want to travel via Runcorn? You can book your journey with an accredited "split ticket" provider, to get a combination of tickets valid for the fastest journey.

Edit: you have a PM

Bevan Price · 1 Feb 2020

If you really want to go via South Parkway, your best bet might be a Merseytravel All Zones Saveaway ticket as far as South Parkway, and then a return from South Parkway to Chester. However, the Saveaway is valid all the way to Chester via Hooton; the bus services are booked from Hooton to Chester in about 30 minutes, so that would save you about £6, and probably not take much longer than going via South Parkway.

JBuchananGB · 2 Feb 2020

The train times are shown https://traintimes.org.uk/sop/chester/10:00/today

I would think that the Southport ticket office would sell you the tickets,but it does have to be a split ticket solution splitting at LPY as suggested above. Merseyrail Daysaver £5.50 plus Anytime return LPY to Chester £6.10.

kieron · 2 Feb 2020

Via Birkenhead just means "via Birkenhead Hamilton Square", so you could go to Liverpool, get a train to Birkenhead, get another train back, and then get a train to Chester from there. It looks something like this* on nre.co.uk.

* You many need to delete any nationalrail.co.uk cookies you have for this link to open correctly.

JBuchananGB · 2 Feb 2020

I would think journey time might be a factor. 1h46 via LPY. Well over 2 hours by any other route. Also, a Railcard holder can do better on price. Off Peak day return Southport to Halewood £3.65 plus £4.05 LPY to Chester Anytime return

Bletchleyite · 2 Feb 2020

kieron said:
Via Birkenhead just means "via Birkenhead Hamilton Square", so you could go to Liverpool, get a train to Birkenhead, get another train back, and then get a train to Chester from there. It looks something like this* on nre.co.uk.

* You many need to delete any nationalrail.co.uk cookies you have for this link to open correctly.

Is that not a double-back? Or does it count as a double-back within an intermediate station group (which is allowed) because going back through James St is within the group even if you go outside of it to go to Birkenhead and back?

Merseysider · 2 Feb 2020

Bletchleyite said:
Is that not a double-back? Or does it count as a double-back within an intermediate station group (which is allowed) because going back through James St is within the group even if you go outside of it to go to Birkenhead and back?

Hamilton Square is included within Liverpool Group for routing purposes alongside Sandhills and Edge Hill, and double-backs within a group are permitted for interchange purposes.

Bletchleyite · 2 Feb 2020

Merseysider said:
Hamilton Square is included within Liverpool Group for routing purposes alongside Sandhills and Edge Hill, and double-backs within a group are permitted for interchange purposes.

Fair enough, I didn't know it was in the group, I thought it was just the main 4.

That would indeed appear to work...though is the new TfW service a mapped route once you've been to Birkenhead and back?

Merseysider · 2 Feb 2020

Bletchleyite said:
Fair enough, I didn't know it was in the group, I thought it was just the main 4.

Tickets to Liverpool Stations are only valid to the main 4, yep.

kieron · 2 Feb 2020

Bletchleyite said:
That would indeed appear to work...though is the new TfW service a mapped route once you've been to Birkenhead and back?

The map shows a route between Liverpool Routeing Group and Chester. It permits the same routes, whichever station you start from within the Group.

Southport to Chester - no journeys shown

Saperstein

Member

RailUK Forums

yorkie

Forum Staff

Bevan Price

Established Member

JBuchananGB

Member

kieron

Established Member

JBuchananGB

Member

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member

Merseysider

Established Member

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member

Merseysider

Established Member

kieron

Established Member