Add a sentence when using a planner "as the ticket you have selected permits travel by any reasonable route you are not restricted to the services shown" obviously not applicable to advances.
I can't really see that happening as it would lead to overcrowding of long(er) distance services.
If your baseline is 'Any Reasonable' you don't need the 3 mile rule. Rules iike that create loopholes and gaming the system. These days, a standardised Journey Planner algorithm coupled with AI could probably manage 'Any Reasonable' quite successfully, letting a wide range of routes and journey options apply to open tickets but weeding out the smartypants that want to justify the use of their London to Scotland ticket via Cornwall
I fail to see how bring AI into it would make it any more simple. It would do the opposite. It becomes ‘your route if valid if the magic black box says so’. Not to mentions AI is notorious for differing answers each time.
I think a double back should be disallowed under any circumstances, as it will create break of journey loopholes, unless you want to ban break of journey completely.
Reasonable is a subjective word which can't be a basis for rules to be enforced. For example, if I travel from Brighton to London via Barnham, is it reasonable given that there are 6 direct trains per hour on the main line? What if the main line is closed instead? If I double back via a further station even the train journey takes longer, is it reasonable because the next direct train is a long wait? If I deliberately choose a slower route because I don't want to change trains at an unfamiliar London Terminal, preferring a smaller station with fewer platforms to navigate, am I reasonable?
Under any circumstances? How would one travel from Bristol to Pilning?
That's gone super well for Trainline, hasn't it..
I agree, but I disagree that any reasonable route is a good idea. You yourself talk about how ‘generally’ things were accepted. There shouldn’t be ambiguouity because if there is people will unknowingly get caught out and that just isn’t fair
Any press is good press right?
Not everything needs to be AI. Regardless of how ropey they are now you’re suggesting there should be AI because you want restrictions that need interpreting based on a huge amount of factors. Routing shouldn’t be up for interpretation, certainly not when the penalty is prosecution. People need to be certain of what will be accepted, and shouldn’t have to consult a magic AI which no one understands the exact criteria for.
While having two separate tickets (a Mon-Fri via Rufford and a Sunday via Liverpool) would be a good idea, I don't think it would be very popular with OPSTA (Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers' Association) etc. if you increase prices on Sundays to match the Liverpool-Preston fare simply because GBR won't run a Sunday service. If you keep the price the same however, then you would have to either restrict break of journey (most likely unpopular) or adjust fares to every station south of Ormskirk to meet the Ormskirk-Preston via Liverpool fare, or else you would get people starting short. IMO the best thing to do would be to reroute the Stagecoach 2A bus via Croston, ensure it connects with Merseyrail in Ormskirk, and accept rail tickets on this service on Sundays.
Is this a serious suggestion? How would you expect anyone to travel from St James Park to Axminster? Or Hartford to Warrington Bank Quay? Or a hundred other examples?
You just replace one anomaly with another, on a Sunday the journey time would be triple and the price quadruple. Why bother doing all that work for something so useless?
I know this thread is a bit speculative, but could you expand on this a little as you've stated it in a fairly authorative manner?
Unfortunately not as it's just the standard railway rumour mill. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and all that.
Fair enough
I agree that it is indeed deeply silly to just go "nuh nuh nu nuh nuh you can't do that" which is essentially what the industry does nowadays. But if you took the two return fares it'd cost £27.10 Ormskirk to Preston day return, and £26.10 single. Just under quadruple the price is kind of an embarrassment don't you think?
Yes. I am serious. In this case two tickets should be offered, because by doubling back, you are travelling further than the destination of your ticket which isn't something normally allowed. If you sometimes allow it, it will just cause confusions.
Something like the Dutch system where whatever the website returns can be considered permitted. My guess is it'll be something very, very much open to the interpretation.Fair enough
What would be the intention if the Routeing Guide was removed? Advances everywhere?
Even with Oval, there is still a definition of routes and stations that contactless ticket is valid at.
