£3.25 Birkenhead - Salford Anytime

[Merseysider]

So I was having a gander on NRE when I noticed an itinerary given for Birkenhead Central to Newton-le-Willows with Salford Crescent as the "via" station. The fare is £3.25 railcarded, and this would be a nice way of getting most of a day return for cheaper.

1) would this allow break of journey at Manchester?

2) would the printed ticket say "via Salford Crescent" on it?

3) would guards suspect something was off with the ticket being so cheap?

Thanks

 

[hairyhandedfool]

As I understand it there is an issue on NRE (and some other journey planners) with doubling back through Eccles and Patricroft Stations. I suspect you would have great difficulty using this ticket to go to Salford Crescent and back (even if you can actually buy it with that itinerary).

Edit: In answer to your questions.

1) It's not a permitted route, so good luck if you try it, but I suspect the G4S barrier staff would have you buy a new ticket from Newton-le-Willows or take your details and forward them to Northern's prosecution Dept. If it were a permitted route, yes you could.

2) The ticket is routed 'Via Liverpool'

3) For travel to Newton-le-Willows, no. For travel to Manchester or Salford, it won't be the price that gets alarm bells ringing.....

 

[bb21]

The 1710 calls at Newton-le-Willows, in which case I don't really think you can realistically argue you should be allowed to go into Manchester and then back out. Your ticket is to Newton-le-Willows and you have a contract with the train companies to convey you to Newton-le-Willows, so once you reach that station, that should be the end of the contract.

If such an itinerary is offered in the opposite direction, I believe that you will stand a better chance of making the argument "NRE offered me this itinerary" stand.

 

[Merseysider]

Fair enough, NRE throws up some weird fares sometimes and it'd be nice if they worked. I'll find a way though