Chester To Southport on a Sunday Via Manc & Bolton.

[Smelly_Diesel]

I have unsuccessfully tried to plan this particular journey with no success Via National Rail Enquiries website . Does the Sunday service Via Manchester & Bolton run these days even? Thanks!

 

[PHILIPE]

I am have unsuccessfully tried to plan this particular journey with no success Via National Rail Enquiries website . Does the Sunday service Via Manchester & Bolton run these days even? Thanks!

Yes. They still run as confirmed by RTT. NRE Journey Planner will send you via Liverpool and with changes, because it comes up with the quickest journey time, and the train takes such a circuitous route and takes over 3 hours.

 

[185143]

It will absolutely avoid showing the direct service-at all costs (literally). Search 'Via Wigan' and you get Southport-Wigan-Crewe-Chester, via any point between Pieland and Manchester you get routed onto an ATW at Occy Road. Search 'Via Stockport' and you get put on a pendo to Crewe. Any point on the Mid Cheshire line makes NRE crash!

 

[yorkie]

I have unsuccessfully tried to plan this particular journey with no success Via National Rail Enquiries website . Does the Sunday service Via Manchester & Bolton run these days even? Thanks!

NRE isn't great for journey planning.

You may want to try FastJP instead: http://www.fastjp.com/#journeys?orig=CTR&dest=SOP&odate=20170820&otime=1100&maxres=11&maxch=5

 

[Kite159]

I guess you couldn't use the "direct train" rule if holding a "Chester - Southport" ticket owing to that ticket only having a "via Birkenhead" fare.

 

[185143]

I guess you couldn't use the "direct train" rule if holding a "Chester - Southport" ticket owing to that ticket only having a "via Birkenhead" fare.

Does that override the 'direct train' rule? I genuinely (to my shame!) Don't know...

 

[yorkie]

Does that override the 'direct train' rule? I genuinely (to my shame!) Don't know...

It does, but did they get DfT approval to re-route that fare? Someone could ask the DfT as if not, it's an illegal change and is reportable to the DfT/ORR/Transport Focus.

ATOC admit that most passengers wish to take direct trains.

If you ask for a ticket for the train, they should sell you the most appropriate fares. The cheapest combination, which is to split at Burscough Bridge for a single (£21.30) or Knutsford for a return (£23.30), should be sold in my opinion (or they should accept the via Birkenhead fare)

However I suspect the rail industry will overcharge the customer by splitting at Manchester (£24.30 single or £25.50 return).

If that was to happen, a complaint should be made to the rail regulator and Transport Focus.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Typical ATOC "thou shalt go this way".

Why no "route Manchester" fare?

 

[PHILIPE]

NRE isn't great for journey planning.

You may want to try FastJP instead: http://www.fastjp.com/#journeys?orig=CTR&dest=SOP&odate=20170820&otime=1100&maxres=11&maxch=5

Another feature of NRE is that it quotes the first available connection point along the passengers route where it might suit the passenger to select another location which is more convenient at which to change and still arrive at their destination on the same train.

 

[yorkie]

Typical ATOC "thou shalt go this way"

To be fair the fare is set by Merseyrail, so it's not ATOC's fault. But I guess you mean it's typical of many of the train companies generally, in which case yes, it is typical of many of them, sadly.

Why no "route Manchester" fare?

They should simply route it "Any Permitted".

Via Manchester isn't a permitted route and there is no need to be; but through trains are valid and train companies should not be allowed to undermine that principle.

In NMF13 the routeing was "Any Permitted" and in NFM14 it had become "via Birkenhead"