DEFUNCT loopholes - best ones

[backontrack]

Obviously it's important that loopholes that are still valid remain unknown. So please, if you have knowledge of any valid ones, PLEASE don't divulge it on this thread, or, indeed, this forum. The forum staff run 'fares workshops' where valid anomalies can be discussed in person, but on a web forum the TOCs can look at our posts and start closing down loopholes by putting up the prices.

Because of this, many loopholes no longer exist. But of the CLOSED ones, which were the best? I know of a certain couple that have passed into RailUK folklore (Baldock to North Sheen and Elsenham to Stansted), but what else?

Please do check that they're no longer valid, first. Thank you.

 

[Kite159]

East Kilbride to Tweedbank

 

[backontrack]

Yeah, I just read about that. I think some people got further than EK, though.

 

[OwlMan]

Advance ticket from Bedworth to Harrow & Wealdstone via Carlisle, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, York & London (1st class £19.90)

 

[backontrack]

Well, that beats everything.

 

[185143]

Yeah, I just read about that. I think some people got further than EK, though.

I went to Wick on monday

 

[clagmonster]

Newcastle-Carlise was valid via most of northern England at one stage. I think the most southerly place it was valid was Stoke.

 

[transportphoto]

Manor Park to Stonebridge Park via Kings Cross, Leeds, Settle, Carlisle and Euston! First Class Anytime Day Single... Thanks to the infamous Webtis error a few years ago!

 

[Matt Taylor]

I was with TransportPhoto that day, nice 1st class breakfast on EC!

 

[Mojo]

Manor Park to Stonebridge Park via Kings Cross, Leeds, Settle, Carlisle and Euston! First Class Anytime Day Single... Thanks to the infamous Webtis error a few years ago!

The "WebTis specials" were some great trips. I had a great journey on a WebTis special on that route too with other forum members; whilst others went up the East Coast, myself and one other member decided on a slightly different route to get to Leeds involving East Midlands to Sheffield and changing there. Due to a delay at Trent Junction, we missed our originally planned connection (and the back up connection) at Sheffield. There was a Northern service that going by the timetable would mean we missed the Settle & Carlisle train with everyone else at Leeds, but looking at the journey history almost always seemed to arrive significantly early.

We approached the guard on the Northern service to explain why we were late and to ask if there was a slight possibility that the connection could be held, and were a bit nervous about the reaction owing to the ticket's destination, but much to our amazement he replied with "Ah, Stonebridge Park, that's in Glasgow isn't it?"

Lucky for us, the service did indeed arrive early and we ended up with a few minutes to spare onto the S&C train. The guard off our train from Sheffield even popped over to the S&C train to check we'd got there, he tapped on the window and waved us off!

Not sure if the Kent Flyer, WebTis specials or the as-yet-unnamed Scottish £1 tickets count as true loopholes or not, but my favourite loopholes involving Routeing Guide anomalies must have saved me hundreds of pounds over several years for journeys to see family. Primarily, these were London to Oxford via Newport (South Wales), and Hereford to Bristol via Birmingham. With regard to the latter, as soon as this was withdrawn by way of a negative easement I set out to find an alternative ticket and after a short browse of local area maps and the Routeing Guide I found an even cheaper ticket. Had they not have changed the guide then I'd have paid them more

 

[richw]

There Used to be an anomaly on off peak validity from gatwick being much more restricted to Truro than either Redhill or Three Bridges.
It resulted in a Truro to gatwick return ticket being more than £100 more than Truro to Redhill/ Three Bridges to be valid on the same services.
Hasn't been the case for probably 9 or 10 years now though, a ticket clerk used to recommend the Redhill Split, and/or Three Bridges over distance BoJ was how I became aware of splitting long before I found this forum.

 

[mikeg]

There was good old Middlesbrough to Carlisle via Manchester or the s&c. There was also Newcastle to Lancaster via Manchester - the maps permissions were redone for this one and the fare route changed from 'any permitted' to 'via Carlisle'. Can't see it coming back then.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Stockport to Preston via Rugby was pretty incredible

 

[CyrusWuff]

Finsbury Park to London via Cambridge was a fairly good one...until they split WAGN (as was) over two different maps.

 

[backontrack]

Well, those all sound incredible! Any more?

 

[bnm]

Bristol to Hereford used to have mapped routes via Birmingham. With cheaper fares than Bristol to Birmingham. Used to use that routeing a lot and end short at Brum.

Obviously I use another 'loophole' these days.

 

[185143]

There was good old Middlesbrough to Carlisle via Manchester or the s&c. There was also Newcastle to Lancaster via Manchester - the maps permissions were redone for this one and the fare route changed from 'any permitted' to 'via Carlisle'. Can't see it coming back then.

Theres a similar one still around, I'll PM you.

 

[backontrack]

Theres a similar one still around, I'll PM you.

Could you PM me too, please?

 

[trickyvegas]

Theres a similar one still around, I'll PM you.

Good you let me know too please, the old one was very handy.

 

[BlueFox]

Theres a similar one still around, I'll PM you.

I'd appreciate a PM about that too.

 

[185143]

Its been withdrawn now Im afraid:mad:
It was still available last month though!

 

[BlueFox]

Its been withdrawn now Im afraid:mad:

What was it?

 

[185143]

Its been withdrawn now Im afraid:mad:

What was it?

Durham-Penrith via Manchester. Roughly a third of the price of a single to Manchester

 

[WelshBluebird]

Bristol to Hereford used to have mapped routes via Birmingham. With cheaper fares than Bristol to Birmingham. Used to use that routeing a lot and end short at Brum.

Obviously I use another 'loophole' these days.

The rough Bristol area to Birmingham route seems to have had quite a few!
When I was with me ex I made quite extensive used of a Chippenham to Droitwhich Spa ticket that allowed me to join late at Bath Spa and alight early at Birmingham, and was about half the price of the Bath - Birmingham ticket (found thanks to this forum). A quick look now and it seems that isn't available anymore so its fine to mention (though before checking now I wasn't aware they had changed it, I wonder when they did!).

 

[RJ]

Hook/Winchfield to Polegate/Berwick First Class Single route +Any Permitted was priced at £1 a couple of NFMs ago. I was further surprised to find Basingstoke passed the fares check. So I used the ticket to travel in First between Basingstoke and London via Reading, then visited the FC lounge at Paddington a few times. I got quite a bit of my dissertation written up in there!

Next were the Kent Flyers - £5.60 for YP discounted SSRs between Cuxton and several places in Yorkshire. I bought a year's worth in one go for my commute between Loughborough and London, covered entirely with RTVs provided by Southeastern.

I did one or two WebTiS specials to test the water but was never keen on the idea. Now that I'm no longer a student, my days of deal hunting on the railways seem to be over!

 

[Sleepy]

bought some child sleeper tickets to Inverness a few years ago for £2 (including berth) !!

 

[sheff1]

......

 

[FenMan]

I continue to be surprised that a good value ticket that has been mentioned many, many times on here is still valid.

 

[backontrack]

Could you PM me the details, please?

I realise how important these things are, so you can trust me not to spill the secret.

 

[bb21]

Just a cautionary message that posting defunct loopholes may lead to similar ones being discovered and closed. There is nothing wrong with talking about them in general, but please bear in mind that TOCs keep a close eye on this forum, and the last thing forum staff want is for good value fares to be unintentionally spoilt.