Engineering work and split ticketing

[aleph_0]

On Sunday, FGW trains Between Bristol and Reading are being diverted via. Bath Spa and Westbury (well some are, others are terminating at Swindon).

What I would have liked to do was to buy Cardiff (CDF) - Swindon (SWI) and Swindon-Reading (RDG) returns, as this is cheaper.

I'm aware of how one is allowed to go off-route due to diversions. However, I was wondering, does planned engineering work such as this allow the tickets still to count (after all, I have a combination of tickets which would be valid for the train on it's ordinary route).

My belief is the answer is No, although I would hope staff would be reasonable with anyone who did split-ticket without realising, but wonder how others interpret this? [I'm just going to buy a through ticket]

 

[bnm]

Is this a day return?

If so then you may find alternative split options based on the amended calling patterns of the diverted services.

 

[Yew]

Don't the guidelines say something about not penalising someone using split tickets?

 

[aleph_0]

Is this a day return?

If so then you may find alternative split options based on the amended calling patterns of the diverted services.

It's not a day return, so I would be travelling via. Swindon on the outwards journey, but I don't think any splits work on the diversion route anyway.

 

[yorkie]

..My belief is the answer is No, although I would hope staff would be reasonable with anyone who did split-ticket without realising...

If one was a Season, then fair enough they may not realise, and would expect that to be allowed.

But if you are relying on the train calling at the station where you change from one ticket to the next, for the combination to be valid for a through journey, then you obviously need to look for trains calling there, and couldn't claim you didn't realise the train didn't stop!
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Don't the guidelines say something about not penalising someone using split tickets?

Which guidelines, and what do you mean by penalising?

The rules for Combinations of Tickets are defined in Condition 19 of the NRCoC and have been mentioned here numerous times.

 

[aleph_0]

If one was a Season, then fair enough they may not realise, and would expect that to be allowed.

But if you are relying on the train calling at the station where you change from one ticket to the next, for the combination to be valid for a through journey, then you obviously need to look for trains calling there, and couldn't claim you didn't realise the train didn't stop!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Which guidelines, and what do you mean by penalising?

The rules for Combinations of Tickets are defined in Condition 19 of the NRCoC and have been mentioned here numerous times.

Ah, I know what I was remembering which put the slight doubt in my mind.

The Routeing Guide has been produced using the published rail timetable and
fares manuals. It therefore takes into account all route variations allowed
that have been notified. On occasions due to short notice engineering work
and disruption, services may be diverted from their normal routes[...].
Any through train diverted from its usual route will count as a
permitted route between the stations it is normally scheduled to call at. This
does not apply to additional stops on the diversionary route, unless specially
advised or they are on the permitted route for the journey being made.

The language is strange here. I think the intent is it is still a permitted route between the stations it is scheduled to normally call at and is actually calling at. But that's not what it says. My 'diverted' train is still a permitted route between Bristol and Swindon, and Swindon and Reading (which I think then would cover someone using a season ticket for one stretch). But I think treating my train as stopping at Swindon causes epistemological problems, of sufficient magnitude as to lay upon the logical and semantic resources of the English language a heavier burden than they can reasonably be expected to bear.

Of course, this is still making assumptions about the nature of 'usual route', which is rather weak, but needs to be applied as such for it to make sense.


For instance, the other weekend I was travelling from Cambridge to Staines. The Waterloo-Reading trains were diverted via. Kingston (which would normally be off-route, I believe). If one tries to buy a return from Staines to Waterloo, this is clearly valid by the through train rule. However, the Return from Staines to Cambridge requires the routing guide as I understand it, and as a result, the booking engines decided that I would have to catch rail replacement buses. I would hope that this would be defined as a through train diverted from it's usual route (and in practice, I can't see anyone believing the strict definition and deciding on enforcing it).

The stricter interpretation of this rule is that it only applies when on-the-day variations are made to the timetable (e.g. signal failure at Richmond, trains backed up, it is decided to send the next Reading train via. Kingston), but this seems a bit extreme. If this is the intent, the routing guide should presumably be adjusted to allow travel via. Kingston to Staines.

 

[island]

Why are you putting a full-stop after "via"? I wasn't aware that it's an abbreviation.