Exeter conundrum..

[hansolo12345]

Got the train from chalkwell to Ivybridge on Thursday. Walked Dartmoor for a few days and are leaving tomorrow morning. I can get a bus to Exeter central but need to get the train home from Exeter St. David's. Is the trip from central to at David's valid with my return from Chalkwell to Ivybridge or do I need to get a single for the journey? many thanks.

 

[DB]

You could just walk between the two stations - they're not far apart. Might well be quicker than waiting for a train!

 

[NorthOxonian]

Depending on your tolerance for a longer journey time, you can get a train east from Exeter Central. There are usually SWR trains all the way through to London Waterloo, though at the moment these seem to be split at Salisbury (the connection seems reasonably decent). These do take a bit longer than the GWR alternative, but mean you wouldn't need to travel back to Exeter St David's.

If you wish to go take the train from Central to St David's, I think you would need an extra single, but it is very walkable, especially since you'd be going "downhill". Certainly no patch on Dartmoor!

 

[geoffk]

Exeter Central, St Davids and St Thomas used to be in a station group (Exeter BR) but this facility was withdrawn by BR in 1992, according to Wikipedia. Anyone know why? Doesn't seem logical when Worcester and Dorchester and many others are in a group, so you can travel out to one and return from the other. I suppose it's more difficult to reintroduce them post-privatisation but that could change with any new concession scheme.

 

[hansolo12345]

You could just walk between the two stations - they're not far apart. Might well be quicker than waiting for a train!

I would usually, but due to all the walking since Thursday I can barely stand. Haha first time hiking Dartmoor, or doing any exercise for that matter and I may have overstretched myself a wee bit.

 

[hansolo12345]

Depending on your tolerance for a longer journey time, you can get a train east from Exeter Central. There are usually SWR trains all the way through to London Waterloo, though at the moment these seem to be split at Salisbury (the connection seems reasonably decent). These do take a bit longer than the GWR alternative, but mean you wouldn't need to travel back to Exeter St David's.

If you wish to go take the train from Central to St David's, I think you would need an extra single, but it is very walkable, especially since you'd be going "downhill". Certainly no patch on Dartmoor!

I can barely walk at the moment! Downhills even worse as it pushes my brand new blistered pinky against the front of the shoe. Think I might shell out the £1.05/10 it costs.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Exeter Central, St Davids and St Thomas used to be in a station group (Exeter BR) but this facility was withdrawn by BR in 1992, according to Wikipedia. Anyone know why? Doesn't seem logical when Worcester and Dorchester and many others are in a group, so you can travel out to one and return from the other. I suppose it's more difficult to reintroduce them post-privatisation but that could change with any new concession scheme.

It allowed the Network SouthEast and Intercity sectors of British Rail to pursue different pricing strategies for the Waterloo and Paddington routes as part of of the 'Organising for Quality' reorgansiation that abolished the old regions and saw all assets allocated to a primary business sector. There has never been a consistent national application of group stations on the network, so the change did not break any fundamental protocol.

 

[Kilopylae]

Exeter St Davids, St Thomas and Central are still in a station group for routeing purposes.

 

[embers25]

Exeter St Davids, St Thomas and Central are still in a station group for routeing purposes.

True but that wont help here. That only helps when travelling exmouth line to Waterloo as it allows doubling back to st David's enabling you to get a seat on busy trains

 

[Statto1965]

Surely if you are travelling from Ivybridge to Exeter Central by train you have to go through Exeter St Davids, unless they have built an avoiding line off the Great Western Mainline south of Exeter St Davids in the last few months!

Edit: Just read you are taking a bus from Dartmoor to Exeter Central. As has been mentioned above, the walk from Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids is either flat or downhill, but with tired knees that can be harder than going uphill.

 

[Kilopylae]

A ticket from Ivybridge to Chalkwell is valid to double back from Exeter Central to Exeter St David's.

Exeter Central and Exeter St David's are both in the Exeter Station Group, and with a route that takes you through a station group (like Ivybridge to Chalkwell), you are allowed to double back as much as you want within that group.

From the National Routeing Guide:

Journeys may not double back except between stations which are members of a routeing point group for interchange

And also, in ATOC's official "How to use the National Routeing Guide" document, it says:

A customer may travel via any station in such a group, including doubling back, provided that the group is on one of the permitted routes between their origin and destination stations. This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part of a group.

And for the record,

That only helps when travelling exmouth line to Waterloo as it allows doubling back to st David's enabling you to get a seat on busy trains

Whilst that's almost definitely why they're still in a group, the right to double back between Central and St David's can be used for other reasons — like the OP intends to do here. It's still perfectly valid.

 

[clagmonster]

" A customer may travel via any station in such a group, including doubling back, provided that the group is on one of the permitted routes between their origin and destination stations. This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part of a group."

http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/nrg_instructions.pdf

From the National Routeing Guide. As the proposed route is Ivybridge - St. Davids - Central - St. Davids - Chalkwell, albeit with a break of journey, I do not see that this counts as being for interchange purposes, hence I would say this is invalid.

 

[plymothian]

Exeter Central and Exeter St David's are both in the Exeter Station Group

There isn't an Exeter Stations Group.

National Rail Enquiries - Group Stations

The gateway to Britain's National Rail network. A portal into UK rail travel including train company information and promotions; train times; fares enquiries; ticket purchase and train running information.

internal.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[Kilopylae]

There isn't an Exeter Stations Group.

For routeing purposes, there is an Exeter Group.

In the pink pages both Exeter Central and Exeter St David's are identified as "Exeter Group Routeing Point Member" (p. 23). A number of stations (for the sake of argument, take Polsloe Bridge on p. 50) have "Exeter Group" as their routeing point.

You can also see this on the routeing maps: http://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps. On those that include Exeter (e.g. PH), it is a square for a routeing group and is identified as "EXETER GROUP."

I do not see that this counts as being for interchange purposes, hence I would say this is invalid.

The document you have quoted is an instructional document explaining how to use the Routeing Guide. "This extended availability is for interchange purposes only" is ATOC explaining why doubling back within a station group is allowed; the only restriction this places on the availability is that it "does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part of a group."

Also—OP said, "I can get a bus to Exeter central but need to get the train home from Exeter St. David's." That is clearly for interchange purposes; he is arriving at one member of the station group and intends to depart from another and so wishes to double back between those stations in order to facilitate this.