Guide Bridge to Ely - Unusual routeing challenge

[jawr256]

I'm planning to travel from Guide Bridge to Ely on an Off-Peak Return (SVR) ticket (route Not Via London). I have all day to make the outbound journey so for pure recreation thought I'd use the Routeing Guide to see what unusual routes I could take.

Both stations are routeing points, so I can go straight to the maps. One specified map sequence is MR+BM+AB. NFM tells me that there are no other route-restricted tickets, so all valid non-London routes are permitted by this ticket.

As far as I can tell, I'm obeying all the rules, including using the maps in strict order, not doubling back by passing through a station more than once, and checking for easements as best I can, but the maps seem to permit some pretty exotic route choices that make me wonder if I've missed something.

For example, the following extreme route appears permitted (assuming it's Friday to get to Stalybridge):
MR: Guide Bridge - Stalybridge - Manchester (Vic) - Earlestown
BM: Earlestown - Warrington - Crewe - Wilmslow - Cheadle Hulme - Stoke on Trent - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Smethwick - Birmingham - Walsall - Rugeley TV - Lichfield TV - Tamworth - Nuneaton
AB: Nuneaton - Leicester - Melton Mowbray - Oakham - Peterborough - Ely

Several things are clearly suspicious about this route - among others, it seems implausible that Crewe - Wilmslow is a valid leg on a Guide Bridge - Ely journey. Also, the route passes through (eg.) Warrington, yet the Warrington - Ely off-peak return is more expensive then Guide Bridge - Ely. However, I haven't yet seen guidance which says this is invalid.

I'd be grateful if anyone could explain anything I've overlooked in order to help me understand how far I can push the maps without invalidating my route.

Many thanks, Jack.

 

[roversfan2001]

Give it a week some sections of that routeing won't be permitted anymore.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

 

[yorkie]

As far as I can tell, I'm obeying all the rules, including using the maps in strict order, not doubling back by passing through a station more than once, and checking for easements as best I can, but the maps seem to permit some pretty exotic route choices that make me wonder if I've missed something.

For example, the following extreme route appears permitted (assuming it's Friday to get to Stalybridge):
MR: Guide Bridge - Stalybridge - Manchester (Vic) - Earlestown
BM: Earlestown - Warrington - Crewe - Wilmslow - Cheadle Hulme - Stoke on Trent - Stafford - Wolverhampton - Smethwick - Birmingham - Walsall - Rugeley TV - Lichfield TV - Tamworth - Nuneaton
AB: Nuneaton - Leicester - Melton Mowbray - Oakham - Peterborough - Ely

Yes, that is a permitted route currently.

Several things are clearly suspicious about this route - among others, it seems implausible that Crewe - Wilmslow is a valid leg on a Guide Bridge - Ely journey.

It may seem to be implausible, but it is so.

Also, the route passes through (eg.) Warrington, yet the Warrington - Ely off-peak return is more expensive then Guide Bridge - Ely. However, I haven't yet seen guidance which says this is invalid.

It is a permitted route. Fares for intermediate journeys for parts of the permitted route do not in any way affect what is permitted.

I'd be grateful if anyone could explain anything I've overlooked in order to help me understand how far I can push the maps without invalidating my route.

It is a valid route.

I would, however, not be surprised if details of the ticket and routeing were taken so that the routeing could be investigated and the validity altered.

It is very difficult to validate using electronic journey planners, because it so convoluted that anyone attempting to validate it would run out of 'via' points to check it. You will be unable to produce an itinerary and any staff attempting to check the route will be unable to verify it as valid. If you are asked for your name and address for the matter to be investigated, it would be unwise to do anything other than comply with such a request.

 

[306024]

Or to save all the anxiety you could catch a train from Guide Bridge to Manchester Pic and another one from there to Ely - just a suggestion

All the time saved can then be spent discovering what a nice city Ely is.

 

[jawr256]

Thanks for the replies. In reality I don't intend to do anything quite as convoluted as the route above so shouldn't fall under suspicion, but it's helpful to have some reassurance that I've interpreted the rules correctly. It'll just be a nice change to take an alternative to the Liverpool-Norwich direct train which I have used several times before and break my journey somewhere I've never been like Leicester.

Though 306024 makes a good point that Ely ranks highly against any possible intermediate breakpoints.

 

[yorkie]

It'll just be a nice change to take an alternative to the Liverpool-Norwich direct train which I have used several times before and break my journey somewhere I've never been like Leicester.

I agree taking a different route would be interesting. You can get itineraries via a wide range of routes. For example if you put via Warrington & Nuneaton you will get itineraries with https://www.trainscanbecheaper.info/ and you can also specify where to change trains if you wish. (I'd consider finding somewhere other than Leicester to break the journey )

 

[Richard1960]

Or to save all the anxiety you could catch a train from Guide Bridge to Manchester Pic and another one from there to Ely - just a suggestion

All the time saved can then be spent discovering what a nice city Ely is.

The Oliver Cromwell House is well worth a visit in Ely.