Huddersfield to Lancaster

[Sapphire Blue]

We are planning on going from Huddersfield to Lancaster on Saturday and returning on Sunday. Two adults, no railcards.
Anytime return is £27.80.
Journey planner suggest buses for part of the trip.
Are we ok to use these tickets to travel via Halifax to avoid using the buses during the Stalybridge blockade? (i.e. HUD>HFX, HFX>PRE, PRE>LAN)
The NRE site states that no return fares are available for the journey and wants to charge £24.00 each way.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

TPE have stated they would rather have people on through tickets using the diverted trains where possible, even to the extent that one forum member has been given permission to use their combination of tickets (not normally valid) via the diverted route during the blockade. So Huddersfield to Manchester via Hebden Bridge should be okay, but I'm not certain about Halifax direct to Preston, you may be best advised to contact Northern Rail Customer Services about this.

 

[philjo]

Isn't the route via Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge - Blackburn & Preston the shortest route so would be valid in any case?

I think that Sowerby Bridge is in Halifax Group which would allow you to change at Halifax under the Group stations rule.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I would hope all the journey planners account for the shortest route, whatever it happens to be.

 

[yorkie]

I would hope all the journey planners account for the shortest route, whatever it happens to be.

I agree, I would hope so. But they don't always. For example the data that booking engines use states the shortest route from Stalybridge to Stockport is via Denton (no service in that direction), Stoke to Rugeley avoiding Stafford (ditto) and, perhaps most bizarre, Dore to Dronfield avoiding Sheffield (impossible without a reversal!).

The journey planners do allow an additional 5 miles for the shortest route rule, while the information given to us (but buried away in the Routeing Guide in Detail - should be in NRCoC) allows us to use only 3 miles extra.

Consequently, booking engines sometimes allow additional routes that would not otherwise be valid, and sometimes refuse to sell tickets over valid routes.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

If I am not mistaken, the shortest route is 'trains which take the shortest route which can be used by scheduled passenger services', and I do believe there is a scheduled passenger service over the Denton line (admittedly in one direction only and quite infrequent).

I imagine the other lines you mention have similar situations. You can also add Patricroft-Wigan Stns into that bracket aswell as a scheduled passenger services operate between Wigan North Western and Newton-le-Willows, but not the other way.

The journey planners can only give out information based on what they are programmed with though.

I think the issue really is that the NRCoC simply is not clear enough on this minor issue.

Anyway, let's not get bogged down in that in this thread as it is irrelevant as far as I can see.

 

[John @ home]

Are we ok to use these tickets to travel via Halifax

Yes. Huddersfield - Lancaster is Permitted via a wide range of routes. You may travel via Skipton, Blackburn, Bolton, Wigan or Warrington, to name just a few.

 

[yorkie]

If I am not mistaken, the shortest route is 'trains which take the shortest route which can be used by scheduled passenger services', and I do believe there is a scheduled passenger service over the Denton line (admittedly in one direction only and quite infrequent).

True, but when a member of this forum asked ATOC about a journey where this line could potentially form part of the shortest route, he was informed that the shortest route can be different in different directions. The booking engine data does not have any such distinction.

Anyway, let's not get bogged down in that in this thread as it is irrelevant as far as I can see.

True, it is unclear why the journey planners won't allow the route is it is permitted anyway.

I think it's fair to say journey planners/booking engines are usually correct, but not always.

 

[bb21]

If I am not mistaken, the shortest route is 'trains which take the shortest route which can be used by scheduled passenger services', and I do believe there is a scheduled passenger service over the Denton line (admittedly in one direction only and quite infrequent).

Not in that direction. That would mean the route Stalybridge - Denton - Stockport cannot be used by scheduled passenger services.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Not in that direction. That would mean the route Stalybridge - Denton - Stockport cannot be used by scheduled passenger services.

I think the sentence in the NRCoC can be read at least two ways.