On the weekend of 26 & 27 May the line between Birmingham and Coventry will be closed, with London Euston to Birmingham New Street services running via Stafford. This causes a problem for some journey planners (including Worldline and Trainline) because via Stafford is not a permitted route for these journeys. Someone travelling from London Euston to Birmingham New Street will be returned results on these through trains, but someone travelling from Shenfield or Guildford to Wolverhampton has a problem, as does someone travelling from Bilbrook to London because the through trains between London Euston and Birmingham New Street are not following a permitted route. It would seem that the neccesary easements for this work have been forgotten (again).
This is great news for Chiltern Railways, as the only results returned by these online journey planners are those using their trains from London Marylebone, because this is much quicker than using the Coventry to Birmingham bus. By default, route High Wycombe tickets will therefore be offered for journeys like Bilbrook to London or Ashford International to Birmingham.
This is a lesson in why removing the permitted routes for these journeys via Stafford was a bad idea. Now, people looking at most websites will be directed towards a rival company to Virgin Trains, for all of the fastest journeys and they will get a lower walk-up fare than they otherwise would to boot.
There is a further problem with London to Wolverhampton journeys. These have a dedicated 'via Stafford' fare which costs more than the valid Any Permitted fare, but the higher price is the only one offered by Trainline and Worldine journey planners.
I have attached a screenshot of trainline showing the "cheapest standard single" for the 1510 Wolverhampton to London Euston as £64.60 for the route stafford (left column) and the 'Any Permitted' Off Peak Single as not valid on that train.
By contrast, trainscanbecheaper.info correctly offers the 'Any Permitted' Super Off Peak Single on that train:
As do Worldline sites. Why Trainline isn't doing that I don't know, but as this is a through train, that ticket is valid by definition and this is a plain case of overcharging.
It would seem that some in the industry will not learn that removing reasonable, sensible, likely permitted routes has negative consequences and also that when engineering work takes place, if an easement is needed to deal with cases of engineering work, these easements need to be published in good time, not left until 4 or 5 weeks before travel and after reservation has opened.
The ticket office at Wolverhampton will, I am sure, be correctly advising of 'Any Permitted' Wolverhampton to London tickets being valid on through trains via Stafford, so this is one case where buying online could be more expensive than buying at the ticket office.
This is great news for Chiltern Railways, as the only results returned by these online journey planners are those using their trains from London Marylebone, because this is much quicker than using the Coventry to Birmingham bus. By default, route High Wycombe tickets will therefore be offered for journeys like Bilbrook to London or Ashford International to Birmingham.
This is a lesson in why removing the permitted routes for these journeys via Stafford was a bad idea. Now, people looking at most websites will be directed towards a rival company to Virgin Trains, for all of the fastest journeys and they will get a lower walk-up fare than they otherwise would to boot.
There is a further problem with London to Wolverhampton journeys. These have a dedicated 'via Stafford' fare which costs more than the valid Any Permitted fare, but the higher price is the only one offered by Trainline and Worldine journey planners.
I have attached a screenshot of trainline showing the "cheapest standard single" for the 1510 Wolverhampton to London Euston as £64.60 for the route stafford (left column) and the 'Any Permitted' Off Peak Single as not valid on that train.
By contrast, trainscanbecheaper.info correctly offers the 'Any Permitted' Super Off Peak Single on that train:
As do Worldline sites. Why Trainline isn't doing that I don't know, but as this is a through train, that ticket is valid by definition and this is a plain case of overcharging.
It would seem that some in the industry will not learn that removing reasonable, sensible, likely permitted routes has negative consequences and also that when engineering work takes place, if an easement is needed to deal with cases of engineering work, these easements need to be published in good time, not left until 4 or 5 weeks before travel and after reservation has opened.
The ticket office at Wolverhampton will, I am sure, be correctly advising of 'Any Permitted' Wolverhampton to London tickets being valid on through trains via Stafford, so this is one case where buying online could be more expensive than buying at the ticket office.
Last edited:
