Little Progress on Fares Reform

[yorksrob]

Today I wanted to get a return ticket from Leeds to Lancaster out via Copy Pit and back via Skipton.

There is a cheaper 'via Burnley' ticket as well as a cheaper 'via Skipton' ticket, but not one which allows both (without paying a premium for the dubious pleasure of getting TPE via Manchester)

It would be so easy for Northern to do a cheapish 'Route Skipton/Burnley' ticket as they run all the trains on both routes. I can only assume that they don't as a scam to get people to pay the 'anytime' fare.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Couldn't a "via Skipton" ticket be excessed up to "via Burnley" in one direction, without the need to resort to using the "any permitted" fares? Not that that option is widely publicised to the general public, or was that your point?! As there's very little difference in the fares then yes, a combined "via Skipton/Burnley" ticket would make things simpler.

I note that for the Anytime returns, that the price for both the Skipton and Burnley routes is the same at £30.10 so the routes are effectively interchangeable travelling on this fare. However, the via Skipton ticket is a SHR, whereas the one via Burnley is a SOR (that's the one I would buy).

 

[yorksrob]

Couldn't a "via Skipton" ticket be excessed up to "via Burnley" in one direction, without the need to resort to using the "any permitted" fares? Not that that option is widely publicised to the general public, or was that your point?! As there's very little difference in the fares then yes, a combined "via Skipton/Burnley" ticket would make things simpler.

I note that for the Anytime returns, that the price for both the Skipton and Burnley routes is the same at £30.10 so the routes are effectively interchangeable travelling on this fare. However, the via Skipton ticket is a SHR, whereas the one via Burnley is a SOR (that's the one I would buy).

It can be, and I did - but I'm never sure the booking office will do it. And its not the sort of thing I would expect the general public to know about it.