Liverpool Lime Street-Irlam Query

[M60lad]

Is a Liverpool Lime Street-Irlam single ticket valid via Manchester? The reason for the query is that before I bought my ticket I checked the station departure lists in the station and it said that it was so I got on 19:52 East Midlands Train service to Norwich via Manchester but when the conductor came round he was adamant that I'd have to change at Warrington Central, but on checking National Rail website that states that it is valid via Manchester Oxford Road on that service, so which is right?

 

[sonic2009]

The conductor was correct as you would be doubling back which is not allowed unless an easement appears in the Routeing Guide, which it doesn't for the relevant journey you made.

National Rail suggested this journey but advised that you would need multiple tickets, which would total £12.30 if travelling on the 1952 via Manchester Oxford Road.

These were :

Off Peak Day Return £11.10 Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Oxford Road
Evening Return £1.80 Manchester Oxford Road to Irlam

 

[kieron]

Is a Liverpool Lime Street-Irlam single ticket valid via Manchester?

Irlam is associated with Warrington and Manchester.
Liverpool-Manchester costs more than Liverpool-Irlam, so isn't a valid routeing point.
Liverpool-Warrington is valid on map WG.
Map WG doesn't show Manchester.

It's not a valid route whichever way you go. Changing at Warrington to catch a train through Newton-le-Willows would make it less obviously invalid, as you wouldn't actually pass through Irlam en route, but it isn't actually valid on that ticket.

 

[yorkie]

....but on checking National Rail website that states that it is valid via Manchester Oxford Road on that service

I've checked and... no it doesn't.

so which is right?

Both are right, you need multiple tickets for that journey.

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

Even though the results page shows that multiple tickets are required for some journeys, I find that my eye doesn't automatically glance at that area of the page. For someone who is simply looking for train times, and is inexperienced with ticketing, that area can be completely overlooked. I remember being somewhat surprised when I first found out about multi-ticket journeys (admittedly that was when the web page layout was far less clear than it is now). Now, as it's a quiet, do nothing sort of Sunday , I thought I'd mock up a layout, which makes it clearer even to those just skimming the results.

 

[M60lad]

Alright thanks for the reply which has cleared the problem up somewhat, what I was actually trying to do was get to Manchester with a single to Irlam and my Concessionary/Disabled (TfGM Issued) Bus Pass, before anybody tells me I know its technically not allowed as train goes through but doesn't stop there but this is the first time I've had a problem and I know in future to by a single to Oxford Road

Also out of interest are Cheap Evening Returns valid in anyway? Reason for asking is I normally buy my ticket from one of the machines at Lime Street but was wondering whether it would be cheaper to get it from the booking office windows?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There are some Cheap Evening Returns from outside the TfGM area, but I don't know of any from as far away as Liverpool. The furthest I know of towards Liverpool is Earlestown and Birchwood. The Earlstown ticket is not valid via Warrington.

 

[yorkie]

Alright thanks for the reply which has cleared the problem up somewhat, what I was actually trying to do was get to Manchester with a single to Irlam and my Concessionary/Disabled (TfGM Issued) Bus Pass, before anybody tells me I know its technically not allowed as train goes through but doesn't stop there but this is the first time I've had a problem and I know in future to by a single to Oxford Road

Yes, the train is supposed to call as this counts as a non-Season ticket

Also out of interest are Cheap Evening Returns valid in anyway? Reason for asking is I normally buy my ticket from one of the machines at Lime Street but was wondering whether it would be cheaper to get it from the booking office windows?

An Evening Return from where to where?

The restrictions for Evening Returns are as follows:-

Restriction : FE
EC - CHEAP EVENING RETURN

Cheap Evening Return tickets
are half price Adult Off-Peak
Day Returns (CDR). The fare is
50% of Offd-Peak Day Return.
Available for travel on_First
TransPennine Express, Arriva
Trains Wales, Virgin Trains,
Northern, East Midlands Trains
and CrossCountry.

IT IS VALID

Outward Travel
Any train between 1830 and
2100 daily.


Return Travel
Any train the same evening up
to 0230 the following morning,
where services are available.



Railcard / Child
No further discounts are
available.