Manchester CTLZ

[radamfi]

There are some exceptions such as railcard users travelling at times where there is no minimum fare (as mentioned), cyclists who wish to travel with their bike, people with luggage and the less physically able who would find an additional change an inconvience.

Yes there is no railcard discount so railcard holders should get the Manchester Central Zone ticket and go via Stockport. However, despite what was said by MCRUA in the quote above, I'm not convinced travel via Stockport isn't allowed on a Metrolink City ticket. based on what it says in the FRPP. FRPP only says you can travel via Sale with a Metrolink City ticket. It doesn't explicitly ban the Stockport route and the route on the ticket is 'route Altrincham', which is on the way from Knutsford to Stockport.

I reiterate my question: can anyone put forward a coherent argument why access to the FRPP should be withheld from the general public?

 

[323235]

because it would be a national disaster for the railway industry to allow joe public to know all the

ticket restrictions/general Ticket information for the tickets

he's purchasing
interesting in purchasing
might be interested in purchasing if he new about them

or that he could have bought a B3 coded Off Peak Day Return instead of buying a more expensive Anytime Day Return.

 

[pemma]

However, despite what was said by MCRUA in the quote above, I'm not convinced travel via Stockport isn't allowed on a Metrolink City ticket.

Well you certainly don't get sold one unless you state you are going in to Manchester by tram. On the morning Chester-Stockport services, in particular, people from Mobberley and Ashley always get asked by the conductor if they are changing to the tram at Altrincham before being sold a Metrolink City ticket.

 

[radamfi]

because it would be a national disaster for the railway industry to allow joe public to know all the ticket restrictions for the tickets he's purchasing or that he could have bought a B3 coded Off Peak Day Return instead of buying a more expensive Anytime Day Return.

Ah, but we do have ticket restriction information, thanks to the Avantix CD. I'm talking about the OTHER stuff from the former Fare Manual, which is arguably more useful.

 

[323235]

Ah, but we do have ticket restriction information, thanks to the Avantix CD. I'm talking about the OTHER stuff from the former Fare Manual, which is arguably more useful.

But the CD doesn't always provide the full information (e.g. Something like For Journeys via Birmingham use 5V- Without looking at other journeys with that code I would not have a clue what 5V meant) and i've seen examples where the CD information has been incorrect and only someone with the manual could tell me the restriction on barred trains was the same as other stations in the area.

However going back to the other information that the fare manual provides, i do agree that it was/is incredibly useful as when i bought the North West fare manual I bought in 2006. I learnt a lot about the arrangements of Metrolink through ticketing.

I think the main reason that the public editions stopped and are no longer available is because they were obviously only appealing to a very niche market and ATOC weren't printing them at the most cost effective price needed to maintain a decent revenue stream from them, possibly because they already favoured the CD which they were looking to switch the public to, as it is cheaper to produce plus they thought that the majority of passengers enquirys could be answered by nationalrail.co.uk and the toc websites and that the more complex information required from the manual would be available at ticket offices on request with no loss to them.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Yes there is no railcard discount so railcard holders should get the Manchester Central Zone ticket and go via Stockport.

I tried this in my Avantix earlier. Anywhere from outside the GMPTE area to "Metrolink City " will not allow a Railcard discount to be applied, it just says "No Fares Found".

BUT, Try putting Hale / Ashley / Mobberley / Knutsford to "Metrolink City" and it will let you apply a Railcard discount! But only from those 4 stations, not from anywhere else.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...Try putting Hale / Ashley / Mobberley / Knutsford to "Metrolink City" and it will let you apply a Railcard discount! But only from those 4 stations, not from anywhere else.

Are undiscounted tickets to "Metrolink City" available from other stations between Mouldsworth and Altrincham on the Mid Cheshire line, and if so how does the price of same compare with the alternative "Manchester CTLZ" or "Manchester Stns" ticket?

 

[radamfi]

Are undiscounted tickets to "Metrolink City" available from other stations between Mouldsworth and Altrincham on the Mid Cheshire line, and if so how does the price of same compare with the alternative "Manchester CTLZ" or "Manchester Stns" ticket?

Mouldsworth to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Any Permitted
Set by Arriva Trains Wales
SVR £14.90/£13.70
SDR £14.40/£13.20
SDS £13.30/£12.60

Delamere to Metrolink City - not available
Delamere to Manchester Stns
Route Any Permitted
Set by Northern
SDR £11.20
CDR £8.90
SDS £7.60

Greenbank to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £11.70/£11.20
CDR £8.00/£8.90
SDS £6.30/£7.60

Northwich to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £10.50/£11.20
CDR £7.30/£8.90
SDS £5.60/£7.60

Lostock Gralam to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £10.60/£11.20
CDR £7.10/£8.90
SDS £5.40/£7.60

Plumley to Metrolink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £9.80/£9.50
CDR £6.40/£7.90
SDS £5.10/£6.40

Knutsford to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £7.70/£8.10
CDR £5.00/£5.80
SDS £4.20/£4.90

Mobberley to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £6.80/£7.40
SDS £3.90/£4.80
CDR £3.80/£4.90
CDS £3.70 (no CDS to Manchester Ctlz)

Ashley to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £5.90/£6.60
CDR £3.90/£4.80
SDS £3.30/£4.70

Hale to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by GMPTE
SDR £5.40/£5.20
CDR £3.60/£3.00
SDS £3.20/£2.90

 

[350401]

This thread makes a very interesting read, however I am still confused lol. Could someone advise me what the most appropriate ticket to buy if for example, I wanted to go from Knutsford to Manchester via the Metrolink (as its faster if connections work) but if I then wanted to return on the train via Stockport?

I ask this because coming back, the trams are not, in my experience, reliable. Despite allowing 40 minutes from St Peters Square to Altrincham, I've often just missed the train at Altrincham and had to wait an hour. A ticket which enables travellers to go out via the Metrolink and come back on the train from Manchester Piccadilly (i.e. interoperable) would be popular with Mid Cheshire line commuters and go some way to making up for the service cuts of 2008 and the slower route to Manchester imposed since the Metrolink was built.

 

[radamfi]

This thread makes a very interesting read, however I am still confused lol. Could someone advise me what the most appropriate ticket to buy if for example, I wanted to go from Knutsford to Manchester via the Metrolink (as its faster if connections work) but if I then wanted to return on the train via Stockport?

I ask this because coming back, the trams are not, in my experience, reliable. Despite allowing 40 minutes from St Peters Square to Altrincham, I've often just missed the train at Altrincham and had to wait an hour. A ticket which enables travellers to go out via the Metrolink and come back on the train from Manchester Piccadilly (i.e. interoperable) would be popular with Mid Cheshire line commuters and go some way to making up for the service cuts of 2008 and the slower route to Manchester imposed since the Metrolink was built.

According to the earlier post, quoting the Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association, there is no such ticket as tickets are either valid via Stockport or direct via Sale. The Manchester Ctlz ticket is definitely only valid via Stockport, except on Sundays. But it is unclear from the text from the FRPP whether you can or can't use the Metrolink City ticket via Stockport.

Interestingly, I have noticed that Avantix has fares from Altrincham to Metrolink City route 'Metrolink Direct', with (unsurprisingly) the same fares as shown on the Metrolink website. But why would that even exist in Avantix? Doesn't the ticket office in Altrincham force you to use the Metrolink ticket machine?

Avantix doesn't have a Navigation Road to Metrolink City ticket, even though it would seem as logical as an Altrincham to Metrolink City ticket.

One possible (small) advantage of buying a Altrincham to Metrolink City ticket is that presumably there is no time limit on the outward journey. From what I remember, tickets bought from Metrolink stops are only valid for a certain amount of time. Don't know if that is still the case.

 

[WatcherZero]

I believe the Altrincham ticket office is more restrictive of the tickets they sell because they dont want people queueing up to buy Metrolink tickets. Other rail stations are quite happy to sell through tickets and travelshops are quite happy to sell Metrolink season tickets.

Single Metrolink tickets you have to complete your journey within 90 minutes (might be relaxed with expansion increasing possible journey times), returns you have same restriction on outbound journey but unlimited time on return.

The other weird thing about metrolink ticketing is that its based on zonal, how many you pass through (at least at the moment) however it caps out at £6 peak and £4 offpeak, meaning returns and singles are quite often the same price on the longest journeys. You cant buy a day ticket before 9:30am however afterwards its only £4 meaning the longest journeys you might as well buy one instead of a return because it offers unlimited journey completion time and you could go anywhere else you wanted without it costing any more than a standard off peak return.

 

[pemma]

I believe the Altrincham ticket office is more restrictive of the tickets they sell because they dont want people queueing up to buy Metrolink tickets. Other rail stations are quite happy to sell through tickets and travelshops are quite happy to sell Metrolink season tickets.

A sign above the ticket window at Altrincham does state something along the lines of 'National Rail and Metrolink tickets.'

At off-peak times the Manchester and Chester rail departures are hourly so it means there's likely quite a lot of time when someone's on duty at the ticket office and no-one's buying rail tickets. However at peak times there's just person selling tickets so I imagine it can get busy without people wanting Metrolink tickets going to the ticket office.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Thanks for looking this info up.

Interesting that from certain stations, it's cheaper changing at Altrincham to travel into Manchester on the Metrolink tram system via Sale, but from other stations, it's cheaper to stay on the train and travel into Manchester via Stockport!

Mouldsworth to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Any Permitted
Set by Arriva Trains Wales
SVR £14.90/£13.70
SDR £14.40/£13.20
SDS £13.30/£12.60

Delamere to Metrolink City - not available
Delamere to Manchester Stns
Route Any Permitted
Set by Northern
SDR £11.20
CDR £8.90
SDS £7.60

Greenbank to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £11.70/£11.20
CDR £8.00/£8.90
SDS £6.30/£7.60

Northwich to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £10.50/£11.20
CDR £7.30/£8.90
SDS £5.60/£7.60

Lostock Gralam to Metrollink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £10.60/£11.20
CDR £7.10/£8.90
SDS £5.40/£7.60

Plumley to Metrolink City/Manchester Stns
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £9.80/£9.50
CDR £6.40/£7.90
SDS £5.10/£6.40

Knutsford to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £7.70/£8.10
CDR £5.00/£5.80
SDS £4.20/£4.90

Mobberley to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £6.80/£7.40
SDS £3.90/£4.80
CDR £3.80/£4.90
CDS £3.70 (no CDS to Manchester Ctlz)

Ashley to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by Northern
SDR £5.90/£6.60
CDR £3.90/£4.80
SDS £3.30/£4.70

Hale to Metrolink City/Manchester Ctlz
Route Altrincham
Set by GMPTE
SDR £5.40/£5.20
CDR £3.60/£3.00
SDS £3.20/£2.90

 

[350401]

An interesting anecdote regarding differing validities - today I travelled from Altrincham to Leeds this afternoon, and back again in time for the last train. The clerk at the ticket office in Alty asked me whether I was going to Manchester via train or tram, I said train (assuming it was cheaper) and sold me an Off-Peak Day Return that said From: Altrincham, To: Leeds. Route - ANY PERMITTED. He then wrote on the ticket by hand "NOT VALID ON METROLINK". Ticket cost £11.50 with a YP railcard. Just wondering - why did the clerk need to write that on the ticket? Was he technically correct to do so? What are the differing fare options?

 

[WatcherZero]

Only a pound more to go from Alt to leeds rather than piccadilly, on the other hand an adult return Metrolink ticket to Piccadilly would be £3.80.

 

[350401]

Very true, very good value. I was just wondering why the ticket didn't have a "Route: Stockport" or "Route: NOT METROLINK" on it - had the clerk not written that on the ticket, some passengers could have got confused.