Manchester Pic - Glasgow Central "Virgin Only" ticket ?

[General Zod]

I notice on Avantix Traveller 19 that there are several "Virgin Only" fares listed alongside VWC+CONNECTNS. I assume the latter ticket is via Wigan Wallgate ( Northern) and Wigan North Western or TPE to Preston and Virgin from there onwards. I've tried looking for the "Virgin Only" ticket but without success. I am intrugued as to which route one would have to travel when using this ticket ? Can Manchester to Glasgow Central be done on Virgin trains only ? Surely going via Crewe would not be valid ?

cheers
Z

 

[greatkingrat]

This is an anomaly caused by clustered fares. The same fares apply to Wigan or Warrington to Glasgow, for which Virgin Trains only is a sensible route.

 

[Philip C]

Can Manchester to Glasgow Central be done on Virgin trains only ? Surely going via Crewe would not be valid ?

cheers
Z

I remember that when I went to Aviemore with school in 1967 or 1968, for a skiing trip, we travelled from Levenshulme via Crewe. The reason being that The Royal Highlander ran without intermediate passenger stops from Crewe to Perth, and there was no practicable alternative way of getting north. The return trip was, if anything, more interesting, as the up Highlander called at Carlisle and gave a small-hours connection into the Glasgow & Edinburgh to Liverpool & Manchester sleeper. This culminated in a division at Wigan North Western and a run into Manchester Victoria (and not Exchange so it may have been a Sunday morning) via Hindley Green (closed by then) and Monton Green (still open) behind a Black Five.

Happy days and I don't imagine there would have been any problems with the validity of our tickets.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Can Manchester to Glasgow Central be done on Virgin trains only ? Surely going via Crewe would not be valid ?

Not valid via Crewe. Warrington is the furthest allowed south but still no VT-only services.
I think the fares offered are only Advances - no walk-on fares.

 

[yorkie]

I think the fares offered are only Advances - no walk-on fares.

Indeed. So the tickets are only valid on the booked services. If Virgin are happy for people to go via Crewe then that'll be the way you must go. If not, then the ticket won't be available.

There have been special promotional cheap TPE fares from Leeds to Glasgow, valid on TPE only. Passengers had to travel via Manchester to benefit from them.

 

[kieron]

Indeed. So the tickets are only valid on the booked services. If Virgin are happy for people to go via Crewe then that'll be the way you must go. If not, then the ticket won't be available.

These being advance tickets, it's not as important which routes Virgin are happy for people to use as much as which routes the booking sites allow. There are no easements to allow this route on Virgin Only tickets, so I don't suppose the tickets are available at the moment, except possibly during engineering works.

Leeds-Glasgow is a bit different as that's valid on TPE's route via Manchester anyway.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Is it a new anomaly or is it a throwback to when Virgin did operate directly from Manchester to Glasgow?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Is it a new anomaly or is it a throwback to when Virgin did operate directly from Manchester to Glasgow?

It'll be from when they operated Cross Country services I expect. Journey Planner wouldn't let me book a ticket via Crewe earlier today.