National Rail Enquiries / Liverpool to Glasgow

[eastend43]

Hi

It can sometimes be cheaper getting a train from Liverpool Stations to Glasgow (or vice versa) if I go via Ormskirk, which isn't too much of a hardship as Moorfields is more convenient for me. On the National Rail Enquiries it suggests a single for Friday 9th November for £31.50, but clicking on the link takes me through to Virgin which doesn't offer that ticket. Nor does Sourthern (my preferred site for obvious reasons). I've tried 'via Ormskirk on Virgin / EastCoast and Southern, but still the cheapest is about £60. Any ideas on how to get the £31.50 ticket, or does it not exist?

Thanks

 

[Eagle]

The £31.50 fare is an advance fare, maybe you were unlucky and that fare tier has just sold out.

 

[Squaddie]

Hi

It can sometimes be cheaper getting a train from Liverpool Stations to Glasgow (or vice versa) if I go via Ormskirk, which isn't too much of a hardship as Moorfields is more convenient for me. On the National Rail Enquiries it suggests a single for Friday 9th November for £31.50, but clicking on the link takes me through to Virgin which doesn't offer that ticket. Nor does Sourthern (my preferred site for obvious reasons). I've tried 'via Ormskirk on Virgin / EastCoast and Southern, but still the cheapest is about £60. Any ideas on how to get the £31.50 ticket, or does it not exist?

Thanks

First Great Western's booking engine is offering £31.50 fares on the departures at 0701, 0757 and 1657, and just £16.00 on the 2025 departure. There seem to be no Advance tickets between those times.

 

[eastend43]

Thanks

I wouldn't think it was an advance that was sold out - apart from the National Rail Enquiries one, none of the websites seem to recognise that you can go from Moorfields to Glasgow via Ormskirk, leaving at 14.29 and getting the Ormskirk to Preston train at 15.17. The websites that sell tickets aren't offering me any price for that route / time. They will, however, offer me an Ormskirk to Glasgow ticket for £31.50. I guess I could pay the £5.55 single from Moorfields to Ormskirk (or the £4.70 saveaway) and it would still work out much cheaper than via Wigan. I'm just wondering if I am missing something on the Southern or Virgin Trains websites.

 

[calc7]

Thanks

I wouldn't think it was an advance that was sold out - apart from the National Rail Enquiries one, none of the websites seem to recognise that you can go from Moorfields to Glasgow via Ormskirk, leaving at 14.29 and getting the Ormskirk to Preston train at 15.17. The websites that sell tickets aren't offering me any price for that route / time. They will, however, offer me an Ormskirk to Glasgow ticket for £31.50. I guess I could pay the £5.55 single from Moorfields to Ormskirk (or the £4.70 saveaway) and it would still work out much cheaper than via Wigan. I'm just wondering if I am missing something on the Southern or Virgin Trains websites.

The reservable part of the journey is subject to "selling out". Thus, if somebody buys Wigan-Carlise, Bolton-Glasgow, Preston-Stirling this will still see that cheaper Wigan-Glasgow seat disappear and the ticket won't be offered no matter your route between Liverpool and Wigan.

The other websites may* offer the £31.50 ticket from Moorfields; however they unhelpfully often only show the fastest journeys so you may need to "rig" it by specifying via Aintree or some-such.

*I say may because not all booking engines are happy to offer all valid routes and itineraries

 

[eastend43]

The reservable part of the journey is subject to "selling out". Thus, if somebody buys Wigan-Carlise, Bolton-Glasgow, Preston-Stirling this will still see that cheaper Wigan-Glasgow seat disappear and the ticket won't be offered no matter your route between Liverpool and Wigan.

The other websites may* offer the £31.50 ticket from Moorfields; however they unhelpfully often only show the fastest journeys so you may need to "rig" it by specifying via Aintree or some-such.

*I say may because not all booking engines are happy to offer all valid routes and itineraries

Thanks, that's really helpful. I still can't get the Moorfields to Glasgow ticket even when putting in 'via Aintree', but your mention of Aintree found me a useful split (Orrell Park). Moorfields to Orrell Park is only £2.45.

Southern still don't seem to offer me that fare (or perhaps I'm missing something) but Virgin Trains does.

That's the second time today that Virgin Trains (with 4% cashback at topcashback) gives me a much better fare than Southern.

 

[kieron]

I wouldn't think it was an advance that was sold out - apart from the National Rail Enquiries one, none of the websites seem to recognise that you can go from Moorfields to Glasgow via Ormskirk, leaving at 14.29 and getting the Ormskirk to Preston train at 15.17.

Which ones did you try? The route is shown on maps CP and WG, so the sites should all give it. Having said that, if I try to select Southern from the list, NRE forwards me to a page which doesn't have the via point entered. As this isn't the fastest train available, it doesn't offer the £31.50 ticket until I put it back in. Southern will sell that ticket, though.

Virgin seem to ignore the via point even if you enter it on their web site. They accept the "ignore" option, but that's not much use when there are faster trains via Kirkby and Wigan, and via Manchester and Bolton.

In summary, then, NRE and Virgin have issues, but you should have no problem with buying the £31.50 ticket on any other suitable web site.