2150 Dunbar-Edinburgh (XC)
0615 Edinburgh-Carlisle (TPE)
0746 Carlisle-Warrington (VT)
0926 Warrington-Chester (ATW)
Arrives Chester 0953
1830 Dunbar-York (VTEC)
2116 York-Manchester Picc. (TPE)
2314 Manchester Picc-Chester (ATW)
Arrives Chester 0015
It was the case for South West Trains when they launched their new website not that long before the franchise ended. They removed the ability to specify a "via" point so for some journeys (like Woking or Basingstoke to Exeter) it would only offer the quicker (but more costly) GWR route. When I contacted them on Twitter I was told to either use their telesales line or the EMT website to book.It's not possible to book their own train on their own website. Is this unique in any service industry in the UK?
It is not possible to purchase the second itinerary in my post above on the VTEC website, because of a combination of factors:It was the case for South West Trains when they launched their new website not that long before the franchise ended. They removed the ability to specify a "via" point so for some journeys (like Woking or Basingstoke to Exeter) it would only offer the quicker (but more costly) GWR route. When I contacted them on Twitter I was told to either use their telesales line or the EMT website to book.
South Western Railway have not brought back the "via" option but at least it does seem to offer both routes.
I don't know, perhaps that was something they implemented because of my feedback.
I noticed the two Scottish airports I use Edinburgh and Glasgow weren't listed and neither, surprisingly was Heathrow rail at this point (but Heathrow Und was). Heathrow was a surprise because it has stations. I sent an email asking for them to be included and it happened a few weeks later. So at the time I thought they were taking feedback seriously and wouldn't remove the old booking engine until this one was reasonable.
Although I noticed that ZCW (Canada Water) which was also on my 'missing' list of stations was not added. Can anyone think of a reason why this may have been left off? Perhaps someone else already reported the missing airports? APN (Newcastle) was already on there when I first tested the beta.
Checking using the mobile website,, Canada appears to be added now, complete with the ZCW code. I also noticed that Limehouse is added, which was missing in their version of the old MixingDeck engine.In the past, ZCW was a duplicate CRS code and was also used for Canary Wharf. The latter has now been changed to ZQC. But if there is an out-of-date station list involved somewhere in the background it may still be disabled to avoid the clash with the duplicate code, I suppose.
Dunbar to Chester. Departing after approx 18:00 on 13/12/17:
It's not possible to book their own train on their own website. Is this unique in any service industry in the UK?
Wonder how that happened! Imperial Wharf is added too, although nobody had noticed it was missing.Canada appears to be added now,
I guess this shows what we're up against. I'm not having a go at you; it's a cultural problem.I think it was Charlie Brown who captured it best with the immortal line "Oh Good Grief". VTEC don't provide a fare for a journey where other operators do, shocking.
VTEC don't provide the majority of the services for that journey or indeed any part of that journey so why would we price it?I guess this shows what we're up against. I'm not having a go at you; it's a cultural problem.
We would much rather work with you than against you.
Surely we want the same thing: your customers to be offered a good price, a good itinerary, a good journey and a good and seamless booking experience?
VTEC price the Any Permitted fare from Edinburgh to Preston. There's often little logic in who prices what.VTEC don't provide the majority of the services for that journey or indeed any part of that journey so why would we price it?
I don't agree with logic for why VTEC don't price a fare for this journey, but I will point out that the VTEC portion (Dunbar to York) is over 172 miles, while the TPE/ATW portion is just over 108 miles. So the majority of the journey in question would be on a VTEC train.VTEC don't provide the majority of the services for that journey or indeed any part of that journey so why would we price it?
Web support is 03457 225 111
However if it's an issue with website functionality, i believe the relevant people read this thread.
VTEC don't provide the majority of the services for that journey or indeed any part of that journey so why would we price it?
Regarding Dunbar to Chester, we could equally ask why TransPennine Express or CrossCountry* don't set a fare via the East Coast route.
*What is it with capitals letters half way through a single word name?!
Regarding Dunbar to Chester, we could equally ask why TransPennine Express or CrossCountry* don't set a fare via the East Coast route.
Indeed. There are numerous ways in which this could be resolved.Regarding Dunbar to Chester, we could equally ask why TransPennine Express or CrossCountry* don't set a fare via the East Coast route.
VTEC don't serve Chester, so that's hardly good logic. And TPE price Berwick to Chester, so why not Dunbar as well?TPE don't serve Dunbar, unlike VTEC (and XC of course)
VTEC don't serve Chester, so that's hardly good logic. And TPE price Berwick to Chester, so why not Dunbar as well?
Does anybody know the current turnaround time for responses to emailed website functionality questions?
What's the main point of eVouchers now? In the East Coast days the purchaser used to get rewards points on them, they also had no expiry date. A lot of people bought eVouchers from EC in February to effectively earn rewards points on future bookings. Now they have an expiry date and you don't earn points on them.eVoucher purchase now working again. Not without the 'Oh, Awkward' message and a half hour delay in getting them confirmed while the system sent the AmEx SecureCode approved transaction for a 'fraud review' though, of course.