Hi,
First-time poster here, although I've read many a thread here in the past when I've tried to Google answers to questions I've had about ticketing. This time however, I can't find an answer so I've been forced in to the murky world of public forum-posting
I soon plan on making the journey given in the post's title, which of course has a completely obvious permitted route owing to the fact there's a direct train between the two stations. However, that train service is every hour, but once every two hours there is a train from Ely to Bury, at which point doing CBGELYBSE becomes quicker than waiting for the next direct CBGBSE train. I am uncertain, however, whether or not it's a permitted route, because CBG and BSE both have a common routeing point of Cambridge, and I quote from the National Routeing Guide section F:
The emphasis there is mine: the text seems to suggest that where there is a common routeing point, then there is only one permitted route (putting aside the two stated exceptions). In other words, with a common routeing point, one has no entitlement to start considering routes that use two distinct routeing points. Also note that going via Ely does add more than three miles to the journey.
Otherwise, going via Ely would seem to be acceptable: Ely is listed as a routeing point for Bury, and an anytime day return from there to Bury is the same price as from Cambridge, so the fares check is satisfied.
Finally, we arrive at the issue of online ticket sales websites. If I search for a CBG->ELY->BSE journey on National Rail Enquiries, it tells me that two tickets are needed for that journey. But if I do the same thing on Red Spotted Hanky, it thinks it's permitted on a normal CBG->BSE ticket.
I am therefore utterly flummoxed! Can anyone shed any light on what's allowed here please?
First-time poster here, although I've read many a thread here in the past when I've tried to Google answers to questions I've had about ticketing. This time however, I can't find an answer so I've been forced in to the murky world of public forum-posting
I soon plan on making the journey given in the post's title, which of course has a completely obvious permitted route owing to the fact there's a direct train between the two stations. However, that train service is every hour, but once every two hours there is a train from Ely to Bury, at which point doing CBGELYBSE becomes quicker than waiting for the next direct CBGBSE train. I am uncertain, however, whether or not it's a permitted route, because CBG and BSE both have a common routeing point of Cambridge, and I quote from the National Routeing Guide section F:
The emphasis there is mine: the text seems to suggest that where there is a common routeing point, then there is only one permitted route (putting aside the two stated exceptions). In other words, with a common routeing point, one has no entitlement to start considering routes that use two distinct routeing points. Also note that going via Ely does add more than three miles to the journey.
Otherwise, going via Ely would seem to be acceptable: Ely is listed as a routeing point for Bury, and an anytime day return from there to Bury is the same price as from Cambridge, so the fares check is satisfied.
Finally, we arrive at the issue of online ticket sales websites. If I search for a CBG->ELY->BSE journey on National Rail Enquiries, it tells me that two tickets are needed for that journey. But if I do the same thing on Red Spotted Hanky, it thinks it's permitted on a normal CBG->BSE ticket.
I am therefore utterly flummoxed! Can anyone shed any light on what's allowed here please?
(Incidentally Bury itself used to be National Rail but is now part of Metrolink, there is also a preserved railway at Bolton St station in Bury too ).