Preston to Acton Bridge, what route(s) are valid?

[Peter0124]

Is it valid to do Preston - Liverpool Lime Street - Acton Bridge? Or is it only allowed via Crewe

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is it valid to do Preston - Liverpool Lime Street - Acton Bridge? Or is it only allowed via Crewe

Possibly only valid change with a change at / double back via Crewe, rather than at Liverpool Lime Street. Off Peak Single fare = £25.10. Perhaps one of the forum's fare experts can confirm?

Don't think any service trains ever call at Warrington Bank Quay, then Acton Bridge (next stop) hence the double back needed.

 

[plugwash]

According to the routing point calculator, valid destination routing points are Crewe, Runcorn or Warrington Bank Quay.

Unfortunately, while there is a direct line from Warrington Bank Quay to Acton bridge, I think all the trains on said line run non-stop to crewe so our options are via Crewe or via Runcorn.

For preston to runcorn it looks like we can use either map CP or map JK+LC

Map CP, seems to allow travel via Ormskirk and Liverpool
Maps JK+LC seems to be for travel to Runcorn Via Crewe, so not useful to us.

Unfortunately neither map combination seems to allow travel via Wigan and Liverpool.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Map CP, seems to allow travel via Ormskirk and Liverpool

Travelling via Ormskirk seems to then allow (on the National Rail journey planner) the through £25.10 Off Peak Day Single fare to also be offered. Somewhat longer overall journey time, though, with a suggested interchange for the final leg to Acton Bridge at Liverpool South Parkway, rather than at Liverpool Lime Street.

 

[plugwash]

with a suggested interchange for the final leg to Acton Bridge at Liverpool South Parkway, rather than at Liverpool Lime Street.

The routing map suggests that both the Northern line route and the mainline route from Liverpool Group to Hunts Cross group (which includes south parkway) are valid.

I presume the planner is suggesting changing at south parkway because it is counted as a single station (even though the walk between the merseyrail side and the rest of the station is quite long), while changing in central Liverpool would count as two changes (either changing to the Northern line at Moorfields, or walking from Central)

 

[Peter0124]

Im surprised it doesn't allow Wigan-Liverpool.

Are there any variations of tickets that would make it valid via both? Would Wigan-Acton Bridge be any better? Or Glasgow-Acton Bridge?

 

[JBuchananGB]

If the question is about Preston to Liverpool to Acton Bridge on a through ticket, the answer seems to be no. But journey planners, including the ticketing section of the forum web site will sell you split tickets, splitting at Liverpool for the route.

 

[plugwash]

Would Wigan-Acton Bridge be any better?

Wigan to Acton bridge again gives runcorn, crewe and Warrington bank quay as destination routing points, runcorn being the one we are interested in.

Wigan to Runcorn allows CL+HV+CV or GV

GV allows travel via either Kirkby or St helens and then Liverpool.

CL+HV+CV allows travel via Warrington and then Hunts cross group.

So yes, it seems splitting at Wigan would allow you to travel via either Crewe or Liverpool with two caveats.

1. Your train must stop at Wigan (unless this is a season ticket).
2. It appears not to be valid via Newton-le-willows, most trains between liverpool and Wigan run via St helens but there is one train per day in each direction that runs via Newton-le-willows.