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RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Section 3 - Routeing

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Oscar

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3.1 Introduction to routeing

A particular feature of the national railway network in Britain is that for many journeys, mostly over medium and longer distances, the passenger has a choice of routes over which their ticket is valid.

The Routeing Guide states that "Most customers wish to make journeys by through trains or by the shortest route" however in some cases passengers may wish to take the fastest route, while in others passengers wish to go via a particular place for a variety of reasons, in which case this section may be helpful to determine if the desired route is permitted.

Determining the shortest route or identifying a direct train is not as simple as it may seem, and furthermore many tickets additionally permit travel via 'mapped routes' permitted in the National Routeing Guide. All these types of routeing options are described in this section.

If one of the booking engines will sell you a ticket for the route you wish to use, or for a straightforward journey, such as Plymouth to Exeter, only one route exists, you may skip this section.

3.1.1 Definition
The route you may take for any given journey is defined by the National Rail Conditions of Carriage (NRCoT):

NRCoT said:
13.1 Your Ticket may show that it is valid only on certain train services, such as those of a particular Train Company, or on trains travelling via a certain route or routes. If no specific route or Train Company is shown, then (subject to any time restrictions for the type of fare you have purchased) it will be valid on:
13.1.1 any direct train service between the station(s) shown on your Ticket;
13.1.2 by any services (including any change of trains) over the shortest route
which can be used by scheduled passenger services between the stations
shown on your Ticket;
13.1.3 any other routes as shown in the ‘National Routeing Guide'
3.1.2 Route on ticket
Many tickets have restrictions on which routes you may or may not use. These are always printed on bottom of the ticket under "Route".

If the route is ANY PERMITTED (or unrouted) you may take any route permitted by the NRCoT or the routeing guide.

Some tickets are routed DIRECT. The meaning of this is undefined. However, one interpretation is that the only permitted routes are those taken by through trains or following the shortest route rule (i.e. not the 'mapped' routes shown within the routeing guide)

Where the route is VIA a station(s) your journey must pass through this station although the train doesn't need to stop there. Where multiple stations are separated with a hyphen, you must pass through all of them. Where they are separated by a slash, you need only pass through one of them. In addition, see Tickets routed via stations that are not on a permitted route.

If the route is NOT VIA one or more stations, you may take any train that does not call or pass there, but you must follow a permitted route.

Should you wish to travel on a permitted route that your ticket does not allow, you may be entitled to excess it to allow you to travel on your preferred route.
3.1.3 When to consult the Routeing Guide
If your route fulfils the through trains or shortest route rules, you do not need to use the National Routeing Guide. To determine if any additional routes are permitted, you must refer to the National Routeing Guide, as for many tickets there are numerous routes shown in the National Routeing Guide, and additionally routes permitted by easements or by the group station rule.
 
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ainsworth74

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3.2 Through Trains

When you purchase a rail ticket it can be valid for a number of different routes to get from the origin on the ticket to the destination. One of those permitted routes is determined by travelling on a through train. This is outlined by Condition 13 of the NRCoT:

NRCoT said:
... it will be valid on:

(a)any direct train service between the station(s) shown on your Ticket...

A through train is also explicitly defined in the Routeing Guide Instructions:

Routeing Guide Instructions said:
A through train is advertised in the passenger railway timetable as a direct service which offers travel between a customer’s origin station and final destination, as printed on the ticket for the journey being made. This route may not be a permitted route if a change of train is necessary to complete the journey.

The above pieces of information mean that a through train is always considered a permitted route with no need to consult any part of the Routeing Guide.

It should be noted that the through trains rule applies specifically to when you travel on a direct train calling at both the origin and the destination printed on the ticket, providing you do not alight or join at any intermediate station.

For the through train rule to be applicable, a train must be advertised as such, for example in one (or more) of the following ways:
  • A train that is shown in the National Rail Timetable (NRT) or on National Rail Enquiries (NRE) as a through train requiring no changes;
  • A train that has on board notices that list both origin and destination stations as calling points on that train;
  • Station announcements or customer information screens show both stations as being calling points
 
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yorkie

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3.3 Shortest route

3.3.1 Your right to take the shortest route
The NRCoT states that, along with the other routeing options described in this section, you may travel:

NRCoC said:
13.1.2 by any services (including any change of trains) over the shortest route which can be used by scheduled passenger services between the stations shown on your Ticket;

This means the shortest route is always defined as being valid, with no requirement to consult the Routeing Guide.

Therefore, a negative easement listed in the Routeing Guide cannot prohibit use of a route using the shortest route rule.
3.3.2 Routes shorter than the shortest route
Note that in some cases the 'shortest route' is via a circuitous route, however if there is an itinerary that is possible by a more direct route due to engineering works, a special service, or by including a walk between stations, this would be valid under the concept of being 'shorter than the shortest route'.

For example, the 'shortest route' from Skipton to Halifax is via Leeds, at just under 44 miles. Travel via Bradford Stations, at 26 miles, is 'shorter than the shortest route'.
3.3.3 Calculating the shortest route
According to the public routeing guide instructions, the mileages in the National Rail Timetable (NRT) should be used. Mileages appear in the station column at the beginning of each major table, except table 51. To arrive at the throughout distance for travel between every station by any route, add mileages together for the component parts of the journey by referring to the relevant timetables.

However, calculating mileages in this way is problematic; the mileages shown in the NRT are not free from errors and are rounded up or down to the nearest quarter mile.

Furthermore, all retail systems are required to use the electronic mileage data provided by Rail Delivery Group, which can give very different results to the NRT mileage data.
3.3.4 Shortest route in detail
There is some controversy surrounding how 'regular', or frequent a train has to be, for the route taken to form the shortest route. ATOC have stated their opinion that a service only need operate once a week to count. However this is not documented anywhere in the public domain.

Additionally, there is some controversy and confusion surrounding the calculations for routes taken by services that operate in one direction only. ATOC have stated their opinion that the shortest route can be different in alternative directions, however the electronic mileage data used by retail system has no concept of direction.
3.3.5 Routes no more than 3 miles longer than the shortest route
The Routeing Guide in Detail further extends the definition of the shortest route to include any rule up to 3 miles longer; furthermore this requirement is also made clear in the electronic routeing guide referenced by all retail systems.

Routeing Guide said:
Journeys ...taking the route of shortest distance or a distance longer by no more than 3 miles are always following a permitted route.
3.3.6 Booking engines
Due to the inaccuracy and incompleteness of the NRT mileage data described above, all booking engines use a electronic data source and do not use the NRT mileages).

This can cause inconsistencies, for example:
  • The shortest route shown in the NRT may be deemed not valid;
  • Routes that would otherwise not be permitted may be deemed valid.
In some cases, booking engines have the shortest route defined as a route where there are no scheduled services, such as (at the time of writing) Stoke to Rugeley Trent Valley (avoiding Stafford). Where this occurs, easements may need to be introduced to ensure the shortest route is permitted.

Booking engines use decimalised data (to the nearest chain), this data is more accurate than the NRT figures, which are rounded to quarter miles. These differences in calculations introduce a risk that booking engines will deem a route too long for the 3 mile rule, despite being within 3 miles according to the NRT data.

Therefore, some booking engines allow an additional margin, in excess of 3 miles longer than the shortest route.
3.3.7 Station group tickets & shortest route issues
In some cases tickets are issued from groups of stations, rather than specific stations, for example Bradford Yk Stns to Southend Stns. The shortest route should be calculated from the station you are actually travelling from, however in some cases the routeing on tickets may prevent this.​
 
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yorkie

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3.4 Routes shown in the National Routeing Guide

It is advised that you refer to 3.14 Routes validated by National Rail journey planner in conjunction with this section.

3.4.1 Your right to take mapped routes
In addition to the methods described in 3.2 and 3.3 for determining permitted routes, you can also consult the Routeing Guide to determine permitted routes known as 'mapped routes'. The right to use the routes shown in the Routeing Guide is detailed in the National Rail Conditions of Travel:

NRCoC said:
13.1.3. The route you are entitled to take
(iii)any other routes as shown in the ‘National Routeing Guide’.

The Routeing Guide was approved by the Rail Regulator in 1997 and the current version is available on the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) website. Train companies can request changes to be made, often to restrict routes after discovery of an anomaly, but all changes should, by law, be approved by the Regulator.
3.4.2 Determining appropriate Routeing Points
The Routeing Guide contains many maps showing mapped routes between stations.

Because of the vast number of stations in the network, it is not possible to provide an individual map for every possible origin & destination. Instead, each individual station is either designated as Routeing Point (RP) in its own right, or is associated with one or more RPs.

Some RPs consist of two or more stations. These RPs are known as Routeing Point Groups.

Certain tickets are issued to a station group, for example Canterbury Stations, which consists of Canterbury East and Canterbury West. Station groups should not be confused with Routeing Point Groups; while in many cases Station groups have matching Routeing Point Groups, such as Falkirk Stations and Falkirk Group, in others, station group members may have different routeing points associated with each.

Determining the appropriate Routeing Points (RPs) for a given ticket is a two step process.

The first step is to determine the appropriate RPs for your origin. You do this by using the Routeing Point Identifier (Section B) to find the RPs relating to the origin station. If your origin is a RP itself, you do not need to take any further steps.

The second step is to repeat the process above with your destination.

If both origin & destination have any RP in common, then there are no mapped routes valid using this ticket - see 3.4.3 Where the origin and destination have a common Routeing Point for more details.

If there is no common RP, then if either the origin or destination of the ticket are not Routeing Points, you must complete a fares check, see 3.4.4 Fare-check rule.

If both the origin and destination are routeing points, then you can skip the fares check, and proceed to 3.4.5 Identifying map combinations.
3.4.3 Where the origin and destination have any Routeing Point in common
In this case there are no mapped routes, however you may take:
  • A train from the origin that calls at the common Routeing Point, and then change for a train to your destination.

    Where it is possible to interchange short of the common Routeing Point, doubling back is not permitted; in these cases it is necessary to change short of the common Routeing Point.

    In certain cases there are multiple common Routeing Points. In this case, only the shortest such journey would be valid.
The following remain valid:
  • A through train from origin to destination as described in 3.2 Through Trains
  • The shortest route or any route no more than 3 miles longer than the shortest route as described in 3.3 The Shortest route
More information and examples are provided in The National Routeing Guide in Detail
3.4.4 Fare check rule
If your origin and destination are both Routeing Points (RPs), the fares check is not applicable and you should skip to 3.4.5 Identifying map combinations.

If, however, either origin or destination, or both, are not RPs, you need to carry out a fares check to determine the appropriate Routeing Point(s) for your origin and destination stations.

The procedure for carrying out a fares check is to compare the fares as they were at 'NFM64' in 1996, as follows:
  • Find the single fare(s) from the origin station to the destination station
  • If the origin station is not a Routeing Point, find the single fare(s) from each Routeing Point associated with the origin station to the destination station
  • If the destination station is not a Routeing Point, find the single fare(s) from the origin station to each routeing point associated with the destination station
You can use RDG's 'Routeing Point Calculator' tool to make these comparisons, however the results of this tool may not be consistent with the results of comparisons made by booking sites.
Routeing Points are valid if the single fare associated with that Routeing Point is the same or lower as the single fare of the same type (see list of single fare types below) for the through journey.

Where the associated Routeing Point is a Routeing Point Group, the comparison is made to the first station encountered in that group.

You may compare tickets of any of the following types with another ticket of the same type:
  • Anytime Single (SOS)
  • Anytime Day Single (SDS)
  • Off Peak Single (SVS)
  • Off Peak Day Single (CDS)
Occasionally, there will not be any fares of the same type. In these cases, the SDS and SOS should be compared.

For some routes, one ticket type, e.g., SDS, might fail the fares check, but another ticket type, e.g., CDS, passes. If this is the case, the Routeing Point is valid, regardless of the actual ticket type you purchase.

The fares are compared using the September 1996 (NFM64) data therefore any route permitted at that time is considered to have 'protected route status', as confirmed by ATOC in correspondence regarding a journey from Southport to Manchester, for which Liverpool remains an appropriate RP for Southport due to the fares check being satisfied at that time.
3.4.5 Identifying map combinations
Having identified one or more pairs of origin and destination Routeing Points, Permitted Route Identifier (Section C) shows the mapped routes between each.

Locate the origin Routeing Point in Column A and the destination Routeing Point in Column B in order to obtain the permitted map combination. For the return journey (if any), the combinations will be identical, except that where there are routes split across multiple maps, these will be reversed for the return.

You are then ready to trace the routes on the Maps in Section D.

In some cases, a route option will be shown as 'LONDON' instead of a map combination. If this applies, see 3.4.7 Where the route code is LONDON
3.4.6 Tracing routes on the maps
If a single map is shown, you may travel by any route on that map from the origin RP to the destination RP without doubling back.

Where a routeing specifies a combination of maps to be used e.g ER+PN+BD, you should trace a route as follows:

  • Start with the first map at the origin Routeing Point, and trace a route from there to a point that appears on the next map.
  • Depending on the number of maps, trace a route from the point you reached, to a point on the next map
  • On the final map, trace a route to the destination Routeing Point.
  • You must use all maps.
  • Maps must be used in strict sequence, first to last
  • Once route tracing has left a map it cannot return to it.
  • You must transfer from map to map only where the maps touch. In most cases this will be at a station or Routeing Point marked on both maps, but it is not essential - where the same stretch of rail appears on both maps, you are free to switch from one map to the next at this point.
  • Journeys may not normally double back (For exceptions, see Group station rule and easements)
In cases where either the origin or destination of your ticket are not routeing points, the routes traced above will be routes between the routeing points, rather than your actual origin and destination. Where your origin lies on the traced route, your ticket is only valid from the origin, not the Routeing Point. Likewise, where the destination lies on the traced route, your ticket is only valid to the destination, and not beyond it to the associated Routeing Point.

Where your origin is beyond the traced route, the permitted route also consists of a journey from the origin to the origin Routeing Point.

Likewise, where your destination is beyond the traced route, the permitted route also consists of a journey from the destination Routeing Point to the destination.

3.4.7 Where the route code is LONDON
If Permitted Route Identifier (Section C) lists the map combination as 'LONDON', this consists of the map combinations from the origin RP to London, followed by a cross-London transfer, and then the map combinations from London to the destination.

For example, Barking to Norwich has the map combinations LONDON and TS+EA.

Looking up Barking to London, the map is TS, and for London - Norwich the maps are CN+WA, EA.

Therefore the permitted routes from Barking to Norwich are:
  • TS+Cross-London+CN+WA
  • TS+Cross-London+EA
  • TS+EA
Any route you take must also adhere to any route restriction printed on the ticket.

For example the route restriction may be routed via London (ie, you must go via a London Group station) or not via London (ie, you must not go via a London Group station), though where a choice of route restrictions is available, an excess can be obtained to use an alternative route.

The more expensive ticket is also valid via lower priced routes, however it is advisable to obtain a zero-fare excess in cases where it is cheaper to go via London, otherwise you may encounter difficulty crossing London.​
 
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yorkie

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3.5 Doubling back

Doubling back is defined as passing through the same station more than once on a single leg of a journey.

There is no blanket prohibition on doubling back defined within the NRCoT, and therefore on some occasions it may well be the case that when travelling on a permitted route by either travelling on a through train or taking the the shortest route, doubling back occurs.

However mapped routes described in the Routeing Guide explicitly prohibit doubling back within the maps, except where permitted by an easement or by the group station rule.

Another scenario where doubling back is explicitly prohibited, is in the case of common routeing points, except where permitted by an easement or within a station group.
 
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yorkie

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3.6 Tickets routed via stations

Tickets may be routed via a particular station (or station group), such as "via: High Wycombe"

Where this applies, travel must be via this location, with the exception that any fare that is specifically routed remains valid by any of the routes permitted by lower priced fares of the same ticket type.

In addition to the permitted routes which involve travel via this location, permitted routes also include all permitted routes from the origin to the via point, and from via point to the destination. This was confirmed by ATOC when a customer enquired about a Sheffield to Blackburn ticket routed via Burnley.

ATOC said:
The Routeing Guide lists the permitted routes for a particular flow. The actual routes that the customer can use, is sometimes limited by the route shown on the ticket, which may stipulate that the journey must go via a particular location. In some cases however, the opposite applies and the particular “via” location is outside the range of the usual permitted routes and travel via that location would not normally have been permitted. But because a flow specifically routed via that location has been priced by the Train Company , travel is permitted via that location. It appears that this is the case for Sheffield – Blackburn, via Burnley.

In this instance you are correct and you should look up the permitted routes for Sheffield-Burnley and Burnley-Blackburn.

Also, occasionally, tickets may be routed via more than one station, e.g. "via Warminster-Salisbury", in which case the above principle applies to all stations named in the restriction.

(refer to double-back section)

3.6.1 Tickets routed via TOCs

(Section to add)
 
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3.7 Group stations

Some stations are grouped together as a common origin/destination, for example a ticket from Wakefield to London would not be issued from & to the specific stations but instead the groups, namely Wakefield Stns to London Terminals.

Note that Group Stations for origin & destination purposes are not to be confused with routeing group stations, although in some cases the members of each group may be the same.

It is generally accepted that a ticket routed via, or not via, a group refers to the Group Stations used for origin/destination purposes, for example a Blake Street to Walsall ticket routed "Not via Birmingham" is valid via Aston, but not Birmingham New Street, as although Aston is a member of the Birmingham routeing group, it is not a member of the Birmingham Stns group.

Please see the attached PDF document reproduced from The Manual, with permission from ATOC.
 

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yorkie

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3.8 Inter-available origins & destinations

In some cases, tickets with a particular origin/destination may additionally be used at an alternative nearby station on another line, which would otherwise not be permitted. In some cases this inter-availability only extends to particular ticket types (e.g. Season tickets).

For example, a ticket from London to Fishguard could be used to travel to Pembroke Dock or Milford Haven.

Also see local easements.

Please see the attached PDF document reproduced from The Manual, with permission from ATOC.
 

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3.9 Routes permitted by easements

Easements (Section E) may permit journeys which the Routeing Guide may otherwise forbid and must be consulted after the rest of the guide. Easements are updated regularly.

The definition is as follows:
National Routeing Guide said:
Easements are relaxations of Routeing Guide rules to allow journeys that strict adherence to the rules would forbid. Some previously published easements are no longer exceptions to Routeing Guide rules and have therefore been deleted as unnecessary.

Local easements

Local easements, notably those in Scotland, may also permit a route which would otherwise not be permitted. Sometimes they also allow tickets to be used on a parallel line which does not lead to the origin/destination and are intended to give passengers extra flexibility. The ScotRail local easements are not published by Scotrail but are available as an attachment to this post. Not all staff will be aware of these.
 

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3.10 Routes prohibited by negative easements

The easements section of the National Routeing Guide appears to prohibit certain routes from being valid that would otherwise be defined as valid in the National Routeing Guide.

However the Routeing Guide contents page describes the easement section as "A list of easements, where Routeing Guide rules have been relaxed for certain routes" which some people believe does not offer any facility for negative easements to prohibit routes that are defined as valid in the Routeing Guide.

Negative easements cannot prevent direct trains or the shortest route from being valid as the validity of these is defined in the NRCoC. According to NRCoC Article 13 the Routeing Guide - in which Easements (Section E) can be found - needs only be consulted when the route concerned is not permitted by a direct train or as the shortest route.
 
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3.11 Engineering work

On occasions due to short notice engineering work and disruption, services may be diverted from their normal routes or customers asked to use alternative routes. In these circumstances operators are required to make special provision to allow extra permitted routes. They should advise other operators and retailers of the extra provisions made to convey customers by routes other than those which are normally permitted. This provision should also apply to connecting services which are not directly affected.

Unfortunately in some cases provision is not made, and this can lead to booking sites not offering itineraries for some journeys during times of engineering work. In these cases it is best to contact the relevant Train Company and seek advice. It may be necessary to book through telesales or at a station rather than online.

Any through train diverted from its usual route will count as a permitted route between the stations it is normally scheduled to call at. This does not apply to additional stops on the diversionary route, unless specially advised or they are on the permitted route for the journey being made. For example, a York to Edinburgh service diverted via Newcastle and Carlisle, would be considered to be taking a permitted route. Therefore, a passenger holding a Preston to Edinburgh ticket would be valid on this train, as York is on a permitted route and the route taken by this train counts as a permitted route.

Tickets routed via specific stations that are on the route a train would normally take, remain valid.

Tickets routed via specific stations that are on the diverted route, additionally become valid, on the diverted trains.
 

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3.12 Routeing Group Station rule

When using mapped routes, doubling back is not usually permitted, however for some journeys it is either necessary or desirable to do so, and in many of these cases the Group station rule makes it possible.

The Routeing Guide defines Group Stations as follows:-
Routeing Guide said:
GROUP STATIONS

The stations listed at the bottom of this page are grouped together to improve interchange between trains by offering customers access to a wider choice of train services and station facilities.

A customer may travel via any station in a group, including doubling back, provided that the group is on one of the permitted routes between their origin and destination stations.

This extended availability is for interchange purposes only and does not apply where the origin or destination stations are part of a group.
A list of Group Stations is available as a PDF download on the ATOC website.

For example, Leeds Group consists of:

  • Leeds
  • Cross Gates
  • Garforth
  • East Garforth
  • Micklefield
This means that a ticket from Hull to York may be used for a journey that involves doubling-back within Leeds Group, ie doubling back through the stations listed above.

However a ticket from Hull to Micklefield may not, as the destination Micklefield, is a member of Leeds Group.

Note that this rule is for "interchange purposes only" and is therefore intended not to allow a break of journey at the interchange station. However this is not made clear, and in any case customers may use station facilities.
 

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3.13 Other rules affecting routeing

In some cases the rules to determine permitted routes may not be entirely clear, for example in the case of a ticket from Swindon to Belfast, routed 'Cairnryan Stena'. A logical interpretation could be to take any permitted route to the railway interchange station, Ayr.

When crossing London, it is worth remembering that London Underground accept tickets on the basis that it is a 'reasonable route', for more information see 'Crossing London'.

Oyster PAYG journeys are based on a 'Zonal' pricing system, for more information see Oyster

 
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John @ home

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3.14 Tickets that booking sites won't sell

Booking engines are typically designed to sell tickets on a 'point to point' basis, therefore many of tickets described in Excesses, Upgrades & Supplements, Multi-Journey Tickets and Integrated fares will not be available from booking sites. See the relevant section for details of availability.

In some cases the rules to determine permitted routes at the time the customer wishes to travel may cause the electronic booking engines not to offer any tickets. For example, West Horndon to Witham on a Sunday. A logical interpretation would be that the passenger is entitled to travel via Southend, but the ticket would need to be purchased from a ticket office/machine.
 
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3.15 Routes permitted by booking engines

Sometimes booking engines will issue tickets via routes that are not permitted by any of the routes detailed above.

The National Rail website was recently updated to clarify the following position:-

When you book your journey online, any ticket offered in connection with the timetable or itinerary produced by the journey planner will be accepted as a permitted route
This has also been confirmed by ATOC in correspondence as follows:-

ATOC Customer Relations said:
Whilst all tickets offered by booking engines for journeys should be valid for the journeys selected, there might be rare occasions when software issues lead to a ticket being offered that is not technically “valid” for the journey in question. However, in such circumstances, if a ticket purchased through an authorised site is accompanied by a valid itinerary (which shows both the journey being made and the fare quoted for that itinerary matching the ticket held) then the purchaser should be able to use the ticket for that journey.

If a customer wishes to travel via a route offered by a booking engine that may not be a permitted route, then if the ticket is bought, and the itinerary provided in the booking confirmation is carried, and presented if requested, then that should be accepted.

In some cases, where the route looks "unreasonable" , you may not get a hassle-free journey and the ticket may be withdrawn, in which case a replacement should be issued to allow the passenger to complete their journey (see Disputes).
 

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3.16 Routes validated by National Rail journey planner

The Routeing Guide instructions were updated in October 2013 to state the following

ATOC said:
“Please note, however, that to be valid, any journey not undertaken on a through train or the shortest route MUST be checked using the Journey Planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk, inputting the relevant interchange and via points.”
However it is questionable whether the above statement forms a requirement, or if it is merely a recommendation as it is contradicted by the front page of the Routeing Guide which states:

ATOC said:
This Guide shows the full range of permitted routes available for use with tickets on the National Rail network. If you are planning a journey we would strongly advise you to make use of the Journey Planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Additionally, the National Rail website states:-
National Rail Enquiries said:
... we would therefore encourage you to check any intended route using our Journey Planner to validate that it can be used with your ticket.
There is further evidence that there should be no such requirement from Passenger Focus, who ATOC are legally required to consult:
Passenger Focus said:
We were not consulted about the need for this cross reference
requirement. We now intend to challenge its introduction
 

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