Rovers and Rangers you’d like to see exist or changed

[Bletchleyite]

Is there anywhere where Merseytravel ticketing extends outside the Liverpool City Region and the operation of Merseyrail?

No, but Runcorn is in the LCR so that's a bit moot. The point was that it does extend outside the LCR and former Merseyside.

 

[route101]

Network South East Ranger. Possibly too big of an area and cost

 

[LUYMun]

Network South East Ranger. Possibly too big of an area and cost

And if sold at £3 that’ll go down a storm!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Network South East Ranger. Possibly too big of an area and cost

And if sold at £3 that’ll go down a storm!

What would a 'fair' fare be?

 

[A S Leib]

What would a 'fair' fare be?

The standard class BritRail London pass is US$153 for three days within a month, $186 for 4 and $258 for eight. The GB one (consecutive days) is $196, $243 or $353, so the southeast one is ~75% of the national one. That would mean ~£430 for a 7 day standard class south east ranger if you followed that pattern with the all line rover or maybe £220 for three days, which comes to around the same cost as three off-peak returns from Yeovil to London.

 

[JonathanH]

In principle, it would be good to see something like the East Midlands Trains 'red dot days' of the early 2010s tried again on by operators on dates when they feel they have capacity. (EMR with its long distance 5-car 222s may not be the place to do it.)

However, given a special offer like this, my sense is that almost all 'normal' passengers would simply use it as a chance to go to London if it undercut the usual London fare. The result is that special offers are often simply cheap advance fares to London instead of day rangers without control on loadings. (Ultimately this was also what sunk London Midland's Great Escape promotions as well around the same time.)

 

[Statto]

GM Wayfarer valid on the direct route Wigan North Western to Warrington Bank Quay, as the GM Wayfarer is valid at both stations, but not the direct route.

 

[MikeWM]

Ely – King's Lynn / Peterborough (Anglia Plus)

I would definitely like to see Ely-Peterborough added to *some* rover or ranger or other, currently it is rather unusual in being a line not covered by any, nor is it in the Network or Gold Card areas, and tickets are comparatively expensive for the fairly short distance. Last time I thought about this I didn't find many similar routes that fitted all of those criteria (Didcot-Swindon being the obvious other one, but that is now covered by the Great West Way Discoverer, admittedly at a price point that isn't exactly attractive).

Something for the East Anglia branches south of Ipswich would be useful for bashing.

It would indeed - I only did the Braintree and Sudbury branches *this year*, despite my relative close proximity to them, for precisely the reason that no ranger/rover covered them so they needed a (admittedly small!) bit of planning to cover. I still haven't done Southminster, one of the very few lines in England left for me to do.

A ranger for 'medium distance' Southwestern would also be good - ie. something covering outside the Travelcard boundary, but without extending all the way out to Exeter and Weymouth, probably excluding Portsmouth too, so it doesn't have to be ludicrously pricey (or replicate what is already possible on a FOSS rover). Something like the boundaries being Reading, Salisbury, Winchester, Guildford, so covering all the fiddly lines that connect those places, and also the Alton line.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Northern England day ranger encompassing anywhere north of Stoke/Burton/Derby and south of Newcastle/Carlisle. Add-on to Dumfries and/or Berwick for a small supplement. Stoke to Derby and Carlisle to Newcastle lines definitely included though.

Plus the one-day-ranger I have talked about a little of late

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd love to see the North and Mid Wales Day Ranger return, which allowed unlimited travel on the North Wales Coast, Conwy Valley, Cambrian and Marches (bounded by Shrewsbury and Chester) as well as the Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland (Caernarfon) and all buses in the area for about 25 quid (at abolition). But I suspect it wouldn't fit the FfR's "experiences" business model, and it did mean you could get a very cheap ride if you did both lines, it was cheaper than their own tickets.

 

[30907]

I'd love to see the North and Mid Wales Day Ranger return, which allowed unlimited travel on the North Wales Coast, Conwy Valley, Cambrian and Marches (bounded by Shrewsbury and Chester) as well as the Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland (Caernarfon) and all buses in the area for about 25 quid (at abolition). But I suspect it wouldn't fit the FfR's "experiences" business model, and it did mean you could get a very cheap ride if you did both lines, it was cheaper than their own tickets.

Yes, as the North Wales Rover All Zones it was exceptional value (though IIRC it was half fare on the WHR/FR) - and even without them it is still good value (£38).

On the overall topic, I can't see any chance of tickets that would only be used by enthusiastic track bashers; the goal should be flexible tickets that allow a decent day out, with a couple of 2-3 hour stops and a circular route, and enough places to visit to allow repeat custom. Throw in a few discounts at heritage places....

So maybe West Yorkshire to the Yorkshire Coast, priced the same as the existing SVR/CDR to Filey/Bridlington. (I know you can often do this with an Offpeak Day Return, but you need to know the most effective destination to choose, even more so with single leg pricing. So it's more presentation than substance, but it might sell a few extra tickets.)

 

[JonathanH]

Yes, as the North Wales Rover All Zones it was exceptional value (though IIRC it was half fare on the WHR/FR) - and even without them it is still good value (£38).

Doesn't this still exist, for £40?

North Wales Rover | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales

Offers
The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway may have offers to holders of All Zones and Zones Conwy (C) and Gwynedd (G and M), North Wales Rover tickets. Please contact them for details.

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway.


Terms and conditions
The zonal boundaries are set by the county boundaries as listed. Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbigh, Flintshire, Meirionnydd, Wrexham, Ceredigion.

The all zone ticket will allow rail travel between Machynlleth and Gobowen on the Cambrian line.

Valid on Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast services.

Discount applies to the following Railcards: 16-25, 26-30, Senior, Disabled Persons, Two-Together (per Adult).

Valid by any train within the given zones.

Purchase at any National Rail ticket office, onboard Transport for Wales services only or on participating bus services.

Price valid until 31st December 2023.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Doesn't this still exist, for £40?

North Wales Rover | Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

tfw.wales

Almost, but it's not quite such spectacular value when you have to pay for the Ffestiniog (or use a bus) to do the loop.

 

[A S Leib]

I'd like to see the ability to buy return tickets to a ranger / rover area, as otherwise it can be quite a bit more expensive if you want to enter an area by one route and leave by another (e.g. having a Birmingham – Freedom of Severn & Solent return ticket valid for Birmingham – Worcester via Kidderminster or Redditch, Birmingham – Cheltenham Spa direct, Birmingham – Oxford – Didcot – Swindon or Birmingham – Winchester – Eastleigh and back).

 

[bigfoote]

I echo the earlier suggestion to make the Southern DaySave available on the day, and as an extension to that, perhaps split it into a zonal product - West Coastway (Chichester [or Portsmouth if they can agree something with SWR] to Brighton), East Coastway (Brighton to Hastings), and suburban London to Brighton.

In addition, being able to have rovers and rangers as add-ons to point-to-point tickets, eg. I have an open return from Gatwick to Portsmouth, and an add-on FOSS 3 of 7, perhaps at a small discount of say 10% over purchasing the FOSS separately.

 

[mrcheek]

I once tried combining a Severn and Solent Rover with a Thames Valley Rover. It meant purchasing singles between Swindon and Didcot each day too, which was the most expensive part!
So i would like to see the Severn and Solent extended to Didcot!

Also , would be nice to have a more flexible option on All Line Rovers, such as 8 in 15 days. All the ones I have done so far have been 14 consecutive days. Which can be very tiring....

There was a time in the distant past where the country was simply divided into several zones, with a single rover for each zone. That meant there was no overlap, but also that every part of the country was covered by a Rover of some sort. That might cause as many problems as it solved though.

 

[Western 52]

I'd like to see some revision of time restrictions on some rovers. For example, the TfW all Wales ticket is after 0930 on weekdays, so is therefore useless for anyone at one end of the country wanting a day trip to the other end! Peaks are not so busy these days so I'm sure removing this restriction would make little difference to loadings.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I'd like to see some revision of time restrictions on some rovers. For example, the TfW all Wales ticket is after 0930 on weekdays, so is therefore useless for anyone at one end of the country wanting a day trip to the other end! Peaks are not so busy these days so I'm sure removing this restriction would make little difference to loadings.

Even if just Mondays and Fridays when commuter levels are lower.

 

[Western 52]

Even if just Mondays and Fridays when commuter levels are lower.

And in holiday periods.

 

[Farigiraf]

Reviving this thread to suggest:

• C2C Rover (not just Senior)
• Hertfordshire Ranger (ECML Potters Bar/Welwyn to Arlesey/Hitchin to Royston/Hertford Loop/WAML Cheshunt to Hertford East) OR Great Northern Daysave
• Previously mentioned Essex Ranger but divided up (to lower cost) into South Essex Rover (Shenfield-Beaulieu Park/Southminster/Southend + c2c Basildon/Tilbury-Shoeburyness), West Essex Rover (Broxbourne-Great Chesterford + Braintree branch with bus link) and North Essex Rover (Witham-Manningtree + Harwich, Braintree, Sudbury, Clacton, Walton & Colchester Town branches)
• Southwest Scotland Ranger (Gourock, Wemyss Bay, Largs, Ardrossan, Dumfries and Stranraer lines with validity from Paisley Gilmour Street/Barrhead + Local buses including Clydeflyer from Gourock to Largs via Wemyss Bay)
• Marston Vale Round Robin (Watford Junction-Bletchley-Bedford-St Albans)
• Railcard validity on Southern Daysave, Strathclyde Roundabout, Merseyrail Daysave

 

[The exile]

Having reached the magic age, a North East 55 to match the North West one.

 

[Mikey C]

When it comes to the Kent rover i would change the following...

1.) make a day rover ticket available as the cheapest one available currently is the 3 day ticket.
2.) I would change the ticket from the Kent rover to the Kent and Hastings rover ticket, so that the small section of East Sussex that Southeastern does serve can be part of the ticket.

A "Southeastern" Rover would to me be slightly more appealing, as the Kent one, not including travel to and from Kent, seems aimed more at people already there on holiday, rather than someone from e.g. London, wanting a 3 day/2 night break in Kent.

The ticket could include a single journey from any London terminus to the Kent boundary at the start, and one back at the end.

 

[Mal75756]

Have there been any new Rangers or Rovers in the past few years or are the ones we have the ones we have almost always had.

Just wondering what the chances are of new ones appearing at some stage. Asking now that i am going to be free soon and want to use some of these.

 

[MikeWM]

Have there been any new Rangers or Rovers in the past few years or are the ones we have the ones we have almost always had.

For Rovers, the only recent additions are the 3 varieties of Great West Way Discoverers, and they are so expensive I wonder if anyone at all ever buys them.

I have a feeling the Central Scotland Rover is *relatively* new, but I see reports on here going back almost 15 years of people doing one, so certainly not *that* new! Also not sure how old the Kent Rover is, but it's over 10 years since I first did one, so at least that long!

I'm less sure about Rangers, they seem to vary from time to time.

 

[Lewisham2221]

It would be nice for there to be a reduction in the number of "dead ends" on a several rangers/rovers. Obviously some are necessary by virtue of reaching the end of the line itself, but others are just irritating. Things such as a WM Day Ranger being valid to Crewe and to Shrewsbury, but not for direct travel between the two. Likewise with the Coast & Peaks Rover, valid at Tamworth, Derby and Sheffield, but the direct route between any of those stations is not permitted. Any such change would, almost certainly, come with price increases attached though, so I suppose it's a case of being careful what you wish for.

 

[Jamesrob637]

It would be nice for there to be a reduction in the number of "dead ends" on a several rangers/rovers. Obviously some are necessary by virtue of reaching the end of the line itself, but others are just irritating. Things such as a WM Day Ranger being valid to Crewe and to Shrewsbury, but not for direct travel between the two. Likewise with the Coast & Peaks Rover, valid at Tamworth, Derby and Sheffield, but the direct route between any of those stations is not permitted. Any such change would, almost certainly, come with price increases attached though, so I suppose it's a case of being careful what you wish for.

A few guards will let you travel between, say, Crewe and Shrewsbury on such a ranger. However, this is far from guaranteed.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I'd like Irish Rail to enable online purchase of their "Trekker" (4 consecutive days) and "Explorer" (5 days within a 15-day window) rover tickets.
Irish Rail's website states these tickets can only be bought from selected stations' ticket offices.

 

[gc4946]

All-Yorkshire 1 day and 3 out of 7 days flexi tickets

 

[randyrippley]

The one I'd like to see changed is the Lakes Day Ranger (which has Lancaster/Morecambe as it's southern boundary)

Lakes Day Ranger | National Rail

Special offer: Lakes Day Ranger. The portal into UK rail travel, including information on ticket purchase and promotions, train times and delays, and more.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Besides train services, it also allows travel on all Stagecoach buses within Cumbria and the 555 to Lancaster.
It would make the ticket a lot more useable and consistent if the 5 (Overton-Morecambe-Carnforth), 755 (Morecambe-Windermere) and 55 (Lancaster-Carnforth) were also included

 

[LUYMun]

For Rovers, the only recent additions are the 3 varieties of Great West Way Discoverers, and they are so expensive I wonder if anyone at all ever buys them.

And for a mere 10% discount for Railcard holders, they must be taking us for fools.