Splitting Journeys - Carnforth to Leeds via Bentham

[LWB]

I look through this forum most days and never cease to be amazed by the complexity of railway ticketing. When I can afford it, I love to travel from my home town (Ulverston) to Leeds along the Carnforth/Bentham/Skipton line. I've long been aware that keying in Ulv-Leeds on train time sites NEVER shows the scenic route, even when it is quicker by a good hour. I've also seen that splitting results in considerably cheaper fares. Could you advise me on the following;
1. Do they really do this in an attempt to drive down passenger numbers and thus marginalise the line?
2. Where is the best station (price wise) on the whole Ulv-Lds jouney to split the fare?
3. What cheap tickets/ rail cards etc are available to a non student/ non OAP who doesn't live along the line.

Many Thanks

 

[SickyNicky]

1. Do they really do this in an attempt to drive down passenger numbers and thus marginalise the line?

Well - take the 12:29 from Ulverston. If you change at Carnforth it gets into Leeds at 15:47. If you change and Lancaster and Manchester it gets in at 15:36. So booking engines won't offer the slower journey.

On the other hand, EastCoast offers a journey at 06.39 via Bentham, since it's the quickest at that time. Same with the 13.49 return journey.

(most) Booking engines will always choose the fastest journey unless you override it.

2. Where is the best station (price wise) on the whole Ulv-Lds jouney to split the fare?

ULVERSTON to ARNSIDE
ANYTIME DAY R
Fare £5.80
Route ANY PERMITTED

ARNSIDE to LEEDS
ANYTIME DAY R
Fare £21.20
Route VIA SKIPTON

3. What cheap tickets/ rail cards etc are available to a non student/ non OAP who doesn't live along the line.

The Freedom of the North West ticket is worth looking at if you're making a few journeys - you get loads of track miles to choose from. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/pr0a8889c35ce74100b70b85ba4af335/details.html

 

[cuccir]

1. Do they really do this in an attempt to drive down passenger numbers and thus marginalise the line?

I regularly travel from the North-East to Barrow. The main reason you don't see this line suggested very much is the lack of trains along it: although it's the quickest way from North-East/Yorkshire to Furness, there's only four trains a day along that line so it's often not practical.

In a fantasy rail world, I'd love to see a couple of through trains from Barrow to Leeds along this line, particularly if we lose more of the Manchester trains - it would open up rail travel from Furness to the east a lot more!

You can join the Friends of Settle-Carlisle line for £10 and then buy a Dales Railcard for £12. This would get you 1/3 off a Carnforth-Leeds ticket, so you'd save if you did this journey three times over 12 months and split your tickets at Carnforth.

Full details: Here

 

[maniacmartin]

The Dales Railcard has restrictions on who can purchase it, based on where you live - see the top left of PDF page 2 from cuccir's post.

 

[philjo]

As cuccir says, if you are a member of the friends of the Settle & carlislie line, then you are eligible to purchase the friends version of the railcard, irrespective of where you live. You just need to order it via FOSCL & allow 2 weeks for delivery.

http://www.foscl.org.uk/membership