TPE rolling out extended booking horizons

[Merseysider]

TPE are now offering Advance fares 6 months in advance on their own website, in line with VTWC and VTEC.

All routes are included, except the following station pairs:

Liverpool Lime Street - Edinburgh/Glasgow via Manchester not available except from Liverpool South Parkway

Bolton - Anywhere

Widnes - Anywhere
Warrington Central - Anywhere
Birchwood - Anywhere
Irlam - Anywhere
Stalybridge - Anywhere

Cross Gates - Anywhere
Garforth - Anywhere

Chinley - Anywhere
Meadowhall/Doncaster - Scottish routes

Mauldeth Road - Anywhere
Burnage - Anywhere
East Didsbury - Anywhere
Gatley - Anywhere
Heald Green - Anywhere

I imagine these are oversights and will hopefully be added soon . Another oddity is that the search won't always work from MAN/MCO/MCV specifically - 'Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria, Oxford Road or Deansgate' needs to be selected.

Also notable is that the price on the Liverpool - Newcastle 'fasts' seems to have shot up - minimum £25-£35 before weekday lunchtime arrivals. In comparison, fares were roughly half that over the winter/spring.

The following warning appears:

Extended Period Bookings You have chosen to make a booking with a travel date outside of the normal booking period.
The time of your chosen train cannot be guaranteed and may be subjected to change.
You will be notified if this occurs.

I don't think it'll be long before all long-distance operators switch to 6 month booking.

 

[janb]

Scottish TPE services have been on a 24 week schedule since the 31st October.

 

[Merseysider]

Scottish TPE services have been on a 24 week schedule since the 31st October.

Yes. It's odd that the issue of unavailability from certain stations still prevails.

 

[woody505]

TransPennine Express customers can now plan and book train travel across the North and into Scotland almost six months in advance, making it easy to plan a fun trip to look forward to.

This development will provide customers with an extra three months to buy the cheapest fares, making family adventures and fun-filled trips easier to plan and more affordable.

Extended bookings can be made across all TPE routes, which includes destinations such as; Newcastle, York, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow