'Via' added to Route information on tickets

[Dewedin]

Just bought a Leeds-Croy Anytime Return and the route printed on the ticket is 'Via Appleby' which simply used to be route Appleby.

Anyone else noticed any similar changes?

 

[John @ home]

Anyone else noticed any similar changes?

Yes. I think the wording was changed in September 2011 to improve clarity. Most geographical routes now include via, as you have spotted. Restrictive routeings are also clearer, for example route Not London has become Not Via London.

I suspect the reason for the change may be to counter those who claimed route Any Permitted meant it was permitted for the passenger to choose to travel via any route!

 

[island]

VIA didn't show up on all routes, only where there was room. LDN NOT GATWKEXP still exists, for example.

 

[table38]

I've noticed this recently on the PIS at Stalybridge... maybe it's part of the same initiative?

I suppose "Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Piccadilly" or "Scarborough via Leeds" conveys some useful additional information, but they also say "Huddersfield via Mossley" - so not the "long way round via Todmorden" then

 

[AlterEgo]

Someone recently posted a picture of a portable Avantix machine, which has no room to display "NOT VIA" routes in full! All you could see was "NOT VIA..." several times down the screen, so some guesswork was required to sell the right ticket!

 

[northwichcat]

Fares from the Mid Cheshire line to Metrolink City via Sale now say 'Route: via Altrincham' instead of 'Route: Altrincham' - no real clarity there as the train to Manchester also goes via Altrincham.

 

[thedbdiboy]

The change was made within the existing constraint that the description has to be limited to 15 characters including spaces. As suggested above, that is why it can't be used on all route descriptions.

A much more far reaching program of work is in place to expand the character field so that the route information can show something meaningful in all cases (including less easy to explain routes such as 'Not High Speed'). It is hoped that at least some of this will roll out in 2012.

Part of the process is trying to get all the different TIS (= Ticket Issuing System) manufacturers to accomodate the changes (i.e. to get Atos Avantix to provide a better display!).