Weird split tickets

[CTSleo]

Hi. Just want to share a very weird split ticket I got from Trainpal.

I bought an open return ticket from Birmingham N St to Llandudno (May 3). The journey is split into B'ham - Shrewsbury - Shotton - Llandudno. However, there are very few trains from Llandudno as well as Llandudno Junction calling at Shotton and Shrewsbury at the same time. Most trains passing by Shotton will go to Crewe or Chester, and then I can transfer other train to B'ham, but these will not call at Shrewsbury. While trains calling at Shrewsbury from Llandudno Junction will not pass Shotton.

National rail enquiries do not support searching the journey with more than one "via". Therefore, I spent one night and try different combination to find alternative routes. There is one very late train that calls at both stations.

Wondering if a split ticket like this will make any sense...

 

[Watershed]

What is the itinerary TrainPal offered you for that combination of tickets? If it's for a journey that goes via Shrewsbury and involves a train that calls at Shotton, then the only issue is that this combination of splitting stations is quite restrictive in terms of your journey options. Annoying, perhaps, but if flexibility matters to you it's important to check the timetable at the split point(s) to see what your alternatives are.

If the itinerary doesn't meet the above requirements, it would be a case of TrainPal likely making a mistake when issuing the ticket. However you would still be entitled to travel in accordance with the itinerary, as your ticket(s) are always valid in accordance with the chosen itinerary.

 

[gray1404]

I'd suggest to travel on one of the hourly Llandudno to Chester services, which will call at Shotton. Then change for a Chester to Birmingham service, which will call at Shrewsbury. These do not run hourly throughout the day but there are periods of the day when they do, with some gaps. Check before you travel and you may only have to wait at Chester for around 30 minutes.

 

[CTSleo]

What is the itinerary TrainPal offered you for that combination of tickets? If it's for a journey that goes via Shrewsbury and involves a train that calls at Shotton, then the only issue is that this combination of splitting stations is quite restrictive in terms of your journey options. Annoying, perhaps, but if flexibility matters to you it's important to check the timetable at the split point(s) to see what your alternatives are.

If the itinerary doesn't meet the above requirements, it would be a case of TrainPal likely making a mistake when issuing the ticket. However you would still be entitled to travel in accordance with the itinerary, as your ticket(s) are always valid in accordance with the chosen itinerary.

Hi, thank you for getting back.

Trainpal does not provide an available train for the return journey. That's why I felt confused. I consulted a member of staff, and they said there is no such train...

I'd suggest to travel on one of the hourly Llandudno to Chester services, which will call at Shotton. Then change for a Chester to Birmingham service, which will call at Shrewsbury. These do not run hourly throughout the day but there are periods of the day when they do, with some gaps. Check before you travel and you may only have to wait at Chester for around 30 minutes.

Hi, this is a good suggestion.

However, I checked the timetable. The last train from LLD to Chester will be at 4 pm. If I miss that train, there will be no more direct train from Chester to Bham via Shrewsbury. That means I have to transfer at Chester and Shrewsbury (therefore 3 changes in total). Undesirable, but if I miss the 4 pm train, then I have to do that.

 

[plugwash]

IIRC trainsplit disables splitting if you use the "open return" option, and I suspect this is why, the splitting engine can generate a set of splits that work for your outbound journey, but leave you with few or no good options for the return journey.

 

[gray1404]

What time would you like to travel ideally and on what date/day of the week? Worst case scenario is you have 2 changes. One at Chester and another at Shrewsbury as opposed to just one at Chester.

 

[CTSleo]

IIRC trainsplit disables splitting if you use the "open return" option, and I suspect this is why, the splitting engine can generate a set of splits that work for your outbound journey, but leave you with few or no good options for the return journey.

Think that is the reason...

What time would you like to travel ideally and on what date/day of the week? Worst case scenario is you have 2 changes. One at Chester and another at Shrewsbury as opposed to just one at Chester.

I did plan to travel from Llandudno to Chester, and then from Chester to Shrewsbury, and finally to bham. As it is late, there would not be direct services from Chester to Bham via Shrewsbury.

But at the end, I asked the conductor at the Llandudno. They said I can just take a train from Junction to Bham...

 

[yorkie]

The people who run Trainpal don't really understand the GB railway network and the validity of the tickets in the same way many people on this forum do.

My advice in future is to use the forum's ticketing site.

If you want flexibility, but also want splits, then choose 'Return' (not open return), and flexible.

Obtain a suitable itinerary at the time you are most likely to travel, and check it's suitable; you aren't tied to that itinerary if you choose 'flexible'.

Our site allows multiple 'calling at' locations, and if you want the same journey planner, but without wanting to buy a ticket, use www.fastjp.com

 

[kieron]

However, I checked the timetable. The last train from LLD to Chester will be at 4 pm. If I miss that train, there will be no more direct train from Chester to Bham via Shrewsbury. That means I have to transfer at Chester and Shrewsbury (therefore 3 changes in total). Undesirable, but if I miss the 4 pm train, then I have to do that.

Was this on Saturday? The last itinerary to Birmingham I can see left Llandudno at 20:08 (link) with a change at Llandudno Junction onto the 20:23 to Birmingham New Street (link) to arrive at 23:30. There was a connection to the same train from the 19:42 from Llandudno to Chester (link), but there wouldn't have been much point in catching that unless you really liked 197s.

I do wonder why they offered a change at Shotton rather than Flint (which is the same price but more of the trains along the coast stop there). You didn't change trains in Shotton on the way to Llandudno, I take it?