Derbyshire Wayfarer - as well as other Rangers and Rovers.

[paulpirnus]

Hi All.

I have recently discovered these rovers and now I am obsessed in how best to utilise them in order to get the most out of UK train travel.

My most recent question, I was wandering if it is possible to purchase a Wayfarer (or ranger) but specifically a Derbyshire Wayfarer, from a station not inside the wayfarer availability? For example can i purchase a Derbyshire Wayfarer from Manchester Piccadilly ticket office and just start using it from New Mills (the closest station where the wayfarer is valid from)?

Cheers, all

Paul

 

[Killingworth]

Your Manchester Wayfarer is very good value and will get you as far s Buxton, Glossop or Grindleford by rail, see; https://tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/wayfarer-adult

The Derbyshire Wayfarer is valid from New Mills on trains and buses but you can't buy it in Manchester, see; https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/trans...the-derbyshire-wayfarer-day-rover-ticket.aspx

and descriptive leaflet; https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/site-...lic-transport/derbyshire-wayfarer-leaflet.pdf

 

[Watershed]

Hi All.

I have recently discovered these rovers and now I am obsessed in how best to utilise them in order to get the most out of UK train travel.

My most recent question, I was wandering if it is possible to purchase a Wayfarer (or ranger) but specifically a Derbyshire Wayfarer, from a station not inside the wayfarer availability? For example can i purchase a Derbyshire Wayfarer from Manchester Piccadilly ticket office and just start using it from New Mills (the closest station where the wayfarer is valid from)?

Cheers, all

Paul

It's possible from a technical perspective. But that does not guarantee that ticket office staff will be willing or trained in how to do it. For instance, we've heard plenty of reports of Sheffield ticket office refusing to sell Derbyshire Wayfarers.

From what @northernman has posted on another thread, you will in any event soon have the ability to buy all rangers and rovers from northern ticket machines. There are a couple of these dotted around Piccadilly station, so you'll at least be able to buy the Wayfarer from there, even if not from the ticket office.

Remember that you can undertake a non-stop split when you combine a Wayfarer with another ticket - e.g. you can use it with a Manchester-Chinley return on the TPE and EMR services that run non-stop between Sheffield and Stockport.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

For instance, we've heard plenty of reports of Sheffield ticket office refusing to sell Derbyshire Wayfarers.

Really? Aren't Derbyshire Wayfarers (unlike their Greater Manchester equivalent) valid for certain rail journeys to/from/via Sheffield?

 

[_toommm_]

Really? Aren't Derbyshire Wayfarers (unlike their Greater Manchester equivalent) valid for certain rail journeys to/from/via Sheffield?

They are. Sheffield ticket office are notoriously bad at issuing any even remotely left-field tickets.

 

[Hadders]

Sheffield ticket office 'has form' for making up their own rules and not selling tickets they should do.

 

[VideozVideoz]

And you could buy the special Derbyshire wayfarer that also includes Nottingham and a few other stations down that way. It can only be purchased there though

 

[Kite159]

And you could buy the special Derbyshire wayfarer that also includes Nottingham and a few other stations down that way. It can only be purchased there though

And can only be used for a single return journey from Nottingham to the wayfarer boundary so is of little use to someone starting from within the area

 

[paulpirnus]

Thank you for the quick reply. I will try it today and report back if anyone is interested.. to see how this shakes out

It's possible from a technical perspective. But that does not guarantee that ticket office staff will be willing or trained in how to do it. For instance, we've heard plenty of reports of Sheffield ticket office refusing to sell Derbyshire Wayfarers.

From what @northernman has posted on another thread, you will in any event soon have the ability to buy all rangers and rovers from northern ticket machines. There are a couple of these dotted around Piccadilly station, so you'll at least be able to buy the Wayfarer from there, even if not from the ticket office.

Remember that you can undertake a non-stop split when you combine a Wayfarer with another ticket - e.g. you can use it with a Manchester-Chinley return on the TPE and EMR services that run non-stop between Sheffield and Stockport.

 

[eastwestdivide]

we've heard plenty of reports of Sheffield ticket office refusing to sell Derbyshire Wayfarers

I’ve bought three there with no problem in the last few months, so maybe the successful purchases don’t get reported?

 

[Watershed]

I’ve bought three there with no problem in the last few months, so maybe the successful purchases don’t get reported?

I don't doubt it, but we have very rarely (if ever) heard of issues buying them at other stations in the area of validity, whereas we've heard of plenty of accounts of issues at Sheffield.

It's incredible that a ticket office routinely refuses the sale of a ticket valid for travel from the very same station!

 

[eastwestdivide]

I don't doubt it, but we have very rarely (if ever) heard of issues buying them at other stations in the area of validity, whereas we've heard of plenty of accounts of issues at Sheffield.

It's incredible that a ticket office routinely refuses the sale of a ticket valid for travel from the very same station!

Yeah, madness!

 

[ChrisC]

I don't doubt it, but we have very rarely (if ever) heard of issues buying them at other stations in the area of validity, whereas we've heard of plenty of accounts of issues at Sheffield.

It's incredible that a ticket office routinely refuses the sale of a ticket valid for travel from the very same station!

I’ve not heard of any problems recently with Sheffield refusing to sell Derbyshire Wayfarers but they absolutely refuse to sell you a Greater Manchester Wayfarer and insist that they are not allowed to sell them.

 

[DeverseSam]

I guess you could buy one from a nearby bus instead

 

[Iskra]

Really? Aren't Derbyshire Wayfarers (unlike their Greater Manchester equivalent) valid for certain rail journeys to/from/via Sheffield?

They are. Sheffield ticket office are notoriously bad at issuing any even remotely left-field tickets.

I bought a Derbyshire Wayfarer with no problems at all from Sheffield in January

 

[dciuk]

If the Sheffield (or any other station) ticket office refuse to sell you a ticket that is valid from that station, could you then purchase on board as their were no facilities for purchasing the ticket you required at the station from where were boarded?

 

[mailbyrail]

Is the problem that one of the conditions stated in the publicity leaflet is that the Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket can only be purchased at stations for travel on the day? Anybody attempting to buy at Sheffield - or any other station ticket office - should not be surprised to be refused if it's for future-dated travel.
Strange when a bus company office does sell them in advance but not a station. I've purchased for future travel from a Derbyshire library

 

[Sonyman66]

I use a Derbyshire Wayfarer ticket quite often to get me to Sheffield where I then use tickets bought on-line to travel further, I have recently done Leeds, York Doncaster. The ticket also gets me to New Mills so I buy a ticket . from there to travel to Manchester. I buy my tickets a few at a time from my local library all you need to do is rub off the date on the day you travel

 

[317 forever]

I don't doubt it, but we have very rarely (if ever) heard of issues buying them at other stations in the area of validity, whereas we've heard of plenty of accounts of issues at Sheffield.

It's incredible that a ticket office routinely refuses the sale of a ticket valid for travel from the very same station!

It happened to me once in 2007 that they did not sell me a Manchester Wayfarer at Warrington Central because they didn't have any at the time.

Admittedly that pre-dated the paper version being printable on the day.

 

[paulpirnus]

Hi all. Thank you for all the answers. I just came back from my day out and I am happy to report that I was able to buy the Derbyshire Wayfarer from Manchester Piccadilly from the Northern ticket machine.

And I can confirm that they had all the rovers and rangers that are available online as well!

So if there are any problems at any ticket office, try the ticket machines as well! It might work at other stations as well if they are connected to similar servers as the Northern ones at Piccadilly.

Cheers.

 

[ainsworth74]

So if there are any problems at any ticket office, try the ticket machines as well! It might work at other stations as well if they are connected to similar servers as the Northern ones at Piccadilly.

Ah those are part of a trial that Northern are running at the moment (see here) so it's only ten selected stations at the moment but hopefully it'll be rolled out wider before too long!

 

[paulpirnus]

Ah those are part of a trial that Northern are running at the moment (see here) so it's only ten selected stations at the moment but hopefully it'll be rolled out wider before too long!

Oh wow, I got really lucky then And also wow. It baffles me how they didn't do this yet at all the stations. It's crazy. I am originally from Romania and the rovers for the country were at the ticket machines in most big stations 2 years ago. It reminds me of a quote I heard from Jay Foreman about England (''We got there first, and now we're the worst'')

 

[Puffing Devil]

The West Midlands Day Ranger is another great ticket - I did Crewe to Northampton for £30, stopping in Birmingham both ways for food/drink saving at least £26 on the trip.

 

[317 forever]

The West Midlands Day Ranger is another great ticket - I did Crewe to Northampton for £30, stopping in Birmingham both ways for food/drink saving at least £26 on the trip.

In 2019 I used one from Crewe to Worcester. I used some (then) recently electrified lines: Crewe-Stoke, Rugeley-Walsall and Barnt Green-Bromsgrove.

 

[Watershed]

I used some (then) recently electrified lines: Crewe-Stoke

Crewe-Stoke was electrified in 2003, so "only" 16 years before your visit!

 

[PMH]

There's so little publicity around these they're almost a secret. Is that so that non regular rail users will buy more expensive multiple tickets instead? Seems a missed opportunity to get more folk on trains.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There's so little publicity around these they're almost a secret. Is that so that non regular rail users will buy more expensive multiple tickets instead? Seems a missed opportunity to get more folk on trains.

Northern, and I think GWR and Scotrail did also, used to do printed leaflets showing details of rovers/rangers available for areas served by their trains. Whilst printed timetables have mostly disappeared, the information was certainly included in the handy 108 page "Guide to train services - Coast, Lakes, Dales & Fells" bus and train timetable booklet issued by Northern last summer.

 

[Killingworth]

Northern, and I think GWR and Scotrail did also, used to do printed leaflets showing details of rovers/rangers available for areas served by their trains. Whilst printed timetables have mostly disappeared, the information was certainly included in the handy 108 page "Guide to train services - Coast, Lakes, Dales & Fells" bus and train timetable booklet issued by Northern last summer.

View attachment 129318

More details for 2022 were available online at; https://coastandlakestraintimetable.co.uk/pick-up-a-copy

It'll be interesting to see if the printed leaflet's repeated for 2023 but information online is still valid until the May timetable changes.,

 

[sheff1]

Only last week Sheffield refused to sell me a Derbyshire Wayfarer for the following day because "they" won't allow it. Changing trains at Bristol Parkway later I was sold one for the next day in no more than 30 seconds. The old problem of needing a special sealed wallet for the ticket, which meant that stations outside the area should not sell the Wayfarers, is no longer an issue as that requirement ended late last year.

 

[mangyiscute]

I'm surprised people have had so many issues buying rangers and rovers at stations not in the area - I've bought cumbria, west midlands and lancashire day rangers and a derbyshire and manchester wayfarer from both Reading and Oxford with little issue (sometimes the staff didn't know how to do the sale immediately but once they found it they were more than happy to sell it)