Bishopbriggs to Edinburgh First Class Off Peak?

[reb0118]

What would be the cheapest option for a passenger wishing to travel 1st class from Bishopbriggs [BBG] to Edinburgh [EDB] via Glasgow Queen Street [GLQ]?

Supplementary information: the passenger wishes to travel on the 09:15 departure from GLQ and would be returning from EDB after the evening peak restrictions are lifted. A senior railcard is held but AFAIAA that does not affect the theory.

TIA.

 

[hexagon789]

What would be the cheapest option for a passenger wishing to travel 1st class from Bishopbriggs [BBG] to Edinburgh [EDB] via Glasgow Queen Street [GLQ]?

Supplementary information: the passenger wishes to travel on the 09:15 departure from GLQ and would be returning from EDB after the evening peak restrictions are lifted. A senior railcard is held but AFAIAA that does not affect the theory.

TIA.

On board upgrades are £5 if that helps?

 

[jfollows]

Off-peak day return first class Glasgow-Edinburgh is £14.90 and valid from 09:15 and after 18:10 in the return direction. Plus some kind of return Bishopbriggs to Glasgow of course.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Plus some kind of return Bishopbriggs to Glasgow of course.

Presume doubling back Bishopbriggs->Glasgow Queen Street->Edinburgh (possibly travelling non-stop through Bishopbriggs again if travelling via Falkirk High) isn't allowed? Or is the problem with 1st class fares simply not being offered if starting from Bishopbriggs?

 

[Watershed]

Presume doubling back Bishopbriggs->Glasgow Queen Street->Edinburgh (possibly travelling non-stop through Bishopbriggs again if travelling via Falkirk High) isn't allowed? Or is the problem with 1st class fares simply not being offered if starting from Bishopbriggs?

The double back via Queen Street isn't the problem - it is the lack of first class fares between Edinburgh and Bishopbriggs, as you say.

 

[reb0118]

Off-peak day return first class Glasgow-Edinburgh is £14.90 and valid from 09:15 and after 18:10 in the return direction. Plus some kind of return Bishopbriggs to Glasgow of course.

This ^ is my thought too. I was originally thinking about a standard return from BBG to EDB plus either the supplements OR an excess. However, as the supplements are a flat fare so non discountable, and it's impossible to excess to the 1st Off Peak Return, neither options are suitable.

Then, although theoretically possible to leave BBG after 09:00 and hopefully connect with the 09:15 a through ticket would be subject to the network 09:15 rule as opposed to the 09:00 Strathclyde restriction.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Cantab26]

Off-peak day return first class Glasgow-Edinburgh is £14.90 and valid from 09:15 and after 18:10 in the return direction. Plus some kind of return Bishopbriggs to Glasgow of course.

Note that the 18.15 Edinburgh to Glasgow service is also not permitted with this fare.

 

[reb0118]

True, but the 18:30 return is - and that stops at Bishopbriggs too.

So, I think, currently, the cheapest option is an Anytime single from BBG to GLQ to connect with the 09:15 from there to EDB. Returning on the 18:30 direct train.

£2.10* + £14.90 = £17.00 (fares discounted with an SRN) - *I suppose if regular travel is required then a flexi would be ideal.

Supplementary question: why, if BBG takes its fares from GLQ, do the first class fares from GLQ to EDB not appear from BBG in the same way as the standard ones do? Would this be a deliberate action or an oversight?

 

[Watershed]

True, but the 18:30 return is - and that stops at Bishopbriggs too.

So, I think, currently, the cheapest option is an Anytime single from BBG to GLQ to connect with the 09:15 from there to EDB. Returning on the 18:30 direct train.

£2.10* + £14.90 = £17.00 (fares discounted with an SRN) - *I suppose if regular travel is required then a flexi would be ideal.

Probably the cheapest option, yes.

Supplementary question: why, if BBG takes its fares from GLQ, do the first class fares from GLQ to EDB not appear from BBG in the same way as the standard ones do? Would this be a deliberate action or an oversight?

It's a bit more complex than that. BBG to EDB fares are actually priced as part of the flow between Q558 and Q553 clusters. The former might roughly be described as "stations near Glasgow" and includes GLQ as well as BBG, whilst the latter is effectively "stations near Edinburgh".

However, there are override fares in place for the specific GLC/GLQ to Edinburgh flow, as you can see in BR Fares' Expert mode. This override adds various ticket types including the Off-Peak 1st Day Return as well as Anytime and Off-Peak Returns, and reduces some fares (such as the Anytime 1st Day Return) slightly.

Fares overrides only applies between specified station pairs, so since there isn't an override for BBG to EDB you instead get the fares from the cluster-based flow - which don't have an Off-Peak 1st Day Return.

Really I would suggest ScotRail should roll out their GLC/GLQ to EDB fares across the Q558 to Q553 flow, but perhaps they have specific reasons for not wanting to offer the period returns and Off-Peak 1st Day Return more widely. And they should make sure the Railcard conditions are honoured by enabling all relevant Railcard discounts for all of their ticket types.

Either way, it's down to ScotRail to fix.

 

[reb0118]

Really I would suggest ScotRail should roll out their GLC/GLQ to EDB fares across the Q558 to Q553 flow, but perhaps they have specific reasons for not wanting to offer the period returns and Off-Peak 1st Day Return more widely. And they should make sure the Railcard conditions are honoured by enabling all relevant Railcard discounts for all of their ticket types.

Either way, it's down to ScotRail to fix.

I can understand this somewhat. Why, because shorter distance period returns are prone to a certain level of misuse so restricting them to fully barriered stations makes sense from a revenue protection perspective - however, those passengers misusing them will, probably, find other workarounds.

But I see no sense in restricting first class fares - especially when there is a demand (albeit small). This thread came about with one of my passengers making the request.

As an aside I recently discovered the use of the expert mode at BR Fares at the recent Glasgow Fares workshop so thanks again @yorkie - NB I've not forgotten about the double non rail add on conundrum that we discussed.

Thanks once more for all input.