Stafford - Manchester Stns SDR route validity

[Drsatan]

I am attempting to work out whether a SDR from Stafford to Manchester Stns is valid via Crewe and Stoke on Trent, since according to Railmiles the route through Stoke on Trent is the shortest route, which theoretically means it's the only permitted route.

However, since I'd like the opportunity to travel via Crewe if I wanted to, I've been trying to work out whether going via Crewe is permissible: however Stafford is a routeing point in its own right while Deansgate (which I'm travelling too) comes under Manchester Stns in its own right. Would it still be possible to use the fares check rule for those two routeing points?

Thanks in advance.

 

[yorkie]

Are you having problems in journey planners when specifying via Crewe? If so, I am surprised.

Map MA clearly allows via Crewe, in addition GC+GM is valid, for which you'd have to go via Crewe.

Deansgate is a member of Manchester Stations ticketing group and also a member of Manchester Group for routeing purposes. No fares check rule applies, as it is a Group member.

 

[Drsatan]

Are you having problems in journey planners when specifying via Crewe? If so, I am surprised.

Map MA clearly allows via Crewe, in addition GC+GM is valid, for which you'd have to go via Crewe.

Deansgate is a member of Manchester Stations ticketing group and also a member of Manchester Group for routeing purposes. No fares check rule applies, as it is a Group member.

I'm not having any problems using journey planners when specifying via Crewe: this is because I'm buying the ticket in conjunction with SDR from Chester Road to Stafford. Since the total for both tickets (with 16-25 discounts for both) is £20.65 it's much cheaper than a SDR from Chester Road to Deansgate which is £43.00 (also with a discount)

 

[yorkie]

I'm not having any problems using journey planners when specifying via Crewe

OK, that's good. Journey planners do check (their own interpretation of) the Routeing Guide. If a journey planner sells a ticket, that means the journey planner calculates that it's a valid route. Of course, they can be wrong, but if so, simply get reservations and you should be covered. Stafford-Manchester obviously valid routes are via Crewe or via Stoke, with additional convoluted routes also valid such as via Stoke, Alsager and Crewe, or via Warrington, etc.

this is because I'm buying the ticket in conjunction with SDR from Chester Road to Stafford. Since the total for both tickets (with 16-25 discounts for both) is £20.65 it's much cheaper than a SDR from Chester Road to Deansgate which is £43.00 (also with a discount)

Ah, yes, it will be much cheaper than a through ticket. But there isn't a SDR (Anytime Day Return) for the through journey, the SOR (Anytime Return) is £43.55 and the SVR (Off Peak Return) is £20.55. Of course, you can save money by booking tickets priced by LM on the LM website, Chester Road to Stafford is priced by LM.

If you are going via Crewe both ways, you may find it cheaper to get a Chester Road to Crewe ticket, as this will also be half price on LM's offer. Virgin have some very competitive Crewe-London Virgin Only fares, but of course they won't be valid beyond Piccadilly.

(Note that this assumes travel up to 4 September, after that the LM offer expires)