Northern Explorer - new ticket?

[Bletchleyite]

Really don't understand why you can't print it in that case!

 

[Adam Williams]

All that blue ink....

 

[Llandudno]

Is this likely to kill off the newspaper vouchers?

No reason why it should, it may also lead to other special offers such as 2 for 1 offers or promo codes offering discounts off the Explorer ticket.

 

[thenorthern]

The annoying thing about it what I call the Thirsk gap, as York to Darlington is only served by other operators, you can't to the North East on one of these tickets without going via the Settle and Carlisle or Cumbrian Coast Line both of which are relatively slow.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Has anyone used one yet, and can they confirm if they've worked ticket gates? The Super League day ranger doesn't open any I've tried.

 

[Adam Williams]

Has anyone used one yet

Yes

can they confirm if they've worked ticket gates?

I have yet to find a gate that works.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I have yet to find a gate that works.

Incredible, they run a product as an actual long term thing with advertising and all, yet it doesn't even work the barriers.

 

[The Prisoner]

This is a “nearly” idea and ticket.

They could have designed this as a joint product with TPE to close the gaps in their network such as York to Newcastle, serving Penrith, properly serving Huddersfield etc

As it stands you can only explore the north as their network exists, and whilst I commend the idea the customer should be able to get from York to Whitby or Scarborough - denied because of historic franchise allocation.

A Northern Explorer which doesn’t allow you to explore the North properly. So avoidable.

 

[MrBeanie]

This looks like a fairly good option for unrestricted travel during the week. Once you have been to say two places such as Preston and Manchester, it becomes cheaper than it would be to try and buy separate tickets (particularly if the first journey is before the peak times end).

 

[Ianigsy]

This is a “nearly” idea and ticket.

They could have designed this as a joint product with TPE to close the gaps in their network such as York to Newcastle, serving Penrith, properly serving Huddersfield etc

As it stands you can only explore the north as their network exists, and whilst I commend the idea the customer should be able to get from York to Whitby or Scarborough - denied because of historic franchise allocation.

A Northern Explorer which doesn’t allow you to explore the North properly. So avoidable.

While I see your point, there’s nothing to stop you going York-Hull-Scarborough and stopping off at a few interesting places along the way.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I have used the £10 one before and spent the day in Lancaster and South Cumbria but at £10 that was good value. As the Northern Network is slow there is probably a limit of how far you can actually go for £35. The Cumbrian coast line would be nice to explore but I would have to pretty much go back the same way which limits the appeal. I suppose the issue is you have to get back too. I suppose spending a day exploring and then spending the night at an extreme end before getting a fixed single ticket back via TPE could work.

 

[Polarbear]

While I see your point, there’s nothing to stop you going York-Hull-Scarborough and stopping off at a few interesting places along the way.

If one has the time (and preferably a rover with more than one day’s validity), going via Hull, Scarborough and a £3 single on the bus to Whitby is also an option.

 

[Cell2025]

Going back to the old railcard chestnut, but unless your plan is just to ride trains for its own sake if you do have a railcard and just want to travel off peak it's hard to see how you could reasonably incur more than the £53 you'd need to spend to 'break even' on the ticket and spend any time in your destinations.

Say I wanted to go from Leeds to Blackpool via Manchester an anytime return tomorrow is £24.15, and I can stop at any station I wish on the route. I am sure that there are examples of journeys that do provide value, for railcard holders, but how many of them allow you a lot of time in more than one place?

 

[A S Leib]

Going back to the old railcard chestnut, but unless your plan is just to ride trains for its own sake if you do have a railcard and just want to travel off peak it's hard to see how you could reasonably incur more than the £53 you'd need to spend to 'break even' on the ticket and spend any time in your destinations.

Say I wanted to go from Leeds to Blackpool via Manchester an anytime return tomorrow is £24.15, and I can stop at any station I wish on the route. I am sure that there are examples of journeys that do provide value, for railcard holders, but how many of them allow you a lot of time in more than one place?

Newcastle to Barrow gets you to £53 in one go with a railcard (but that's an anytime return, not an anytime day return, and it's £34.10 splitting at Carlisle with a via Sellafield ticket west of there for a fairer comparison).

Newcastle to Leeds splitting at Carlisle (via Appleby) is £48, so Newcastle to a day (or however much there's time for) travelling around West Yorkshire might be worth the cost of the Northern Explorer.

 

[Cell2025]

Newcastle to Barrow gets you to £53 in one go with a railcard (but that's an anytime return, not an anytime day return, and it's £34.10 splitting at Carlisle with a via Sellafield ticket west of there for a fairer comparison).

Newcastle to Leeds splitting at Carlisle (via Appleby) is £48, so Newcastle to a day (or however much there's time for) travelling around West Yorkshire might be worth the cost of the Northern Explorer.

Newcastle to Leeds via Carlisle is exactly the type of journey I was thinking about. You wouldn't have much time to do anything anywhere. It would be travelling for its own sake, which I accept some people like to do, but I don't think that's the target audience.

The £35 is not too bad at all in itself. The question is how much utility it provides to a railcard holder given that many tickets allow you to board and alight at intermediate stations at will. If that freedom was not available then certainly the rover would provide significant added value, but you can, so it doesn't.

 

[xotGD]

The £35 fare sets a cap on the value of a Northern Delay Repay free ticket.

So I've got £70 worth of frog sat in a drawer.

 

[Adam Williams]

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to turn my Northern Explorer into a further complimentary ticket (we encountered a fallen tree, but the train crew dealt with it and the delay incurred wasn't enough).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The £35 fare sets a cap on the value of a Northern Delay Repay free ticket.

Yes, and no. Depends if you're travelling back the same day.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Yes, and no. Depends if you're travelling back the same day.

Well, not if it's a Day Ranger one - they're presumably valid for only one day.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Well, not if it's a Day Ranger one - they're presumably valid for only one day.

'Northern Complimentary Travel Pass', can be issued as a return.

 

[The exile]

Going back to the old railcard chestnut, but unless your plan is just to ride trains for its own sake if you do have a railcard and just want to travel off peak it's hard to see how you could reasonably incur more than the £53 you'd need to spend to 'break even' on the ticket and spend any time in your destinations.

As frequent posts elsewhere remind us, there is a large cohort of people who are not eligible for any railcard. Although some of them might be, this effectively includes foreign tourists not on some kind of rail pass.

 

[Cell2025]

As frequent posts elsewhere remind us, there is a large cohort of people who are not eligible for any railcard. Although some of them might be, this effectively includes foreign tourists not on some kind of rail pass.

Agreed.

It's pretty decent for those people, but still not a 'bargain' as such without fiendish travelling plans given the fact that anytime or off peak returns allow unlimited stops along an 'allowed' route if you're in the mood for an explore.

But the fact remains that for railcard holders (around 7 million according to Railcard themselves), who are probably more motivated to travel than those who also qualify but do not purchase on (allegedly 13 million), you have to spend the equivalent of £53 to save money.

Railcard Eligibility | Which Railcard am I Eligible for?

Check your railcard eligibility and start saving on train tickets. Find out who qualifies and how to apply for rail discounts.

www.railcard.co.uk

New insight from railcard.co.uk reveals that there are now over 7 million Railcards in circulation, but with over 20 million people in Britain eligible for a Railcard, millions of people are still missing out on saving a third off their travel.

If Railcards have a purpose (and I know that there is a big discussion about that) then the rationale behind the discount should surely apply to rovers like this (I know that some do allow a discount) as much as it does to other tickets. Even if it was a fiver off.

A railcard holder can get 7 days unlimited travel on the North/NorthEast Rover for nearly all train operators for £101.45. I know it's not the full area covered by the Northern one, but equally the range of operators counteracts that somewhat in my eyes. You can always add another rover for the north west as well. I accept these aren't one day tickets, but it's just an example of how railcard discounts apply elsewhere and for similar tickets.

 

[HOMELESS]

The £35 fare sets a cap on the value of a Northern Delay Repay free ticket.

So I've got £70 worth of frog sat in a drawer.

A delay repay return ticket on Northern I often use for Nottingham to Whitby return!!!
Can't think of any other journeys getting as much use out of it!!!

 

[yorksrob]

While I see your point, there’s nothing to stop you going York-Hull-Scarborough and stopping off at a few interesting places along the way.

Still no help for Whitby though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Jun 2026 ==

If one has the time (and preferably a rover with more than one day’s validity), going via Hull, Scarborough and a £3 single on the bus to Whitby is also an option.

I tried using the bus option between Scarborough and Whitby recently. A lot of rigmarole and missing services.

 

[The exile]

The other element in the equation is that in purchasing this sort of ticket you’re paying for less faff. Yes - purchasing individual tickets might save me £2.25, but this way I’m free to change my mind at the last minute (even en route) and am not in danger of being accused of boarding a train without a ticket because I can’t get reception on my phone etc.
Even for railcard holders it undercuts long distance single tickets (eg Sheffield - Carlisle).

 

[Tetchytyke]

They could have designed this as a joint product with TPE to close the gaps in their network such as York to Newcastle, serving Penrith, properly serving Huddersfield etc

They could have, but then it would cost quite a lot more than £35.

If Railcards have a purpose (and I know that there is a big discussion about that) then the rationale behind the discount should surely apply to rovers like this (I know that some do allow a discount) as much as it does to other tickets. Even if it was a fiver off.

Operator-specific rover tickets usually don't come with a railcard discount, the Southern DaySave doesn't either.

Yes, this might mean that other tickets are better value for railcard holders.

The north actually has a lot of very interesting day rangers, I'm a fan of the South Pennines Day Ranger, so it's always worth checking before buying this ticket.

Still no help for Whitby though.

Leeds/York- Hull- Scarborough- Whitby (bus). The Arriva X93/X94 runs every 30 minutes in the summer between Scarborough and Whitby with a journey time of an hour.

 

[A S Leib]

Operator-specific rover tickets usually don't come with a railcard discount, the Southern DaySave doesn't either.

Yes, this might mean that other tickets are better value for railcard holders.

The north actually has a lot of very interesting day rangers, I'm a fan of the South Pennines Day Ranger, so it's always worth checking before buying this ticket.

The South West has some interesting and good-value ones, including the Freedom of Devon and Cornwall which isn't far off only including GWR services and which does include railcard discounts.

 

[The exile]

The South West has some interesting and good-value ones, including the Freedom of Devon and Cornwall which isn't far off only including GWR services and which does include railcard discounts.

That “isn’t far off” is the key there. It’s a geographical area “old school” rover. It just so happens that the area concerned is almost entirely n the hands of GWR.

 

[Djgr]

I think snubbing railcards and severe gaps in their network (e.g. York to Newcastle) turn this from a potential useful to a niche TOC vanity product.

 

[Cell2025]

I think snubbing railcards and severe gaps in their network (e.g. York to Newcastle) turn this from a potential useful to a niche TOC vanity product.

I think that sums up my position. It won't encourage me to do more travel by rail. Perhaps it's not intended for me. But given the way many regular tickets give the freedom to stop at intermediate stations so long as they're done in a linear manner it's not an option that I'd consider unless I woke up one day and thought 'I'm just going to ride trains all day without any real plan'.

I guess its attraction is also partly defined by where you live. I'm in Leeds, so that's pretty central to many routes that Northern run, which means that the fares I'm charged are dampened down, for want of a better phrase. If I was in the north or south of the area then the savings mount up a bit more because I'm further away from more of the network. I hope that makes sense