Woodlesford to Stockport, Sat 20/06/2026

[MountVrmac]

I'm looking to go for a daytrip from Woodlesford to Stockport on Saturday 20/06/2026, but when looking the journey up some months ago I hadn't factored in the TransPennine Upgrade works taking place this month.
I thought I'd be fine with £31.70 Off Peak Return, but on this particular weekend there are RRBs between Wakefield Kirkgate and Huddersfield (ruling out the simple Castleford-Manchester Piccadilly journey on TPE service that starts in York).

Journey planners that allow me to buy the Off Peak Return insist on Woodlesford - Leeds - Manchester Victoria - [Walk to Manchester Piccadilly] - Stockport which takes a minimum of 2hr28min on the outward journey, but I've had a go at using the Routing Guide which indicates I can use the Leeds, Pontefract or Wakefield group station.
Due to Woodlesford being on a direct line to Sheffield, my preferred route would be WDS-SHF on Northern then SHF-SPT nonstop with EMR, which takes 1hr40min on the outward journey.
I'm looking to arrive in SPT by ~11:00, and leave again around ~19:00, no railcard.

Am I falling foul of shortest route mileage rule by wanting to go via SHF, and are there any easements allowed by the fact that RRBs mess up the most direct route using the YRK-MAN service?

Advice gratefully received!

 

[jfollows]

Please explain your abbreviations, many people won’t be able to make head nor tail of your post. I’ve no clue, for sure.

Please read before posting in Fares Advice & Policy

If you are seeking advice on planning a journey and buying a ticket If you are looking to plan a journey and purchase the most appropriate ticket(s) for that journey then the Forum's ticketing site is likely to be able to provide you with the answer to this question (the Forum will receive a...

www.railforums.co.uk

In addition, please avoid using three letter codes in thread titles or where you haven't mentioned the station before. Their use is acceptable for follow-ups where you use the correct code (eg: BNS is Barnes, BHM is Birmingham New Street).

 

[Haywain]

Am I falling foul of shortest route mileage rule by wanting to go via SHF, and are there any easements allowed by the fact that RRBs mess up the most direct route using the YRK-MAN service?

There is no problem with travelling on a mapped route (unless there is a negative easement preventing it, which there isn't in this case). I'm not sure why you think there is a problem as journey planners are offering the fare you want by the route you want.

But, yes, try to make things easier when you ask for help by spelling things out properly.

 

[tumbledown]

The Classic forum site is still showing a banner about the reservation system being broken, and my search for that journey (via Sheffield) fails.

 

[MountVrmac]

Please explain your abbreviations, many people won’t be able to make head nor tail of your post. I’ve no clue, for sure.

Please read before posting in Fares Advice & Policy

If you are seeking advice on planning a journey and buying a ticket If you are looking to plan a journey and purchase the most appropriate ticket(s) for that journey then the Forum's ticketing site is likely to be able to provide you with the answer to this question (the Forum will receive a...

www.railforums.co.uk

Apologies, I'll admit to reading the 'Please read guide' as far as the bullet points - that'll teach me to only do half a job!

As tumbledown mentions, even if I specify via Sheffield, the cheapest the RailUKForums Tickets site will offer is a £36.50 fare, splitting the journey at Darton.

 

[Watershed]

As you say, Wakefield passes the fares check as an origin Routeing Point and therefore you can use the Wakefield to Stockport mapped routes. These include map HO which allows travel via Sheffield and the Hope Valley.

I'm not sure why journey planners aren't offering a through ticket when you search via Sheffield.

 

[D1537]

As you say, Wakefield passes the fares check as an origin Routeing Point and therefore you can use the Wakefield to Stockport mapped routes. These include map HO which allows travel via Sheffield and the Hope Valley.

I'm not sure why journey planners aren't offering a through ticket when you search via Sheffield.

Something is broken on the return journey. I used LNER and it is quite happy with the outward but can find no return journeys at all.

 

[J.C.]

Would a South Pennines Day Ranger priced at £31.20 (or less with a railcard discount) cover the journey you wish to make with plenty of flexibility too?

 

[plugwash]

Would a South Pennines Day Ranger priced at £31.20 (or less with a railcard discount) cover the journey you wish to make

I think so, woodlesford is in the list of valid stations shown on railrover.org and the trains from woodlesford to sheffield seem to go via castleford, wakefield kirkgte and dronfield which are all on the map.

 

[MountVrmac]

Would a South Pennines Day Ranger priced at £31.20 (or less with a railcard discount) cover the journey you wish to make with plenty of flexibility too?

Thanks J.C. that's a great shout! I like to think I know my rovers and rangers, but I never expected this to reach as handily far as Woodlesford! I can see a few interesting days making use of this.

 

[TUC]

Looking up the South Pennines Day Ranger https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-offers/promotions/south-pennines-day-ranger/

it states 'Not valid on CrossCountry Trains between Wakefield Westgate and Sheffield in either direction.'

However, if one turns to the map 'https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-01/South-Pennines-Day-Ranger_Map_A4.pdf '

it has no mention of this restriction, but states 'Valid on all train operating companies’ services on the maps with the exception of Grand Central and Hull Trains'.

I can't see in practice that any parts of the validity area are relevant to Hull Trains, and I think only Wakefield Kirkgate-Bradford Interchange is relevant to Grand Central, but it does seem curious to have two totally different sets of restrictions.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Looking up the South Pennines Day Ranger https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-offers/promotions/south-pennines-day-ranger/

it states 'Not valid on CrossCountry Trains between Wakefield Westgate and Sheffield in either direction.'

However, if one turns to the map 'https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-01/South-Pennines-Day-Ranger_Map_A4.pdf '

it has no mention of this restriction, but states 'Valid on all train operating companies’ services on the maps with the exception of Grand Central and Hull Trains'.

I can't see in practice that any parts of the validity area are relevant to Hull Trains, and I think only Wakefield Kirkgate-Bradford Interchange is relevant to Grand Central, but it does seem curious to have two totally different sets of restrictions.

The note about no CrossCountry will be clarification related to it's routing, the South Pennines Day Ranger isn't valid via Moorthorpe, which is the route used by CrossCountry non-stop between Wakefield and Sheffield, so it isn't valid on that service.

 

[tumbledown]

However, if one turns to the map 'https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-01/South-Pennines-Day-Ranger_Map_A4.pdf '

it has no mention of this restriction

That PDF hasn't been updated since 2016 though...

 

[30907]

In practice the Moorthorpe route would, I am sure, be accepted on NT despite the map error as the written text is definitive.
It's not very relevant to a trip Woodlesford-Sheffield though.

 

[J.C.]

I think the information about Cross Country is to make it clear that journeys via Moorthorpe aren't allowed. Similarly, I don't imagine it'd be strictly valid on the 'Yorkshire Flyer', but as it's Northern you might get away with it. (I'd be reluctant to test it though.)

Here's a link to the map which is linked to from the current Northern Rovers and Rangers page:

Loading…

www.northernrailway.co.uk

 

[TUC]

That PDF hasn't been updated since 2016 though...

Maybe not, but it's the one which NRE links to.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2026 ==

Here's a link to the map which is linked to from the current Northern Rovers and Rangers page:

Loading…

www.northernrailway.co.uk

That's interesting because it's a different Northern website page to the one which NRE links to. https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-01/South-Pennines-Day-Ranger_Map_A4.pdf

 

[J.C.]

Looking at the dates in the links
2022-01
2022-10
probably indicates, unintentionally, which is the most up to date.

 

[TUC]

Looking at the dates in the links
2022-01
2022-10
probably indicates, unintentionally, which is the most up to date.

It does, but the two pages both being present are symbolic of a wider lack of attention to detail.