Rovers & Rangers

[Buttsy]

Hi, does anyone know if you can buy a ranger or rover via an online site, or does it have to be at a station?

I'm off to Macclesfield on Saturday from Oxford for the football and have worked out it's cheaper to buy an array of tickets than an Advanced, but I'll need to get hold of Cherwell Valley and West Midlands Rangers.

Thanks

 

[wintonian]

Hi, does anyone know if you can buy a ranger or rover via an online site, or does it have to be at a station?

I'm off to Macclesfield on Saturday from Oxford for the football and have worked out it's cheaper to buy an array of tickets than an Advanced, but I'll need to get hold of Cherwell Valley and West Midlands Rangers.

Thanks

You will unfortunately have buy those at the station or possibly over the phone.

Rangers and rovers can not normaly be bought online or from ticket machines.

Sent from my HTC Desire S

 

[Buttsy]

Ok, thanks a lot. I'm going to make some booking clerk's day later...

 

[island]

Not really, but if you bought it on train the guard would be happy.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Depending who the guard is. When i have tried to get WDMR rangers they dont know how to do it and tell me to get it at the next station i am getting off at

 

[island]

In that case the said guard should learn how to do it

 

[Rover]

Most TOC's will not even promote their rovers and rangers let alone allow you to buy them online, there are a few exceptions, Scotrail being one of them that do allow online purchases.

Even Northern that does promote their rovers and rangers better than anyone don't have an online option.

It's about time that one of the franchise stipulations is that all rovers and ranger tickets should be available online - they do it for season tickets.

 

[Dreadnought]

Great Western promote the rovers in their area on line and with leaflets as well, they may need to let their booking office staff know about them though!

I bought a Thames Branches rover from Didcot recently and as it starts from Reading also a return from DID to RDG. Unfortunately the person selling the ticket asked why I wanted 2 tickets as they didn't know about it or that it only covered from RDG to PAD until I pointed this out to them.

 

[harz99]

You may even find that some types of rover cannot be bought in advance (thinking of the 3 in 7, 4 in 8 varieties). Certainly my local Scotrail managed station can't do this for the North West Rover even though it's just in the area covered.

Whatever advance date the clerk puts in, it prints as though started from the date of purchase.

 

[bb21]

Whatever advance date the clerk puts in, it prints as though started from the date of purchase.

They should have a start date printed if bought in advance. The expiry date also has an A against to indicate that it has been bought in advance so that the guard should check for the start date as well.

 

[harz99]

They should have a start date printed if bought in advance. The expiry date also has an A against to indicate that it has been bought in advance so that the guard should check for the start date as well.

Agreed; I'm only relating what happens. It may be a bug in Scotrail's system or may occur everywhere - just something to be aware of and if buying these in advance check whether it comes out right or not.

 

[WestCoast]

Personally, I think it is inexcusable that rangers and rovers are not sold online or at TVMs.

I realise it may not be that simple from a technical point of view, however DB, for example, allow the purchase of their rovers at TVMs and they are also available online, using print at home ticketing. The booking system will even suggest the rover ticket for a certain journey if appropriate.

It is not acceptable, in my opinion, that passengers must queue at busy ticket offices to buy rovers/rangers when all other tickets are available for purchase at other outlets (TVM/online).

 

[John @ home]

It's about time that one of the franchise stipulations is that all rovers and ranger tickets should be available online - they do it for season tickets.

Personally, I think it is inexcusable that rangers and rovers are not sold online or at TVMs. ... It is not acceptable, in my opinion, that passengers must queue at busy ticket offices to buy rovers/rangers when all other tickets are available for purchase at other outlets (TVM/online).

The difficulty is that, with the exception of London and PTE areas, train companies are not required to offer or to accept rovers or rangers and I don't think the current government will choose to introduce regulation of railway tickets designed for the leisure traveller.

 

[wintonian]

Not really, but if you bought it on train the guard would be happy.

In theory if you are not able to buy the ticket before boarding the train then yes you can, however not all guards know how to issue them.

Sent from my HTC Desire S

 

[tony_mac]

Northern's website and leaflets say that Rovers cannot be bought on board, but Day Rangers can.

I am not sure what is supposed to happen if you wish to buy a Rover from an unstaffed station, or where the ticket office is temporarily closed.

 

[SickyNicky]

Northern's website and leaflets say that Rovers cannot be bought on board, but Day Rangers can.

I am not sure what is supposed to happen if you wish to buy a Rover from an unstaffed station, or where the ticket office is temporarily closed.

I am going to try that tomorrow when I'll be getting on a Northern train from an unstaffed station wanting a FoNW 4 in 8 rover. I'll let you all know.

 

[headshot119]

Not sure if Northern's information is correct. I have purchased a Heart of England 3 in 7 of an Arriva guard on a train.

 

[Greenback]

Not sure if Northern's information is correct. I have purchased a Heart of England 3 in 7 of an Arriva guard on a train.

I'm sure Northern's website will only refelct their own policy on what can be bought on board.

ATW guards are normally very keen to sell anything they possibly can to get the commission!

 

[TEW]

It's an odd distinction, since most day rangers are issued in exactly the same way as rovers. Some day rangers are issued in the same way as normal returns, although I beleive it is mainly the Angila rovers and travelcards that are issued like that.

 

[SickyNicky]

Bought a FoNW 4 in 8 rover from a Northern train at 6.10am this morning with no problem except the guard having to ring his control to find out how to issue it. He also helpfully reminded me that although it was valid at any time between Barrow and Carlisle (I got on at Askam), I would need to wait until 8.45 to catch an onward connection at Carlisle. The S&C train I wanted was 8.53, so no issue there.

So their policy doesn't apply to unstaffed stations (in reality, it couldn't anyway, I'm sure).

I'm very tempted to try a NRCoC 19 split using a cheap day return from Lockerbie to Glasgow on a non-stop Carlisle to Glasgow Virgin train later this week.

 

[John @ home]

I'm very tempted to try a NRCoC 19 split using a cheap day return from Lockerbie to Glasgow

I can't find a CDR Lockerbie - Glasgow but there is a CDR Lockerbie - Edinburgh.