All Line Rover Restrictions

[metrail]

I need some help regarding restrictions on the The All line railrover. i have not done an ALR since 1998 when I remember hardly any restrictions... There were also wonderful regional rovers prior to that.

NOT VALID for boarding or alighting before 10.00 Mondays to Fridays any service operated by: LNER etc - from/to London Kings cross

If I catch a morning train to London KX that arrives at 9.30am, but I get off at Peterborough, then go north. Is this permitted??

I am not boarding or alighting at the termini, but the service on the first one arrives at KX before 10am and the one I catch at Peterbprough is a service that starts before 10am at KX.

As I read it, this means any service that arrives or leaves KX before 10am. That would be really bad as that would mean catching the 12:35 from Newcastle to Edinburgh would not be permitted as the service started at 09:30 from KX. The service started before 10am and same problem Euston etc

I have read it again. It does say "boarding or alighting" - "at the following stations". So that reads to me, that as long as you do not board or alight at the station you can still join the service that started before 10am at another station. Is that correct folks?

 

[Harpers Tate]

Copied from National Rail: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-offers/promotions/all-line-rover-7-days/

The All Line Rail Rover is NOT valid for boarding or alighting train services operated by Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway or LNER before 10:00 Mondays to Fridays at the following stations:

• Birmingham New Street
• Bedford
• London Euston
• London Kings Cross
• London St Pancras International
• Luton
• Luton Airport Parkway
• Milton Keynes Central
• Stevenage
• Watford Junction

I don't see Peterborough on the list.

 

[Haywain]

I need some help regarding restrictions on the The All line railrover. i have not done an ALR since 1998 when I remember hardly any restrictions... There were also wonderful regional rovers prior to that.

NOT VALID for boarding or alighting before 10.00 Mondays to Fridays any service operated by: LNER etc - from/to London Kings cross

If I catch a morning train to London KX that arrives at 9.30am, but I get off at Peterborough, then go north. Is this permitted??

I am not boarding or alighting at the termini, but the service on the first one arrives at KX before 10am and the one I catch at Peterbprough is a service that starts before 10am at KX.

As I read it, this means any service that arrives or leaves KX before 10am. That would be really bad as that would mean catching the 12:35 from Newcastle to Edinburgh would not be permitted as the service started at 09:30 from KX. The service started before 10am and same problem Euston etc

I have read it again. It does say "boarding or alighting" - "at the following stations". So that reads to me, that as long as you do not board or alight at the station you can still join the service that started before 10am at another station. Is that correct folks?

What you propose is absolutely fine.

 

[metrail]

oK THANKS . Just had to be clear. I realised after reading it several times what it meant.... I intend going in March once I know the strike dates.

Another question: It says on Network rail site that you cannot buy it, greater than three days in advance. Is this true?

Any railrover people found some cheap and clean accomodation when you went on your travels, other than the obvious prem inns etc...

I am thinking of having a day on LNER, then Midland mainline, then Avanti and so on. It will be first class so doing those services.
Hopefully, couple of nights on sleeper. Not sure if the night riviera will be back to a daily service. Anyone know?

I will leave the branch lines when I do the regional rovers and besides I have already done most of the north. Probably not worth going to the southeast corner..

 

[Haywain]

Any railrover people found some cheap and clean accomodation when you went on your travels, other than the obvious prem inns etc...

There's a (very long) accommodation thread somewhere on the forums.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have read it again. It does say "boarding or alighting" - "at the following stations". So that reads to me, that as long as you do not board or alight at the station you can still join the service that started before 10am at another station. Is that correct folks?

It is yes. It's just designed to make it a bit inconvenient to use as a substitute long distance season ticket (or for something like London-Manchester, just to use it as an Anytime Return) after Lord Adonis talking about it a bit too much led to people buying it for that purpose.

 

[A S Leib]

I am thinking of having a day on LNER, then Midland mainline, then Avanti and so on. It will be first class so doing those services.

Good luck with Midland Mainline when both that and East Midlands Trains have gone!

Hopefully, couple of nights on sleeper. Not sure if the night riviera will be back to a daily service. Anyone know?

There's disruption due to engineering works until the third week of March; I don't know if it's ever run on Saturday nights but it's running six nights a week barring engineering works and strikes.

I will leave the branch lines when I do the regional rovers and besides I have already done most of the north. Probably not worth going to the southeast corner.

Depends on where you're based; Essex and Hampshire don't have regional rangers / rovers which cover them (whilst Sussex has the Southern DaySave and Oyster / contactless / KeyGo cover most of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Surrey) so depending on how much you can cover in a day it might be worth it.

 

[Deafdoggie]

There's disruption due to engineering works until the third week of March; I don't know if it's ever run on Saturday nights but it's running six nights a week barring engineering works and strikes.

There are no Saturday sleepers on any route. There used to be some back in BR days but were removed because (delete as appropriate) they were hopelessly loss-making/private operators aren't as good as BR/It's the government's fault/it's the unions fault.

 

[Deerfold]

There are no Saturday sleepers on any route. There used to be some back in BR days but were removed because (delete as appropriate) they were hopelessly loss-making/private operators aren't as good as BR/It's the government's fault/it's the unions fault.

Or they were the least useful for MPs to use (as was the Cornwall to Scotland which I think was the last to be withdrawn completely.

 

[Silver Cobra]

Another question: It says on Network rail site that you cannot buy it, greater than three days in advance. Is this true?

If you're happy to buy it online, the GWR website will sell them for up to a year in advance (the last 1st class ALR I bought through their website in 2018 was four months ahead of when I wanted to use it). The page for purchasing Rovers can be found here:

Great Western Railway

tickets.gwr.com

 

[Hadders]

There’s little point in purchasing an All Line Rover in advance of the first day, in case plans change. If I was catching a very early train on day 1 then I might consider purchasing the day before.

 

[jfollows]

There’s little point in purchasing an All Line Rover in advance of the first day, in case plans change. If I was catching a very early train on day 1 then I might consider purchasing the day before.

As long as you can trust the station you use to be capable of issuing them. Here in Northern land we can fall back to using the ticket machine I guess.

 

[Haywain]

As long as you can trust the station you use to be capable of issuing them. Here in Northern land we can fall back to using the ticket machine I guess.

There is that, of course, but there really is little point in buying one several months in Advance - that's just giving a loan to the company you buy it from (nothing will be distributed to other TOCs before the start date.

 

[geoffk]

oK THANKS . Just had to be clear. I realised after reading it several times what it meant.... I intend going in March once I know the strike dates.

A bit depressing if you think there will be strikes in March.

 

[philthetube]

There is that, of course, but there really is little point in buying one several months in Advance - that's just giving a loan to the company you buy it from (nothing will be distributed to other TOCs before the start date.

Unless you are buying to avoid a price increase.

 

[Springs Branch]

There is that, of course, but there really is little point in buying one several months in Advance - that's just giving a loan to the company you buy it from (nothing will be distributed to other TOCs before the start date.

Surely if you were confident in your travel dates (e.g. you needed to book time off work well in advance) and knew there was to be a fare increase within the intervening period, you might save a few quid buying at the "old" fare - especially if opting for one of the more expensive 14 day and/or First Class versions.

Say the cost of the ALRs goes up by around 5.9% in March, that's somewhere between an extra £22 (7-day Standard Class ALR with railcard discount) to £78 (14-day First Class without railcard, currently @ £1,323).

 

[greyman42]

It's just designed to make it a bit inconvenient to use as a substitute long distance season ticket (or for something like London-Manchester, just to use it as an Anytime Return) after Lord Adonis talking about it a bit too much led to people buying it for that purpose.

Was the price of the all line rover ever reduced to reflect the significant restrictions that were imposed?

 

[Surreytraveller]

Thd

A bit depressing if you think there will be strikes in March.

The current round of industrial action has been going on since summer last year (probably longer, cannot remember now)

 

[Hadders]

I seem to recall ALRs increase their prices in May. Perhaps someone closer to this than me can confirm.

 

[Haywain]

Was the price of the all line rover ever reduced to reflect the significant restrictions that were imposed?

Don't be silly.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Was the price of the all line rover ever reduced to reflect the significant restrictions that were imposed?

In the grand scheme of things the restrictions are not that onerous, and there was a period of a couple of years back in the 00s when the price didn't go up at all

 

[Rover]

I seem to recall ALRs increase their prices in May. Perhaps someone closer to this than me can confirm.

This year they increased on the 5th of March but there was no increase in 2022 probably due to the economic climate.
You are correct, previously they have increased in May.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Dec 2023 ==

In the grand scheme of things the restrictions are not that onerous, and there was a period of a couple of years back in the 00s when the price didn't go up at all

You're right, checking back there was no increase in 2021 or 2022.

 

[43096]

In the grand scheme of things the restrictions are not that onerous, and there was a period of a couple of years back in the 00s when the price didn't go up at all

The ALR is an exceptionally poor value product, though.

 

[Flying Snail]

The ALR is an exceptionally poor value product, though.

If it was the same price for a flexi ticket then it would be a very expensive, niche leisure product.

As it currently exists it is hard to see who except a hardcore track basher could get genuine value out of it.

 

[thedbdiboy]

The ALR is an exceptionally poor value product, though.

That's a very broad brush comment. It's kept going because there is a specific market who find it is excellent value for money for their purposes.

If it was the same price for a flexi ticket then it would be a very expensive, niche leisure product.

As it currently exists it is hard to see who except a hardcore track basher could get genuine value out of it.

Bingo, I think that's the specific market.

 

[metrail]

That's a very broad brush comment. It's kept going because there is a specific market who find it is excellent value for money for their purposes.

Bingo, I think that's the specific market.

Definitely will be track bashing

 

[JonathanH]

As it currently exists it is hard to see who except a hardcore track basher could get genuine value out of it.

Not even sure it is of use to a track basher. To get genuine value you really need to be travelling long distance every day, with a need to be in distinct areas of the country each day or be trying to clock up huge mileage on a particular type of long distance train. Tickets for a more concentrated area of the country are more use, and better value, in most cases.

 

[metrail]

Not even sure it is of use to a track basher. To get genuine value you really need to be travelling long distance every day, with a need to be in distinct areas of the country each day or be trying to clock up huge mileage on a particular type of long distance train. Tickets for a more concentrated area of the country are more use, and better value, in most cases.

If you are going up an down the country and having the freedom to go whereever, it is of great value especially with a railcard and first class utilisation. The ideas of 'value', depends on the individual and there are so many variations that make it valuable. Concentrated area are too restrictive especially since area rovers exclude London and are not first class

 

[43096]

If you are going up an down the country and having the freedom to go whereever, it is of great value especially with a railcard and first class utilisation. The ideas of 'value', depends on the individual and there are so many variations that make it valuable. Concentrated area are too restrictive especially since area rovers exclude London and are not first class

Given it's possible to buy a first class 15-day Interrail valid in 30+ countries for £60 less than the 7-day standard class all-line, then I stand by my comment that the all line is exceptionally poor value. The whole experience is much more enjoyable around the rest of Europe, too.

 

[thedbdiboy]

Interrail is valid in this country too, provided you live abroad - the whole point being that it is not valid in the country of origin, it is for visitors and is not intended to abstract from domestic travel. Similar to BritRail. So not really comparing like-for-like.