Are rail rovers valid on rail-sponsored bus links?

[CaptainHaddock]

I'm off on a North West Rover next week and am planning to take a trip to Keswick on one of the days.

On the National Rail website, Keswick is listed as a destination and has a three letter code (KWK), which seems to imply that the bus link from Penrith is rail-sponsored.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/LDS/KWK/171011/0800/dep

Indeed, I recall it used to be shown in the National Rail Timetable as a sub-timetable of table 65 for the WCML.

So does this mean that a North West Rover might be valid on the bus as well? I suspect the answer's probably no, but if you don't ask, you don't get!

 

[wintonian]

Only on bus substitutions as far as I am aware unless it is something like the Highland Rover where certain bus links are explicitly included.

 

[142094]

No, unless it is stated in the literature provided. There are a few bus links in the North East and Yorkshire, such as Darlington - Catterick Garrison, York - Pickering and Whitby etc which appear in the timetables but rovers are not valid.

In some cases you might be able to buy a rail ticket to a destination such as this (note not a PlusBus), but rovers are usually not valid.

 

[First class]

You can use any valid rail rover/ranger for free travel on the Chester Citylink shuttle...

Other than that, if it doesn't specifically mention validity on buses in the promotional material, it isn't valid...

 

[supervalkoinen]

You can use any valid rail rover/ranger for free travel on the Chester Citylink shuttle...

Other than that, if it doesn't specifically mention validity on buses in the promotional material, it isn't valid...

..any valid rail ticket.....
...for the time being at least.

 

[headshot119]

Although they have never asked to see my ticket on the Chester bus.

 

[323235]

I just usually walk on the Chester buslink without showing any kind of ticket.

 

[martinsh]

I just usually walk on the Chester buslink without showing any kind of ticket.

Obviously, since Chester is gated and may well have swallowed your ticket !

 

[Intermodal]

In my experience, the driver of the Chester bus does not care if you are a rail passenger or not, you can just get on.

 

[First class]

..any valid rail ticket.....
...for the time being at least.

Not sure what you mean by "for time being"...

First have lost the contract (expires in December IRRC) and Helms of Eastham have won it.

Chester Council, Merseyrail, Virgin, Northern and Arriva each pay £12,000 a year to run the service.

£60,000 a year...

Pennies really in the grand scheme of things.

It won't be withdrawn any time soon, nor will it be chargeable for at least another year. It is 50p still for non-rail users, but the drivers don't even carry floats so I suspect nobody ever pays.

 

[Welshman]

In my experience, the driver of the Chester bus does not care if you are a rail passenger or not, you can just get on.

I suspect that coming towards the end of a whole shift of just driving Chester station to City centre and back, s/he'd be simply past caring!!