Bradford to Liverpool - Valid Routes

[xotGD]

Hi All,

I am planning on using a Northern complimentary return ticket to visit Liverpool. I was wondering whether travel via Wigan or Preston then Wigan would be valid.

If anyone who understands the routing guide can let me know, I would be most grateful.

Thank you!

 

[jfollows]

Per map VN at https://data.atoc.org/routeing-maps

Plus shortest route, or route within 3 miles of this, in the unlikely but not impossible event that the shortest route isn't covered on this map.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jul 2024 ==

I am planning on using a Northern complimentary return ticket to visit Liverpool. I was wondering whether travel via Wigan or Preston then Wigan would be valid.

No, not mapped routes anyway.
Essentially via Rochdale or Huddersfield to Manchester, then via Warrington Central or Saint Helens to Liverpool, with the option of the route to Liverpool Central if going via Warrington also.
Also via Leeds then Huddersfield is allowed, more obvious if you're using Forster Square I guess.

 

[30907]

A (Northern) complimentary return ticket doesn't have to be between two places where a fare already exists, surely? You could write Liverpool via Wigan?
My trip from Shipley to Whitby a couple of years ago was definitely not via York

 

[raveon]

In my experience when using a Northern comp ticket (dozens over the years), you are OK as long as you are travelling in vaguely the right direction

 

[yorkie]

Hi All,

I am planning on using a Northern complimentary return ticket to visit Liverpool. I was wondering whether travel via Wigan or Preston then Wigan would be valid.

If anyone who understands the routing guide can let me know, I would be most grateful.

Thank you!

I recieved this in 2019:

This will allow you a free return journey anywhere on the Northern Network, so long as you travel only on Northern Trains (you'd have to buy a ticket for any non-Northern elements of the journey, if there are any). These don't have an expiry date, and can be used as either as a same-day or open return ticket (up to 30-days after the outbound journey) so long as the dates are entered on the voucher for the outbound journey.

Please access the following link to download an up to date map of all Northern routes: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/network-map

By utilising a really good planning website called Fast Journey Planner (http://www.fastjp.com/#new?) you can plan a journey to and from anywhere, and more importantly you can select to either use only or exclude certain rail operators, so if you enter your preferred journey, click on 'Transport Operators', select 'Only use Selected Operators' from the menu and then select 'Northern', when you then hit the 'Search for Trains' button it will only find journeys that include Northern trains, and no other, making it easier to plan a trip and make the most out of your vouchers. This will only plot a single journey, to don't forget to plan your return as well.

What day are you travelling?

Here are some example itineraries:

Planner - Results - FastJP

fastjp.com

I don't think the Routeing Guide applies; just apply a bit of common sense and you'll be fine!

 

[xotGD]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm probably going next Wednesday or Thursday.

I'll go armed with a few printed itineraries, just in case!

 

[Merseysider]

Really can’t imagine any Northern guard batting an eyelid at you going via Preston.

Just watch out for cancellations. Northern are better on weekdays but not fully reliable just yet.

 

[xotGD]

Postscript:

I finally got round to making a trip to Liverpool yesterday with a Northern complimentary ticket.

I returned via Preston, using an itinerary I'd obtained from FastJP.

As it turned out, I wasn't gripped Liverpool to Preston or Preston to Bradford.