Chester to Northampton

[connor7777]

I am going there later this year, I notice there are no return fares available, why I dont know

Any advice on the cheapest day return fares plaes, i do not mind splitting.

 

[cuccir]

There do appear to be return tickets, but for some reason the booking engines seem to think that they are not valid for the majority of the day, including the Anytime Return! Something odd is going on there...

When are you going (date and time of day), do you have or are eligible for any railcards, and how willing are you to travel around on slower/longer routes? All of these effect what options you will have!

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Edit - I wonder if this is because the booking engines are trying to send you on an invalid route?

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Edit - 2. Indeed, success! The ticket is NOT valid via Milton Keynes, but (as this route is quicker) the booking engines all suggest that you travel via Milton Keynes. To find times for the return ticket, click search with condition 'avoid Milton Kenyes Central'

The routeing guide easements covers this specifically, in fact:
"700066 Customers travelling from Northampton to Rugby and beyond may not travel via Milton Keynes. This easement applies in both directions."

 

[dzug2]

Must be a temporary glitch as a £46 off peak return is showing up now.

AFAICS all trains are off peak for this ticket

But splitting at Birmingham can reduce that to under £30 on off peak day returns - but in this case there are peak restrictions

 

[LexyBoy]

AFAICS all trains are off peak for this ticket

Restriction 2T - not valid on trains timed to depart before 0415 M-F. I'm guessing that one's not priced by VT then

 

[cuccir]

Must be a temporary glitch as a £46 off peak return is showing up now.

They do at certain times (where via MK is not the quickest option) and in certain booking engines, but not in others.

The OP has exposed a small flaw, really, in the NRE booking engine: when the return ticket is not available it simply says "no return fares available"; it probably ought to state "no return fares available for these journey times" if returns do exist for other routes/times. A passenger could, as the OP did, reasonably presume that 'no return fares available' means that there is no return ticket for the route.

 

[bb21]

Restriction 2T - not valid on trains timed to depart before 0415 M-F. I'm guessing that one's not priced by VT then

On the contrary, I think it would be priced by VT. There are some odd restrictions along the Trent Valley routes with 2T, eg. Nuneaton - Manchester is 2V, whereas Nuneaton - Liverpool via Manchester is 2T iirc, where LM off-peak fares tend to be restricted.

 

[SS4]

Chester to Crewe is £9.70 anytime (day?) return
Crewe to Northampton is covered by the West Midlands day ranger (from 9am M-F) - £20.

 

[AlterEgo]

Restriction 2T is priced by Virgin Trains.

 

[dzug2]

Restriction 2T - not valid on trains timed to depart before 0415 M-F. I'm guessing that one's not priced by VT then

Given there are (currently) no such trains it's a bit academic

 

[bb21]

Given there are (currently) no such trains it's a bit academic

Wasn't it created for the same reason as ones such as 8E?

 

[island]

How about 8A?

 

[AlterEgo]

Restriction 8A:

Outward Travel

Valid by any train.

Break of journey is not permitted except to change trains at an intermediate station or to access station facilities.

Return travel

Valid by any train.

 

[button_boxer]

So 2T is essentially 8A but without the restriction on outward break of journey.

 

[tony_mac]

The routeing guide easements covers this specifically, in fact:
"700066 Customers travelling from Northampton to Rugby and beyond may not travel via Milton Keynes. This easement applies in both directions."

is that 'easement' recent? There are still 'route Long Buckby' fares from the North West, which would make the Any Permitted a pointless expense.

It looks like a London-Midland-only super-off-peak (e.g. from Crewe) is valid at any time Southbound - provided that you don't take a service that terminates in London. (hence travel via Birmingham). Return would have to be before 4:30 or after 7:30.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/OPS_LK.pdf

 

[yorkie]

is that 'easement' recent? There are still 'route Long Buckby' fares from the North West, which would make the Any Permitted a pointless expense.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/OPS_LK.pdf

Indeed.

There is good evidence that the people who set the fares, don't always communicate well with the people who set valid routes.

Also the people who set valid routes don't seem to look at the fares, nor do they seem to consult the timetable to determine the quickest, most reasonable route either.

This means that some journeys are ludicrously overpriced, while some are underpriced.

There are fares that imply additional validity but when you look at the RG, there is none. In these situations guards tend to apply common sense!