Circular Services

[Mark_re]

Hi all,

This question might be a bit academic, since I'm not sure any such services may exist, but the Salisbury - Romsey - Southampton - Eastleigh - Romsey got me thinking. A ticket from Chandler's Ford to Romsey would appear to be valid via Southampton Central, since the direct train rule would allow it (i.e. going the long way around the circle). I was dismayed to find that a weekly season from Chandler's Ford to Romsey is more expensive than from Chandler's Ford to Soton. Presumably to stop people from doing exactly what I was thinking about...

So my question is: are there any circular services where two stations are very close, but that a ticket would be valid the 'long-way-round', saving money as it's a direct train?

Mark

 

[142094]

The Fife Circle is one that comes to mind the stop before Rosyth to Rosyth (can never remember what that stop is) is valid when on the LHCS train in the evening as it is a direct service (similarly buying an Edinburgh - Rosyth return gets you all the way around).

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi all,

This question might be a bit academic, since I'm not sure any such services may exist, but the Salisbury - Romsey - Southampton - Eastleigh - Romsey got me thinking. A ticket from Chandler's Ford to Romsey would appear to be valid via Southampton Central, since the direct train rule would allow it (i.e. going the long way around the circle). I was dismayed to find that a weekly season from Chandler's Ford to Romsey is more expensive than from Chandler's Ford to Soton. Presumably to stop people from doing exactly what I was thinking about...

Mark

An anytime single from Chandlers Ford to Romsey is more expensive than to Southampton - and IIRC there are still a number of fare anomalies on the Salisbury 6 service...

A Romsey to Eastleigh single is far more expensive than Romsey to Southampton, so there's little point in anyone from Romsey buying an Eastleigh ticket - it has been suggested in the past that some of the relative pricing hasn't changed since before the service was possible, ie Romsey to Eastleigh had to be via Southampton.

 

[Eng274]

The Fife Circle is one that comes to mind the stop before Rosyth to Rosyth (can never remember what that stop is) is valid when on the LHCS train in the evening as it is a direct service (similarly buying an Edinburgh - Rosyth return gets you all the way around).

Inverkeithing to Rosyth tickets are valid the long way round the Fife Circle as well as the short way, and on a Sunday the fact you can get from places like Dunfermline from Edinburgh on the anti-clockwise circle is highlighted by the guards on occasion, to passengers trying to change at inverkething to go the clockwise way on the circle. Since they only operate every 2 hours on a Sunday it is quicker to go the long way round than waiting for the next more direct service.

It's less common the rest of the week as most services stop short at Cowdenbeath or Markinch rather than complete the loop.

 

[island]

How about the Southeastern area from Lewisham to Dartford where there are three routes? There is a restriction saying one cannot travel on a ticket to/from London via any two of Sidcup, Bexleyheath, or Erith, but I can't see any reason why one could not travel from (say) Lewisham to Greenwich via Sidcup, as there is a through train.

 

[MikeWh]

How about the Southeastern area from Lewisham to Dartford where there are three routes? There is a restriction saying one cannot travel on a ticket to/from London via any two of Sidcup, Bexleyheath, or Erith, but I can't see any reason why one could not travel from (say) Lewisham to Greenwich via Sidcup, as there is a through train.

You could, but any sane person would hop on a DLR! A potential problem might be buying a ticket from Lewisham to Charlton and using it to travel to Crayford. However, the introduction of Oyster has mitigated these problems in the local area because when you break your journey you get charged for what you've done. And if you were to be mad and go the long way round you might well fall foul of the maximum journey time.

 

[westcoaster]

What about streatham to tooting via sutton.

 

[tbtc]

there are still a number of fare anomalies on the Salisbury 6 service...

The problem is that if these were ever tackled to match current provision, there'd be one fare which rose by a significant amount and the media would grab this as their headline figure.

I remember the fuss a few years ago when Midland Mainline put their fares up by 26% - except that the real increase was only inflationary, but they changed the Sheffield - Kettering First Class ticket by 26% to put it in line with Wellingborough/ Bedford (etc) fares. Something like that anyway. Maybe its easier for TOCs to put up with these anomolies than to risk the negative publicity of putting them "right"

 

[scotsman]

The Fife Circle is one that comes to mind the stop before Rosyth to Rosyth (can never remember what that stop is) is valid when on the LHCS train in the evening as it is a direct service (similarly buying an Edinburgh - Rosyth return gets you all the way around).

Inverkeithing. Or Divit, as those who attend Inverkeithing High call it.

 

[142094]

Inverkeithing. Or Divit, as those who attend Inverkeithing High call it.

That's the one. Will have to remember it for next time.