Harringay to Stevenage doubleback confusion.

[north]

Hello,

The National Rail website seems to imply that a doubleback at Finsbury Park is valid. However I can't find an easement that allows this.

Is the national rail correct? If so I'd be really grateful if someone knowledgeable could explain why.

Thanks

 

[John @ home]

The National Rail website seems to imply that a doubleback at Finsbury Park is valid. However I can't find an easement that allows this.

Is the national rail correct?

Hi, north, welcome to the forum.

The Routeing Points for Harringay are Finsbury Park and Stevenage.
Stevenage is a member of Stevenage Group Routeing Point.
Hence Harringay and Stevenage have a common Routeing Point - Stevenage Group.
Therefore the following applies:

Common Routeing Points
If the origin and destination have a common routeing point, the permitted route is direct via the shortest distance from the origin to the destination over which a regular scheduled passenger train service operates. No doubling back (passing through the same station twice on a single journey) is allowed which may require customers to change trains short of the routeing point, unless an easement allows a longer alternative route.

So Harringay - Stevenage via Finsbury Park is not permitted unless there is a relevant easement. At present, there is no such easement. But I wonder if there is a typo here:

Easements
030130 Journey from Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh park, New barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmonds park, Welham Green, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North and Knebworth to Hitchin and beyond may travel via Stevenage. This easement applies in both directions.

As it stands, this easement is unnecessary and one struggles to make any sense of it. But if Stevenage should actually read Finsbury Park, then it makes more sense and also resolves your issue.

 

[Bill Badger]

Hi, north,Hence Finsbury Park and Stevenage have a common Routeing Point - Stevenage Group.

Don't you mean Harringey rather than Finsbury Park?

 

[north]

Hi, north, welcome to the forum.

The Routeing Points for Harringay are Finsbury Park and Stevenage.
Stevenage is a member of Stevenage Group Routeing Point.
Hence Finsbury Park and Stevenage have a common Routeing Point - Stevenage Group.
Therefore the following applieso Harringay - Stevenage via Finsbury Park is not permitted unless there is a relevant easement. At present, there is no such easement.

Thanks for the welcome.

I see - I'm beginning to understand how the routing points work. As far as I can make out there are two valid routes. ECML with a change at Potters Bar, Hatfield or Welwyn GC (shortest route) or via the Hertford Loop (direct service rule). However during the day these services are mostly overtaken by doubling back. As such the national rail website never routes you on a valid route unless you specify "direct only" or tweak some other settings.

But I wonder if there is a typo here:As it stands, this easement is unnecessary and one struggles to make any sense of it. But if Stevenage should actually read Finsbury Park, then it makes more sense and also resolves your issue.

Interesting. I'd also read that and not understood the point. Are typos on easements common? Also I've heard that retaining a print-out of the nationalrail journey planner results is normally enough to satisy an enthusiastic revenue protection officer. What happens when the national rail journey planner and the routeing guide disagree?

 

[John @ home]

Don't you mean Harringey rather than Finsbury Park?

Yes. Thanks for pointing it out. Post edited.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What happens when the national rail journey planner and the routeing guide disagree?

Then there is a conflict in consumer terms. The law dictates how this conflict is resolved.

The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999
Written contracts
7. - (1) A seller or supplier shall ensure that any written term of a contract is expressed in plain, intelligible language.
(2) If there is doubt about the meaning of a written term, the interpretation which is most favourable to the consumer shall prevail but this rule shall not apply in proceedings brought under regulation 12.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19992083.htm

Regulation 12 is about injunctions to prevent continued use of unfair terms.