Help Requested : Preston - Warrington

[433N]

I'm wanting to do a trip Preston - Wigan North Western - Warrington but the ticketing looks a bit of a nightmare.

If I buy a ticket Preston - Warrington then I only get offered VTWC services but I'd like to travel by 319 (NT) to Wigan and then VTWC Wigan - Warrington. Presumably I can do this by the 'shortest route' rule. However, I'm then not sure about pricing since tickets on Preston - Wigan are offered cheaper on VTWC than on NT.

If I add to this the fact that Preston - St Helens Jn is quoted cheaper than Preston - Warrington BQ even though it involves a change at Warrington BQ ...

Do you think I would be okay buying Preston - St Helens Jn and travelling on 319 Preston to Wigan ?

PS : Could anyone confirm that there are no ticket barriers at Warrington BQ (and Central - might pop over) - I will have a ticket but don't want to get into a long discussion on it if I can avoid it.

 

[Kite159]

I believe there are no barriers at Warrington BQ, but there is some at Warrington Central.

You are probably only getting offered VTWC services as they are the only operator between Wigan NW & Warrington BQ, but as long as the ticket doesn't bar break of journey, then the only ticket I can see on BR Fares are "Any permitted", so you are free to sample a 319 from Preston to Wigan. NRE is giving routing to St Helens Junction/Earlestown with a change at Warrington Bank Quay so stopping short shouldn't be a problem.

 

[433N]

Many thanks for the response Kite - reassuring that you can find no flaw in my logic.

Bit of a downer about barriers at Warrington Central. National Rail doesn't show them but it seems like exactly the kind of station that would ... and I can see where they probably are from the map even though they don't show on the photos.

 

[Kite159]

Many thanks for the response Kite - reassuring that you can find no flaw in my logic.

Bit of a downer about barriers at Warrington Central. National Rail doesn't show them but it seems like exactly the kind of station that would ... and I can see where they probably are from the map even though they don't show on the photos.

They are quite recent so NRE hasn't probably been updated since they were installed.