"Inter-available stations"

[willmow]

I'm going to Haverfordwest from London, but having to return from Fishguard (due to the unavailability of buses on a Sunday). By chance (i.e. not through any info provided by Arriva Wales) I have come across the concept of inter-available stations which, apparently, allows you to do an "open jaw" return trip, i.e. travel to one station and return from a different one within the same "inter-available" grouping of stations. In my case, Haverfordwest and Fishguard are regarded as inter-available for the purposes of Super Off Peak ticketing.

Questions: how on earth are punters supposed to know about these arcane concepts if no info is available? Does every train operator operate such a policy? Does anyone know of any map that shows these inter-available groupings?

 

[Romilly]

See para.3.8 of the forum's Fares & Ticketing guide.

 

[willmow]

Thank you. Sadly, the fact that info is available somewhere does not imply that staff/passengers know about it. I come from a country - Switzerland, where else? - where ticketing is to a very large extent transparent and integrated, where it takes a few seconds to book a trip, secure in the knowledge that the price you're paying is correct and does not depend on when you book, where you book or whether there's an 'r' in the month.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thank you. Sadly, the fact that info is available somewhere does not imply that staff/passengers know about it. I come from a country - Switzerland, where else? - where ticketing is to a very large extent transparent and integrated, where it takes a few seconds to book a trip, secure in the knowledge that the price you're paying is correct and does not depend on when you book, where you book or whether there's an 'r' in the month.

I'm afraid our ticketing system is vastly more complicated for a variety of reasons, not least because of the fact that many complexities date back to the says when lines were operated by the different companies which built them, and then the Big Four, and BR's different sectors. Obviously the fragmentation of the industry into twenty-something different TOCs has also not helped, with each of them having different offerings and policies.

 

[OwlMan]

See para.3.8 of the forum's Fares & Ticketing guide.

That file is out of date. An updated file is attached

 

[willmow]

Indeed. The Swiss see an integrated public transportation system as a national asset that should benefit the public, mitigate pollution and promote social cohesiveness. Obvious basket cases....

 

[ainsworth74]

That file is out of date. An updated file is attached

I have updated the copy held in the Fares Guide.

 

[willmow]

Noted!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Is there an official source for that interavailability guide? i.e. something to point less well-informed staff members towards in the event of a dispute?

 

[ainsworth74]

As far as I'm aware it comes from the Internal Knowledge Base but @OwlMan will hopefully be able to confirm.

 

[OwlMan]

As far as I'm aware it comes from the Internal Knowledge Base but @OwlMan will hopefully be able to confirm.

Yes it comes from the iKB. Staff should have access to it.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Thanks. Sounds like it ought to be made available to the general public somehow, as it's a useful thing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I notice a load of those are for Seasons only. I wonder why they don't just issue them as AAA (Also Available At) so it is more transparent?

 

[swt_passenger]

I notice a load of those are for Seasons only. I wonder why they don't just issue them as AAA (Also Available At) so it is more transparent?

I guess many of them wouldn’t be printable on a single coupon.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Does every train operator operate such a policy?

The widely available one is "London Terminals" where you can arrive at one and depart from another. Many destinations a little outside London have two routes or more to central London.

 

[30907]

The widely available one is "London Terminals" where you can arrive at one and depart from another. Many destinations a little outside London have two routes or more to central London.

But that's shown on the ticket, the ones being referred to aren't.

 

[Hadders]

I checked the validity of the Kyle/Mallaig local easement with Scotrail earlier this year and they confirmed that the local routeing guide easements still apply. Apparently the RDG had never heard of them although the Kyle/Mallaig one has now made it into the official easements list.

The useless Serco refuses to accept it on their sleeper services but I'm not actually sure they are legally allowed to refuse it.

Can operator restrictions be applied to an Any Permitted ticket by the use of a Routeing Guide Easement?....

 

[PeterC]

SNIP

Questions: how on earth are punters supposed to know about these arcane concepts if no info is available? Does every train operator operate such a policy? Does anyone know of any map that shows these inter-available groupings?

See para.3.8 of the forum's Fares & Ticketing guide.

Doesn't answer the question of how the public are supposed to find out.

 

[furlong]

Doesn't answer the question of how the public are supposed to find out.

Ask the relevant train companies this directly, reminding them of their legal obligations under consumer law. (I.e. Is it likely that any types of passengers are paying more than necessary for their tickets due to a failure of the company?) If the answer is unsatisfactory, refer the matter to the ORR for investigation (and ultimately prosecution if the TOCs knowingly are doing nothing about it).

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Ask the relevant train companies this directly, reminding them of their legal obligations under consumer law. (I.e. Is it likely that any types of passengers are paying more than necessary for their tickets due to a failure of the company?) If the answer is unsatisfactory, refer the matter to the ORR for investigation (and ultimately prosecution if the TOCs knowingly are doing nothing about it).

Pigs will fly before anything like an ORR prosecution of a TOC occurs!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The widely available one is "London Terminals" where you can arrive at one and depart from another. Many destinations a little outside London have two routes or more to central London.

There are plenty of X Stations which work similarly.

 

[furlong]

Pigs will fly before anything like an ORR prosecution of a TOC occurs!

If the ORR failed to act, then there's follow up with Trading Standards (which should also be able act but would normally expect the ORR to take the initiative) - or the DfT.

 

[Hadders]

Be careful what you wish for - the TOCs will just withdraw the inter-availability and call it simplification.

Sometimes you have to do your homework.

 

[Be3G]

That file is out of date. An updated file is attached

Goodness me, I've never looked at that document before (although I was familiar with the concept) and I've only just discovered from scrolling through it that my two most local stations where I used to live have a completely unpublicised inter-availability arrangement. That would have been so useful!