LNER potential anomaly

[KatieLouLou]

If anyone from LNER is listening...

Interesting one on my train the other day. Colchester to Leeds Super Off Peak single (no returns as this is LNER)... there is an any permitted routing, via London, which carries restriction 9D and therefore puts restrictions on travel via London Terminals. However it seems it is perfectly fine to use direct to Peterborough and to join the LNER train there, therefore being able to use it in the morning as you haven't routed via London.

Conductor hasn't checked tickets prior to Peterborough so attempts to excess the passenger stating the Super Off Peak isn't valid...

The Not via London fare equivalent carries a 3V restriction so is barred before 9.30...

Although the Anytime Single Not via London fare is only marginally more expensive that the Super Off Peak via London it seems there is no need to ever offer one...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Probably best not to post about this sort of anomaly. Give it a week or so and it will be fixed (in the railway's favour)

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

It is valid, but I suspect the restriction will end up being changed to something like Avanti's 2C which contains a list of other restrictions depending on your route/operator, e.g.

It has all the 2C specific time restrictions then cross references lots of others.

For Off-Peak travel via Hereford, Oxford & Newport see Restriction GK/GO/GN.

For Super Off-Peak travel via Hereford, Oxford & Newport see Restriction 2Q/GQ/GP.

For journeys to/via Birmingham on Cross Country see restriction code 2V.

Journeys between London and Liverpool are not valid via Manchester

Although this approach is not customer friendly at all and can be difficult to follow.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Did you manage to generate an itinerary for this from an online retailer? Sorry I can see this was not you but someone else on your train.

When you say "seems perfectly fine to go direct to Peterborough" what do you mean by this? I can see one direct train a day at 05:40, via Ipswich (other times of day require a change at Ipswich or Stowmarket).

Trainsplit offers the SSS fare £86.80 for via Ipswich itineraries anyway.

The restriction text reported by BR Fares restricts use at Kings Cross and Stevenage only, so no restriction from Peterborough. I interpret that this is deliberate and intended rather than an anomaly! Contra-flow commuting isn't particularly popular out of Kings Cross in the morning, but certainly by Peterborough short distance passengers will have vacated and it seems reasonable for a long distance route going nowhere near London to be off peak by 07:52 in the morning

What time is off peak is defined by the ticket and the journey and not always where the train may have previously called or will call!

SUPER OFFPEAK S
SSS
Route
✠ANY PERMITTED
Validity
ON DATE SHOWN
Restrictions
9D SUPER OFF-PEAK FROM LDN & SVG
Adult
£86.80
Child
£43.40
NOT VALID EX LNDN PRE 0906&1459-1859 M-TH (1815 F)
Ticket issued from: COLCHESTER/C TWN
Fare Setter: LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY

 

[yorkie]

If anyone from LNER is listening...

Interesting one on my train the other day. Colchester to Leeds Super Off Peak single (no returns as this is LNER)... there is an any permitted routing, via London, which carries restriction 9D and therefore puts restrictions on travel via London Terminals. However it seems it is perfectly fine to use direct to Peterborough and to join the LNER train there, therefore being able to use it in the morning as you haven't routed via London.

Conductor hasn't checked tickets prior to Peterborough so attempts to excess the passenger stating the Super Off Peak isn't valid...

The Not via London fare equivalent carries a 3V restriction so is barred before 9.30...

Perfectly valid; the Guard is wrong to charge an excess fare. Did the passenger refuse to pay the excess (which was presumably £7.40)?

Although the Anytime Single Not via London fare is only marginally more expensive that the Super Off Peak via London it seems there is no need to ever offer one...

Unless the passenger requires the two day validity of an Anytime Single, then yes the £94.20 Anytime Single should not be sold, as the £86.80 Super Off Peak is valid.

However I suspect LNER will change the restrictions shortly; but anyone who buys a ticket under the terms of the current T&Cs will still be contractually allowed to travel at that time.

Unfortunately there are insufficient safeguards in place at companies such as LNER to ensure that their staff are not incorrectly issuing excess fares to valid ticket holders.

 

[Royston Vasey]

It's not what I'd consider a particularly great value fare, even though it's £100 cheaper than the Anytime valid via London which is dragged up by the London-Leeds peak pricing.

You can get various Anytime Singles (not via London) from places like Norwich for £84.50, Cambridge £79.70, Great Yarmouth £89, Ipswich itself for £89.50 (also restriction 9D at London and Stevenage), Ely for £80.00.

So it's very consistent for other fares via Ely valid in the early morning, all of which are priced by LNER. No anomaly here, IMHO. The Super Off Peak nature of the ticket is to restrict use out of London and this is exactly what the restriction does.

In effect, it's almost a hybrid "Anytime Single Not Via London" and "Super Off Peak via London" ticket.

The guard of course was completely wrong, and an appeal would succeed. If I was there as a bystander I'd probably have quickly generated an itinerary out of sheer nosiness and pointed this out to the guard, alongside the restriction codes.

That assumes the passenger did indeed take the train via Ipswich!