Manchester United

[Oswyntail]

My wife and son are travelling to Manchester United tomorrow, hoping to use a train to the match-day station. They have tickets to Manchester Stations - will they need an extra fare, or is the halt covered?

 

[PermitToTravel]

They'll need returns there at £4.20 each. Overdistance excesses may be available depending on their tickets - these would likely be cheaper.

 

[First class]

They'll need returns there at £4.20 each. Overdistance excesses may be available depending on their tickets - these would likely be cheaper.

MUFC has nearly no through ticketing defined, except for stations within Greater Manchester. It isn't included in any clusters or groups.

The vast majority of people will need to buy the £4.20 ticket. It is very unlikely there will be a fare available to excess to.

Presumably this is to enable TfGM or Northern to recoup the costs of these additional, and non franchised services.

 

[Oswyntail]

Thanks all - I will issue them with extra pocket money

 

[jkdd77]

Assuming the OP is travelling via Manchester Stations, without having originally passed through Manchester United FC halt, could the OP not buy a CDR from the relevant Manchester station to Trafford Park and 'stop short'? These fares seem to be in the region of £2.10 return.

 

[greatkingrat]

In which case he could just get an excess to Trafford Park. Depending on the origin, this may well cost nothing.

 

[John @ home]

could the OP not buy a CDR from the relevant Manchester station to Trafford Park and 'stop short'?

No. It is not possible to travel by rail from Manchester to Trafford Park via the Manchester United FC Halt platform (without reversing twice). It is therefore not an intermediate station. I would be very surprised if a Manchester - Trafford Park ticket were accepted for a Manchester - Manchester United FC Halt journey.

 

[greatkingrat]

According to this map MUFC is between Deansgate and Trafford Park. Trains to Trafford Park pass within a few feet of the platform.

I don't think it is reasonable to expect passengers to consult a Quail map before travelling to see what the exact layout of crossovers is at a station.

 

[PermitToTravel]

It does raise the more general question of how we determine whether a train goes via a station - Chesterfield to Sheffield via Dore & Totley? London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly via Watford High Street and Ardwick?

I would personally be happy to use a ticket to Trafford Park to alight at MUFC

 

[lyndhurst25]

On this map, Northern Rail have MUFC station on its own little branch line -

http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/network_map/NR_NetworkMap_2014.pdf

According to this map, Carnforth station is on the WCML, But Dore & Totley is not on the MML!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

It is not possible to go from Manchester United F C Halt to Trafford Park without at least going to Deansgate. It would therefore be a double back if your journey was via Manchester, which is not permitted by the Routeing Guide (unless you can find an easement). It is approximately 2 miles from Deansgate to Old Trafford, meaning it is very unlikely to be within three miles of the shortest route and trains that stop at Trafford Park do not stop at Manchester United F C Halt.

 

[Starmill]

It is not possible to go from Manchester United F C Halt to Trafford Park without at least going to Deansgate. It would therefore be a double back if your journey was via Manchester, which is not permitted by the Routeing Guide (unless you can find an easement). It is approximately 2 miles from Deansgate to Old Trafford, meaning it is very unlikely to be within three miles of the shortest route and trains that stop at Trafford Park do not stop at Manchester United F C Halt.

And yet there is a fare from Trafford Park to Manchester FC! So how does one complete that journey?

 

[bb21]

And yet there is a fare from Trafford Park to Manchester FC! So how does one complete that journey?

Via Deansgate/Oxford Road judging by the fare charged.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
That question has no relevance to what hairyhandedfool said though.

His point is that if you are coming from somewhere beyond Manchester, let's say Leeds for argument's sake, stopping short on a Leeds - Trafford Park ticket at Man U Halt would require Leeds - Man U Halt - Trafford Park to be a permitted route on this ticket, which is unlikely, as there is a doubleback at Deansgate, and the route is not going to be within 3 miles of the shortest route between Leeds and Trafford Park.

 

[Starmill]

I understand fully what the point of it is. I merely sought to point out that following this logic to the letter suggest there are no permitted routes for some journeys, which can obviously never be the case. The £4.20 fare is perfectly reasonable and in support of the continued operation of football trains, I think it's actually a sensible way to charge people for this journey. It's hardly extortionate after all and the station is what you call convenient for the ground.

There are some surprising inclusions on the list of fares... like Crewe.

 

[bb21]

Eh?

Trafford Park - Deansgate - Man U FC is a permitted route for a Trafford - Man U FC ticket as that is the shortest route.