Northampton - Whitehaven advice please

[OhNoAPacer]

When booking Whitehaven to Northampton return I noticed that the options for the return give two options, the expected one NMP to Birmingham direct, but also to travel NMP to Milton Keynes then MK to Crewe to pick up the Birmingham to Scotland service.
Now, I had thought that the route via MK was a negative easement, so did I misunderstand this or has the easement been lifted?
The actual reason I ask is that generally when returning I plan to get the 07:55 NMP to BHM, but it is not unknown for me to just miss it, in those circumstances, assuming I have an off peak return and not an advance, could I catch the 08:05 Euston service and do the NMP-MK-Crewe route?
It would save me time on those occasions where I do just miss the 07:55 as doing the via MK route would, assuming all trains run to time, see me picking up at Crewe the train I would have caught at Birmingham.

 

[Hadders]

Historically travel via MKC was always allowed for journeys beyond Crewe and there was an easement to this effect.

When LM introduced direct services via the Trent Valley from Northampton a negative easement was put in place preventing travel via MKC. Despite this many booking engines continued to offer itineraries via MKC.

The introduction of LM's 'project 110' services resulted in very few direct services along the Trent Valley from Northampton. I queried the position and asked them to re-introduce the easement which they did. The easement now mentions travelling beyond Coventry rather than Crewe but essentially its effect is the same.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Thank you for that Hadders, should be of use next time I am running late on a Monday morning and all the traffic lights are inconveniently red on the way to the station and I arrive just in time to miss the 07:55.

 

[Hadders]

For clarity there are actually two easements:

http://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide

700066 Customers travelling from Northampton to Coventry and beyond may not travel via Milton Keynes. This easement applies in both directions.

700438 Customers travelling from Northampton to or via Stafford in possession of tickets routed "Any Permitted may double back via Milton Keynes. This easement applies in both directions.

 

[gordonthemoron]

so this means that NMP customers cannot pickup the Euston-Birmigham-Scotland services at MK but have to connect onto them in Crewe? Madness

 

[Hadders]

This is an interesting one as both easements apply as you're travelling beyond Coventry and beyond Stafford.

It is quicker changing at both MKC and CRE but if you put in via Coventry then it will give a journey with one convenient change at Coventry.