Northern's Great Escape!

[43167]

Did my 1st today. In brief as follows:

150272 Skipton-Morecambe
153317 Morecambe-Lancaster
153332 Lancaster-Barrow
156475 Barrow-Carlisle
158817 Carlisle-Skipton

Plan at Carlisle was to do 1618 to Leeds, but this was full and standing with no chance of getting on. Friend who saw it arrive at Leeds told me arrived the same.

Had to do 1818 instead.

 

[Tyke Toper]

Stay clear of the S & C until after the 23rd March.
METRO's ENCTS Pass and METROcard promotion runs till then and all services from the 08:47 ex Leeds are expected to be busy.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Stay clear of the S & C until after the 23rd March.
METRO's ENCTS Pass and METROcard promotion runs till then and all services from the 08:47 ex Leeds are expected to be busy.

I was in Gargrave on Monday and was catching the 1814 into Skipton. This is the 1618 ex Carlisle. It was 10 minutes late, according to the woman on the help point due to excessive passenger loadings. When it arrived it was a 2 car 158 and It was full and standing throughout. At Skipton we spoke to the Guard who said they left people behind at Carlisle, and at stations en route further up. He said that he estimated 90% of the passengers were WYPTE bus pass holders using the special offer.

I have no objection to special offers, but ones like this really need to be thought through. I don't know who subsidises the offer, but if it is Metro I am a West Yorkshire tax payer contributing to Metro, and I don't care to support this offer which only serves to give bus pass holders with nothing better to do a cheap day out, causing nothing but inconvenience and misery for the normal passengers - many of whom seemingly can't even board their own local train service.

 

[Crossover]

Ah good - 24th is the day I expect do to the S&C if all goes to plan!

Did my first today - very enjoyable day out.
In brief:
144 022 Dewsbury - Leeds
322 482 Leeds - Doncaster (useless PIS!)
144 007 Doncaster - Sheffield
158 908 Sheffield - Meadowhall (mainly getting an extra unit in and killing time before....)
158 795 Meadowhall - Huddersfield
155 343 Huddersfield - Brighouse
144 016 Brighouse - Manchester Victoria
323 238 Manchester Piccadilly - Stockport
323 226 Stockport - Manchester Piccadilly
156 468 Manchester Victoria - Huddersfield
142 096 Huddersfield - Dewsbury (with 142 009 out of service in tow)

Lovely weather in the most (Manchester was a bit dull!) and great photo opportunity at Huddersfield.

Also, no train was delayed en-route by more than 5 mins and I don't think any actually arrived late where I alighted

 

[tpebpn]

i had 4 of these tickets on my train yesterday. passengers most upset when told they are not valid on transpennine express and needed to buy a new ticket. same everytime this promotion runs

 

[Crossover]

i had 4 of these tickets on my train yesterday. passengers most upset when told they are not valid on transpennine express and needed to buy a new ticket. same everytime this promotion runs

To be honest, there is no excuse for not knowing...it couldn't be much clearer...it says it on the ticket and on the form they filled in, so anyone who tries it on other TOC services deserves to be advised they need a new ticket IMO

 

[CaptainHaddock]

I know that this ticket isn't valid till after 0900 on weekdays but is there an easement to allow ticket holders to catch the 0849 Leeds-Carlisle? Only most rover tickets are valid after 0845 and it would be a right pain in the whatsit to have to wait and get the 0947!

If there were such an easement, it would allow you to do the S&C, Cumbrian Coast and Lancaster - Leeds all in a day!

 

[John @ home]

I know that this ticket isn't valid till after 0900 on weekdays but is there an easement to allow ticket holders to catch the 0849 Leeds-Carlisle?

No. But I intend to use my vouchers on that train next week. I will buy an Anytime Day Single Leeds - Shipley, then use my Great Escape ticket from Shipley at 0904.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

i had 4 of these tickets on my train yesterday. passengers most upset when told they are not valid on transpennine express and needed to buy a new ticket. same everytime this promotion runs

Yes I have had quite a few travelling on non-Northern trains too. Trying to use them to travel to some exotic locations such as Scarborough. All have seemed most upset and most have responded with the usual "Nobody told me" or "the bloke at the station / the bloke who sold me the ticket said I could".

 

[bb21]

Yes I have had quite a few travelling on non-Northern trains too. Trying to use them to travel to some exotic locations such as Scarborough. All have seemed most upset and most have responded with the usual "Nobody told me" or "the bloke at the station / the bloke who sold me the ticket said I could".

Tell them that they should go back to that bloke and seek a refund from him.

 

[yorksrob]

I was in Gargrave on Monday and was catching the 1814 into Skipton. This is the 1618 ex Carlisle. It was 10 minutes late, according to the woman on the help point due to excessive passenger loadings. When it arrived it was a 2 car 158 and It was full and standing throughout. At Skipton we spoke to the Guard who said they left people behind at Carlisle, and at stations en route further up. He said that he estimated 90% of the passengers were WYPTE bus pass holders using the special offer.

I have no objection to special offers, but ones like this really need to be thought through. I don't know who subsidises the offer, but if it is Metro I am a West Yorkshire tax payer contributing to Metro, and I don't care to support this offer which only serves to give bus pass holders with nothing better to do a cheap day out, causing nothing but inconvenience and misery for the normal passengers - many of whom seemingly can't even board their own local train service.

is this a seperate offer from the metrocard one because i've used it a few times over the last couple of months and the route's never been more than comfortably loaded.

 

[tony_mac]

"nobody told me" is possible ... and I am sure that not everyone knows what a "Northern Rail" service is, as opposed to a "northern, rail, service" - there often isn't information at stations - and you often don't clearly see writing on the side of a train

Transpennine trains are also roughly the same colour - although you can easily tell the difference because they will be clean

Whether these people were genuinely confused is, of course, another question!

 

[WatcherZero]

A lot of areas they are the only Toc and when travelling outside your local area using station information you dont always know whose running the services (unless you use a website).

 

[43167]

I know that this ticket isn't valid till after 0900 on weekdays but is there an easement to allow ticket holders to catch the 0849 Leeds-Carlisle? Only most rover tickets are valid after 0845 and it would be a right pain in the whatsit to have to wait and get the 0947!

If there were such an easement, it would allow you to do the S&C, Cumbrian Coast and Lancaster - Leeds all in a day!

You can do that anyway.

0947 Leeds-Carlisle
1247 Carlisle-Barrow
1620 Barrow-Lancaster
1924 Lancaster-Leeds

Or
1019 Leeds-Lancaster
1332 Lancaster-Barrow
1454 Barrow-Carlisle
1818 Carlisle-Leeds

With the clocks changing next week, that might be possible in daylight.

And yes those Lancater-Barrow ive listed are Northern services not TP services.

 

[shires666]

Am i able to purchase the £10 day rover from wakefield westgate even though its a ec run station??

 

[Crossover]

Am i able to purchase the £10 day rover from wakefield westgate even though its a ec run station??

You should be able to as it's in Northern area. I got mine from Dewsbury without problem and it is a TPE managed station

 

[43167]

Done Number 2 today around Yorkshire

333001 Keighley-Leeds
150206 Leeds-Huddersfield via Halifax
150110 Huddersfield-Meadowhall
144007 Meadowhall-York via S&K
150201/271 York-Leeds via Harrogate
321901 Leeds-Skipton
333007 Skipton-Keighley

 

[shires666]

0933 wakefield to doncaster
1015 doncaster to hull
1203 hull to selby
1243 selby to leeds
1343 leeds to huddersfield
1430 huddersfield to man vic
1645 man picc to sheffield
2006 sheff to wakefield kirkgte

one long day!

 

[lyndhurst25]

I've just had my application form for this offer rejected because the "ID number:" box in the "FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY" section is blank. I was advised that I may need to "update my Adobe printer software" and that this has happened to another customer who printed the form using a "Pac" computer ( I think that she meant a Mac!). I did print the form using a Macintosh and I wonder if this is the problem.
Luckily I am traveling first thing tomorrow so I can print a new form from a Windows PC at work tonight. Problem is that I'm setting off from an unmanned station so I'll have to try and explain the problems I've had and try to blag a ride to the next manned stop without having to buy an extra ticket. What do you think my chances are?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
One more thing - I've now tried printing the form on a Windows PC at work and experienced some weirdness.

Without logging into "My Northern", Google for "northern rail flat fare offer". The 4th choice down is a PDF application form. Are you getting this with all the boxes blank or, as I did just now, pre-filled in with some woman with a FY postcode's details?

Can anyone else reproduce this and, if so, is it a security issue with Northern's website? Or is it an issue with my employer's computer system?

 

[Crossover]

One more thing - I've now tried printing the form on a Windows PC at work and experienced some weirdness.

Without logging into "My Northern", Google for "northern rail flat fare offer". The 4th choice down is a PDF application form. Are you getting this with all the boxes blank or, as I did just now, pre-filled in with some woman with a FY postcode's details?

Can anyone else reproduce this and, if so, is it a security issue with Northern's website? Or is it an issue with my employer's computer system?

Yep, I've got the same thing as well. Definite screw up on the Northern site is that one! Not sure the lady whose details they are would be too chuffed if they found out!

____________________________________________

I did another day out on Saturday, covering all of 322 miles on the £10 ticket!

The route went as follows (this was as I'd planned it, no train ran more than baout 5 mins late during the journey!):

158872 - Dewsbury to Leeds
153328 and 158848 - Leeds to Carlisle via Settle (I opted for the 158! It also arrived at Carlisle -7!)
156459 - Carlisle to Lancaster via Barrow
153330 and 153316 - Lancaster to Skipton (it arrived into Lancaster with another 153 as well, which was removed before departure)
333014 - Skipton to Shipley
333007 - Shipley to Leeds (incidentially, for anyone missing the above train at Leeds, this is a quicker method of getting to Leeds than the direct Skipton - Leeds, though it isn't booked as it doesn't meet minimum connection times, though should be easily doable in reality as it is a cross concourse change)
144019 - Leeds to Dewsbury (well, there had to be a Pacer somewhere...it is Northern afterall!)

All in all a fantastic day out. Weather was great (apart from thick fog at Dewsbury) and I would highly recommend the S&C to anyone who wants to see some scenery. All helped by the member of trolley staff who knew the line very well and was pointing out landmarks along the way

Only place I had a problem was the barrier wouldn't let me out at Leeds, not a problem as such as the guy let me out. On the way back in though, the member of staff at that side of the barrier gave the ticket and me a very funny look...I'm not sure he had ever seen one before....fantastic! He still let me through but you could see he was wondering what the hell it was!

 

[142094]

I've emailed someone I know at Northern today to see whether these types of tickets would be valid on the Newcastle - Glasgow/Dumfries services past Carlisle.

 

[Crossover]

I've emailed someone I know at Northern today to see whether these types of tickets would be valid on the Newcastle - Glasgow/Dumfries services past Carlisle.

Is it not a Northern service beyond that point?