NRE not showing the optimal doubleback

[Merseysider]

For background, the line goes Man Picc - Ashburys - Belle Vue - Ryder Brow -Reddish North - Brinnington - Bredbury - Romiley.

Belle Vue has 1tp2h and Ryder Brow has 1tph. It's therefore sometimes quicker to double back at Ryder Brow than wait for the next direct one.

What I don't understand is why NRE insists on sending me via Romiley instead of just changing at Ryder Brow, which would be cheaper and possibly one train quicker in the peaks. Screenshot attached. I can get rid of this by adding 'avoid Reddish North' but it's still annoying.

Any ideas as to why this occurs? Thanks in advance

 

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[Merseysider]

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Duly amended

 

[najaB]

Any ideas as to why this occurs? Thanks in advance

How long is the connection at Ryder Brow?

 

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Duly amended

Looking at the times on the National Rail Enquiries App there appears to be only one Monday to Friday service that tells you to go via Romiley. The rest are via Reddish North or Ryder Brow.

Direct services are indeed every 2 hours off peak but on the morning and evening the frequency is every hour. Interesting that your allowed to travel indirectly. I can think of a few other lines where it might be useful at times.

Here are the times of the indirect services:

9.08 tells you to change at Reddish North.
11.05 via Romiley, for which it cannot give a fare.
13.14 via Ryder Brow
19.15 via Ryder Brow
20.45 via Reddish North

Is National Rail Enquiries Web Site producing different results to that?

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[Paul Kelly]

As the stations are all so close together, doubling back from either Ryder Brow or Reddish North is still within 3 miles of the shortest route, and so is permitted on a through fare. I can only think that the suggested journey via Guide Bridge and Romiley is down to a quirk in the journey planning algorithm - it doesn't double back anywhere, and there are no later departures from MAN that get you to Belle Vue any earlier, so it has kept it in as an option.

 

[319321]

... doubling back from either Ryder Brow or Reddish North is still within 3 miles of the shortest route, and so is permitted on a through fare.

Where is it written that a passenger can double back if its less than three miles longer than the shortest route - I thought doubling back is prohibited?

Are there any examples of journeys that can be verified using the NRE journey planner?