Rover / Ranger Tickets During Strikes / Disruption

[Joey Beauchamp]

I've got an East Midlands 3 in 7 Rover which I'm using on Saturday 19th August to go from Long Buckby to Sheffield and back. As Crosscountry are striking that day my planned route home in the evening within the confines of the Rover area is no good as both the line through Burton and the line through Hinckley have no service from late afternoon.

The only route back that doesn't double the journey time is to go via Stockport, which leaves a ticketing gap between Chinley and Stoke-on-Trent.

If I had a standard off-peak return Long Buckby to Sheffield, I believe that - due to the disruption - I could use an alternative route even if the ticket wasn't usually routed that way (train split were suggesting traveling via both Warrington and MK later in the evening). At the very least I'd have finite proof to show a ticket inspector that I was intending to travel between the two places on the ticket, so I could argue my case.

What are the rules around Rover tickets? Are they simply that you cannot go out of the area full stop without buying another ticket, or is there some kind of leniency around planned or unplanned disruption?

Also intrigued about the rule that you can buy a ticket from the edge of the Rover area, even if the train doesn't stop there. Presumably you'd have to buy it in advance, even if the station had no ticketing facilities, seeing as you wouldn't have actually been to that station!

Lastly, are you able to claim delay repay for strikes when using a Rover ticket? Could I, for example, claim a 2 hour+ delay Sheffield to Long Buckby on my Rover ticket despite not actually facing a 2 hour delay because I'd been forced to travel off it (and buy another ticket) to get home? I'm not sure that wouldn't even fully compensate me for the cost of a Chinley to Stoke single due to the convoluted rules around delay repay on Rovers.

 

[Haywain]

Could I, for example, claim a 2 hour+ delay Sheffield to Long Buckby on my Rover ticket despite not actually facing a 2 hour delay because I'd been forced to travel off it (and buy another ticket) to get home?

No, you are not entitled to claim for a delay if you have not experienced that delay.

 

[m00036]

If you look at the NRE page, the new website (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-offers/promotions/pr5d12850a04000400040ae307313d19/) no longer has a map and just says that it is 'Only available between the stations listed below.'. This makes it easier to argue that you are just using the fastest route between two stations for which the rover is valid, and it also looks like all train operators you would be using on the new route allow the use of the rover ordinarily. Assuming that the ticket was bought before details of the strike action were announced, there would be a theoretical right to being re-routed anyway as the line you were intending to use is closed and as there is a reasonable alternative route that they can offer (which you alluded to for the normal off peak return).

That's not to say that it would be without hassle of course. The alternative for rovers is normally to get a pro-rated refund for the day you don't use the ticket, in this case it should be 1/3 of the ticket price (and again only if purchased prior to the action was announced). As Haywain has said, this is not strictly 'Delay Repay', although train companies such as GWR use the 'Delay Repay' interface to process these refunds anyway.

On strike days, all of the normal rules about what's allowed and what isn't become an incredibly grey area at times, and rovers were never straightforward to start with!

Also intrigued about the rule that you can buy a ticket from the edge of the Rover area, even if the train doesn't stop there. Presumably you'd have to buy it in advance, even if the station had no ticketing facilities, seeing as you wouldn't have actually been to that station!

In theory, if your starting station had no ticketing facilities, then the normal rules about purchasing at the first possible opportunity would come into effect. Here though, if you were intending to purchase a rover and also a ticket from a rover-edge station to your destination, then I would strongly advise avoiding the hassle and get that sorted beforehand if you can. It's just asking for trouble if you have no tickets and want to use a 'complex' ticket as well (not that rovers should be, but certainly not that common).

 

[Haywain]

In theory, if your starting station had no ticketing facilities, then the normal rules about purchasing at the first possible opportunity would come into effect.

You cannot board a train and then argue that your starting station has no ticketing facilities if a) you are already on the train and b) the train does not call at that station. Your starting station is where you board the train.

 

[m00036]

You cannot board a train and then argue that your starting station has no ticketing facilities if a) you are already on the train and b) the train does not call at that station. Your starting station is where you board the train.

Apologies, my intention was to say that if the actual starting station has no ticketing facilities (ignoring the split point), then the normal rules would come into effect, but I wouldn't count on being able to buy the desired combination of tickets once onboard.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

If you look at the NRE page, the new website (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-offers/promotions/pr5d12850a04000400040ae307313d19/) no longer has a map and just says that it is 'Only available between the stations listed below.'. This makes it easier to argue that you are just using the fastest route between two stations for which the rover is valid, and it also looks like all train operators you would be using on the new route allow the use of the rover ordinarily.

This is a really interesting point that I hadn't considered. The new National Rail website seems to be in a bit of a mess here: some have links to maps (eg. Heart of Wessex), most don't. The East Midlands Rovers link to an EMR website page "for more details" but that in turn takes you back to National Rail when you click on "prices and route map" - despite the page not having a route map! There used to be much more details as well as the map such as "not valid via Birmingham New Street". I take this as new website shambles rather than a deliberate ploy to confuse passengers with the aim of running down rover tickets.

I could claim ignorance and show the website page, but I know really that the list of stations means that you can only travel through the listed stations. So as soon as I go through New Mills Newtown I will be out of bounds.

I foresee more hassle as I will have been drinking all afternoon and won't be able to explain myself in my usual eloquent manner. Possibly my best bet is asking the guard when boarding the Transpennine whether he'll accept my ticket due to my route being unavailable and if he says "no chance" buy a ticket from him. But likely that could end up paying more as he may not be aware of the Ranger boundary "not stopping" rule and insist I buy from Sheffield.

I will buy a Chinley to Stoke-on-Trent single beforehand and stop moaning. A day out at the football is expensive enough anyway, doesn't really matter if it's a little bit more so. Actually I might buy a ticket if we win, speak to guard before boarding train if we draw and chance it if we lose!

 

[Haywain]

Actually I might buy a ticket if we win, speak to guard before boarding train if we draw and chance it if we lose!

I don't recommend chancing it at all but I'd be more inclined to do that in the event of a win, when you are more likely to be in a good mood.