Sheffield to Padgate ???

[30mog]

I am thinking of going to Padgate from Sheffield tomorrow. Off Peak Return same as Warrington - not surprised. However, NR site offers me Advance fares that are valid via Warrington. I am working on the assumption an OPR is NOT valid via Warrington - despite being same fare. What really confuses me is why the departure from Padgate to Mcr just after 1700 is not considered a valid journey option on the return leg?

The return journey is also made confusingly long. I am putting this down to the fact that 3 minutes to change at Manchester Oxford Road is not considered enough by the computer. I am willing to challenge it! Especially considering that if I miss it I will just walk to Piccadilly in no more than 20 mins. And still beat the scheduele it offers me.

In short. If I buy an OPR Sheffield to Padgate, dont travel via Warrington and only use trains travelling in the appropriate direction. What should be the problem? Especially given a break of journey is allowed on the return leg?

 

[bb21]

OPR is Super Off-Peak Return, so I would avoid using that acronym where possible.

If I actually select the £21.20 Via Stockport Off-Peak Day Return, the 1702 is offered as an available service. The 1710 is not as it goes via Warrington Central. The same applies to the £26.10 Via Stockport Off-Peak Return.

If choosing return fares on National Rail Enquiries, you need to actually "Select" the fare before you can see which return service it is deemed as valid on, otherwise all return services would be deselected.

 

[telstarbox]

On the return journey, 3 minutes is plenty of time to change from platform 5 to platform 4 at Oxford Road. The Padgate train (Northern) terminates in platform 5 and you just walk across to the Sheffield (EMT) train on platform 4 which has to follow the stopper into Oxford Road anyway!

 

[kieron]

I am thinking of going to Padgate from Sheffield tomorrow. Off Peak Return same as Warrington - not surprised. However, NR site offers me Advance fares that are valid via Warrington. I am working on the assumption an OPR is NOT valid via Warrington - despite being same fare.

What would certainly be valid would be to get a Sheffield-Warrington return in the first place, and catch a train which doesn't stop in Padgate if that suits you better.

You can only go to Warrington once on such a ticket, of course. And, while it's not an issue here, there are other routes (such as Sheffield-Newton-le-Willows) where an off-peak return ticket wouldn't be valid if you left the train before the printed destination on the way out.