Styal line stations to Alsager / Kidsgrove..

[Mcr Warrior]

Using an Off Peak Day Return ticket (routed "Any Permitted") from certain origin stations on the Styal line (in the South Manchester area) which way can you travel to get to Alsager (or Kidsgrove), as the case may be?

• Heald Green (or Gatley) to Alsager (or Kidsgrove) is £17.80.

• Manchester Airport to/from Alsager (or Kidsgrove) is £24.50.

• Styal (or Wilmslow) to/from Alsager (or Kidsgrove) is £15.10.

Could you buy legitimately buy/use tickets for that journey, ostensibly starting from Heald Green (or Gatley) but instead starting short at Manchester Airport (and then travel via Wilmslow then Crewe)?

And how about travel via Manchester Piccadilly then Macclesfield (or Crewe) or alternatively via Wilmslow / Cheadle Hulme / Macclesfield?

 

[NormalPerson7]

I'll deal with the tickets from Heald Green.

At the very least, via Manchester Airport and Cheadle Hulme is valid on a ticket from Heald Green to Kidsgrove, and via Manchester Airport and Crewe is valid on a ticket from Heald Green to Alsager, each via the shortest route rule. I've confirmed this by checking I can buy an itinerary via these routes with an any permitted ticket. The mapped routes are via Manchester and Macclesfield in each case, so this route is also valid. Via Manchester and Crewe is not valid in either case.

I think the online retailers assume that Heald Green to Styal not via Manchester Airport is the shortest route, and going via Manchester Airport is approx 2.7 miles longer, so is valid as it is within 3 miles of the shortest route in each case. In practice there are no scheduled passenger services on that track so I think the actual rules are that via Manchester Airport becomes the shortest route.

Tracing out on Google Maps, going to Kidsgrove via Crewe appears to only be marginally further than via Cheadle Hulme, so it is possible that this ticket is technically also valid to Kidsgrove via Crewe via the shortest route rule, but won't be sold due to the above issue. I haven't checked the sectional appendix though, and it would really be necessary to do so to confirm this.

There are no break of journey restrictions so it would be valid to use a Heald Green to Kidsgrove/Alsager ticket starting from Manchester Airport, provided you continued on a valid route via Styal (subject to above caveat) rather than via Manchester.

Unfortunately, the train companies monitor these forums and as such you may find these prices are adjusted now that this has been pointed out.

 

[jfollows]

I think that the official mileage Styal-Heald Green is now via Manchester Airport, so Styal to Manchester is valid via Wilmslow as one example, and there may be follow-on implications, all based on the National Rail timetable mileage and therefore not directly controlled by the operating companies.

NRT mileage from December 2024:
Piccadilly 0.00
Heald Green 8.25
Manchester Airport 9.75
Styal 12.00 (9m 69ch direct?)
Wilmslow 13.75 (but 12.00 via Stockport)

This is obviously ridiculous in face of the “real” mileage but it’s the mileage on which the comparisons are done.

Styal-Wilmslow-Stockport-Manchester is therefore officially 13.75 miles versus 12.00 miles “direct” so within 3 miles.

I don’t believe that the Sectional Appendix, or hence the actual mileage, is involved here. I’m happy to be proved wrong!

Also https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/longest-scheduled-stop.275463/page-2#post-6999343

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Unfortunately, the train companies monitor these forums and as such you may find these prices are adjusted now that this has been pointed out.

Struggling to work out why the fare from Manchester Airport is seemingly so out of kilter. Some sort of "airport premium" in play?

 

[jfollows]

Struggling to work out why the fare from Manchester Airport is seemingly so out of kilter. Some sort of "airport premium" in play?

I think it is, but the distortions caused by the “official” mileage not being the real mileage mean that the routes you refer to in your original post may well be valid, although I haven’t looked at the figures and comparisons in detail myself. Certainly there can be no “airport premium” with the 3 miles rule.

Adding more than 2 miles to the Heald Green to Styal distance certainly changes some of the calculations.

 

[Tester]

I think it is, but the distortions caused by the “official” mileage not being the real mileage mean that the routes you refer to in your original post may well be valid, although I haven’t looked at the figures and comparisons in detail myself. Certainly there can be no “airport premium” withthe 3 miles rule.

Adding more than 2 miles to the Heald Green to Styal distance certainly changes somemif the calculations.

There clearly can be, and is - for passengers who are none the wiser

 

[Watershed]

There clearly can be, and is - for passengers who are none the wiser

Indeed. Compare fares from Stafford to Manchester Stations and Manchester Airport for example - an Anytime Return jumps from £36.80 to £76.60.

Utterly indefensible to charge an extra £39.80 to the Airport, when a Piccadilly to Airport Anytime Return is only £13.30. In any event, a ticket to Manchester Stations is valid via the Airport - it just restricts you to traveling via Crewe. So by paying an extra £39.80 you are only benefitting from the ability to travel via Piccadilly, should you wish to do so.