What would you do?

[Oswyntail]

Yes, the whole routeing question adds an extra level of complexity to an already Byzantine system. An off-the-wall suggestion: for tickets above a certain distance (ie long distance travel) why not abandon the question of routeing altogether and say the passenger can decide which way he wants to go. OK, some might treat such a ticket as a one-day ALR, but the vast, vast majority would use it to travel from A-B by the route they see as most suiting them (and not the gremlins of Schloss RouteingGuide). Fare apportionment would require some thought, but not that much.

 

[SS4]

Yes, the whole routeing question adds an extra level of complexity to an already Byzantine system. An off-the-wall suggestion: for tickets above a certain distance (ie long distance travel) why not abandon the question of routeing altogether and say the passenger can decide which way he wants to go. OK, some might treat such a ticket as a one-day ALR, but the vast, vast majority would use it to travel from A-B by the route they see as most suiting them (and not the gremlins of Schloss RouteingGuide). Fare apportionment would require some thought, but not that much.

Couldn't you add a via station on some of the longer routes? For example Euston to Wolverhampton via Birmingham International. Failing that "any reasonable route" - going from say Paddington to Cardiff meaning that someone travelling in Sheffield would not be on a reasonable route - the definition of reasonable being left to the guard checking.

I do agree that most people would use it to go from A-B initially but once word got out that it would be a one day ALR more people would take advantage causing fares to go higher.

edit: If I wanted to go from Birmingham to London I could get LM to Wolverhampton, XC to Manchester, TPE (?) to Leeds and then EC to London?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Wouldn't the sensible and logical thing to do be to ensure that in every case, the most expensive routed ticket is marked as Any Permitted?

Doesn't work like that, there have been and still are occasions where a route not allowed by a rte any permitted ticket, is allowed by a more expensive route specific ticket. If the route specific ticket became the 'rte any permitted' ticket, those routes would be lost.

Yes, the whole routeing question adds an extra level of complexity to an already Byzantine system. An off-the-wall suggestion: for tickets above a certain distance (ie long distance travel) why not abandon the question of routeing altogether and say the passenger can decide which way he wants to go. OK, some might treat such a ticket as a one-day ALR, but the vast, vast majority would use it to travel from A-B by the route they see as most suiting them (and not the gremlins of Schloss RouteingGuide). Fare apportionment would require some thought, but not that much.

At what point would the Routeing Guide not need to be used? What happens when the journey is one stop or one mile short of that point? What happens if a longer journey has a cheaper fare? How would this be simpler than the current system?