With the Hull Trains matrix booking engine gone overnight last night, I am after advice on where to research my train journeys now please.
Obviously I use classic.trainsplit.com to research possible train splits and brfares.com to see all possible fares for a given station pair. However, that can be quite time-consuming. When I need a fast way to see a matrix of train times versus all available fares, with options for via/avoid and routing restrictions, Hull Trains was my website of choice.
Is there another one left to fill that void?
All of the other TOC websites I have checked are quite user-unfriendly. You just cannot see all the information you need quickly and efficiently. I find them so frustrating to use. It's as if the rail industry takes us for idiots and refuses to make it easy to make fare choices, which I suspect really is their game.
I have lost count of the number of times on the Hull Trains matrix I have seen lower fares listed but greyed out so not available. You can then look to see what you need to do to your route and times to get that lower fare. (There is still an issue that some fares are not listed if no available service is found, but it's a better starting point than what you get from other TOC websites.)
It seems to be an eternal problem with the internet that websites get less functional over time, as it's deemed that users cannot be trusted to handle information.
Obviously I use classic.trainsplit.com to research possible train splits and brfares.com to see all possible fares for a given station pair. However, that can be quite time-consuming. When I need a fast way to see a matrix of train times versus all available fares, with options for via/avoid and routing restrictions, Hull Trains was my website of choice.
Is there another one left to fill that void?
All of the other TOC websites I have checked are quite user-unfriendly. You just cannot see all the information you need quickly and efficiently. I find them so frustrating to use. It's as if the rail industry takes us for idiots and refuses to make it easy to make fare choices, which I suspect really is their game.
I have lost count of the number of times on the Hull Trains matrix I have seen lower fares listed but greyed out so not available. You can then look to see what you need to do to your route and times to get that lower fare. (There is still an issue that some fares are not listed if no available service is found, but it's a better starting point than what you get from other TOC websites.)
It seems to be an eternal problem with the internet that websites get less functional over time, as it's deemed that users cannot be trusted to handle information.