Worcester Foregate Street to Worcester Shrub Hill

[SephenWorceste]

The virgin app is offering several services a day between these station that go via Droitwich Spa. Is this right do you think?

I wondered about a cheap return trip to Droitwich. I would use a single Worcester Foregate Street to Worcester Shrub Hill with a break of journey in Droitwich. I would worry I might get trouble if my ticket was checked though.

Thank you, Stephen.

 

[MikeWh]

National Rail enquiries offers the same option if it's the fastest journey.

 

[Haywain]

It is clearly ridiculous to use a ticket for such a short journey in that way but booking sites do allow it and there is a general principle that using a ticket in conjunction with an itinerary issued at the time of purchase makes it valid. That said, I would be surprised if making such a journey did not cause, at the very least, a raised eyebrow from train guards.

 

[SephenWorceste]

It is clearly ridiculous to use a ticket for such a short journey in that way but booking sites do allow it and there is a general principle that using a ticket in conjunction with an itinerary issued at the time of purchase makes it valid. That said, I would be surprised if making such a journey did not cause, at the very least, a raised eyebrow from train guards.

Thank you. As you say ridiculous. I only saw it as I have to get between the two Worcester stations and saw 22 minutes as the journey time. I would usually walk but I will have luggage.

Perhaps I better not try the journey out. It might depend on who the guard is.

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

[yorkie]

You have found a bug in the implementation of some journey planners.

I expect it'll be fixed before too long, but in the meantime, if anyone was to purchase such a ticket and travel in accordance with their travel itinerary, the ticket would be valid.

The wording on NRE is:

When you book your journey online, any ticket offered in connection with the timetable or itinerary produced by the journey planner will be accepted as a permitted route.

I am aware that some people argue that you could choose to take different trains to those on your itinerary and that the route should still be accepted as valid, in accordance with the above wording; I do not necessarily disagree with them however it may be harder to justify your actions if you do not follow the itinerary exactly, therefore I personally would be minded to follow the exact itinerary if I was to do this.

Perhaps I better not try the journey out. It might depend on who the guard is.

The correct action of a Guard who spots the error would be to make a note of the bug and report it. They could withdraw your ticket as evidence but if they do this, they must issue a free of charge replacement ticket. It would be easier to take a photo of the ticket or write down the relevant details printed on the ticket for further investigation.

I am sure a West Midlands Trains Guard wouldn't bring the company into disrepute and breach contract law and their franchise agreement, by charging an additional fare.

 

[SephenWorceste]

You have found a bug in the implementation of some journey planners.

I expect it'll be fixed before too long, but in the meantime, if anyone was to purchase such a ticket and travel in accordance with their travel itinerary, the ticket would be valid.

The wording on NRE is:


I am aware that some people argue that you could choose to take different trains to those on your itinerary and that the route should still be accepted as valid, in accordance with the above wording; I do not necessarily disagree with them however it may be harder to justify your actions if you do not follow the itinerary exactly, therefore I personally would be minded to follow the exact itinerary if I was to do this.



The correct action of a Guard who spots the error would be to make a note of the bug and report it. They could withdraw your ticket as evidence but if they do this, they must issue a free of charge replacement ticket. It would be easier to take a photo of the ticket or write down the relevant details printed on the ticket for further investigation.

I am sure a West Midlands Trains Guard wouldn't bring the company into disrepute and breach contract law and their franchise agreement, by charging an additional fare.

Thank you. I will probably not risk it. Ticket checking can be a bit patchy around here but it would be just my luck to have trouble. Also it is probably immoral as it is possibly theft in all but legality.

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

[yorkie]

It is absolutely not theft.

Until it was clarified on NRE that such tickets were deemed valid, there were some people who argued that customers should not take an invalid route - even if the itinerary permits it - if they knew it was an error by the booking site.

This debate occurred in early 2012, when the Atos (now Worldline) powered sites produced an almost limitless number of itineraries that were not by permitted routes, due to a serious bug in their routeing engine, which affected all journeys.

The text on NRE was added in the wake of that bug, as hundreds, if not thousands of people took advantage by booking journeys such as Advance fares from Stoke to Liverpool via London Euston (to give just one example)

The clarification made it clear that such tickets are definitely valid as per the itinerary.

 

[Paul Kelly]

I think the SilverRail journey planner (used by NRE) has a bug and is applying the "through trains to and from common routeing point" rule here, but that shouldn't apply because all 3 stations are in the same routeing group (Worcester Group).

 

[JB_B]

I think the SilverRail journey planner (used by NRE) has a bug and is applying the "through trains to and from common routeing point" rule here, but that shouldn't apply because all 3 stations are in the same routeing group (Worcester Group).

I'm sure you're right. It does seem a bit odd that a 'common routeing point' is being identified when each of the stations in question has exactly zero associated routeing points ( because they're group members.)

 

[SephenWorceste]

It is absolutely not theft.

Until it was clarified on NRE that such tickets were deemed valid, there were some people who argued that customers should not take an invalid route - even if the itinerary permits it - if they knew it was an error by the booking site.

This debate occurred in early 2012, when the Atos (now Worldline) powered sites produced an almost limitless number of itineraries that were not by permitted routes, due to a serious bug in their routeing engine, which affected all journeys.

The text on NRE was added in the wake of that bug, as hundreds, if not thousands of people took advantage by booking journeys such as Advance fares from Stoke to Liverpool via London Euston (to give just one example)

The clarification made it clear that such tickets are definitely valid as per the itinerary.

Thank you. Quite a big mistake allowing passengers presumably a cheap journey to London. More useful than Droitwich.

Best wishes, Stephen.