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PhilWakely
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« on: March 15, 2023, 10:54:40 » |
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Are you likely to be travelling (in either direction) between London Paddington and Exeter (or points west thereof) next week [Monday 20th thru Thursday 24th March]?
The line will be closed in the Taunton area, so through trains will be diverted between Exeter St Davids and Castle Cary, via Honiton and Yeovil Junction and take longer. Fares to London Terminals, marked 'via Honiton' are generally much cheaper than the 'traditional route' via Taunton and will be valid during the period of the diversions.
Booking engines do not appear to offer this 'via Honiton' fare, so please visit your nearest manned ticket office and request the 'via Honiton' fare.
*** edited to correct grammatical error ***
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« Last Edit: March 15, 2023, 15:50:15 by PhilWakely »
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grahame
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« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2023, 11:26:43 » |
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Booking engines do not appear to offer this 'via Honiton' fare, so please visit your nearest manned ticket office and request the 'via Honiton' fare.
So ... to arrive Exeter St Davids at around a quarter past 9 in the evening. GWR▸ site offers: This week: 19:04 from PAD» to EXD» (21:15) - £59.90 Super Off Peak Single Next week: 18:04 from PAD to EXD (21:36) - £149.50 Anytime Day Single Astonishing offer - that's a "via Taunton" ticket so is not even valid on that train, is it? I would have expected a fare of £85.20 ("via Honiton") to be offered automatically, and it would be honourable of the rail industry to continue to offer fares for a mid-evening arrival into Exeter at the regular price if they choose for their own (legitimate) purposes to slow the journeys down and make people leave London earlier. [edit] - I have just checked what "via" means in more detail - example quoted for Stockport, but I think Taunton is the same. "It means (in the absense of any easements) you have to travel via Stockport, the train does not have to stop there but it does have to pass through." So the "via Honiton" ticket IS valid next week, but the "via Taunton" is not. So why is GWR selling the wrong ticket? |
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« Last Edit: March 15, 2023, 11:33:33 by grahame »
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2023, 12:30:44 » |
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So why is GWR▸ selling the wrong ticket?
Due to the limitations of ‘the system’. ‘Via Honiton’ tickets are presumably set by SWR» as that’s their normal route. The fares engines won’t be clever enough to realise a diverted GWR service will be going that way and not stopping, so it won’t be offered. Not ideal by any means, but the logic behind it is clear. What I’m not clear on is how easy it would be to manually intervene and change the system for each train affected, and indeed whether it is possible at all? |
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To view my GWML▸ Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/ |
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2023, 13:21:41 » |
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So why is GWR▸ selling the wrong ticket?
Due to the limitations of ‘the system’. .... Oh, I would 100% agree - which begs the wider question of "how have we ended up with a system like this ...". If anyone wants to attempt a full answer, please let me know and I'll buy some more web space to host your answer  |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2023, 15:31:27 » |
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So why is GWR▸ selling the wrong ticket?
Due to the limitations of ‘the system’. ‘Via Honiton’ tickets are presumably set by SWR» as that’s their normal route. The fares engines won’t be clever enough to realise a diverted GWR service will be going that way and not stopping, so it won’t be offered. Not ideal by any means, but the logic behind it is clear. What I’m not clear on is how easy it would be to manually intervene and change the system for each train affected, and indeed whether it is possible at all? Look at the 09:28 Newton Abbot to London Paddington, returning on the 16:04 ex- PAD» . Both services are advertised as stopping at Honiton, yet it still only offers the 'via Taunton' ticket at £113.20 instead of the £91 'via Honiton' ticket. |
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2023, 15:34:26 » |
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So why is GWR▸ selling the wrong ticket?
Due to the limitations of ‘the system’. ‘Via Honiton’ tickets are presumably set by SWR» as that’s their normal route. The fares engines won’t be clever enough to realise a diverted GWR service will be going that way and not stopping, so it won’t be offered. Not ideal by any means, but the logic behind it is clear. What I’m not clear on is how easy it would be to manually intervene and change the system for each train affected, and indeed whether it is possible at all?Therein lies the beauty of manned ticket offices! |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2023, 15:36:27 » |
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The fares manual is hard coded to each service - it doesn't interrogate each service every time a journey planner search finds that service to check its routing before assigning the appropriate fares.
GWR▸ would have to change the fares applicable to each service manually to apply different fares.
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PhilWakely
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« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2023, 15:47:10 » |
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The fares manual is hard coded to each service - it doesn't interrogate each service every time a journey planner search finds that service to check its routing before assigning the appropriate fares.
GWR▸ would have to change the fares applicable to each service manually to apply different fares.
Again, I refer you to reply #5 above |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2023, 15:55:32 » |
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Seriously, you think ticket office staff know their way around the fares manual? They don't even have a copy these days
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bobm
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« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2023, 16:04:21 » |
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There’s a bloke at Newton Abbot who’s pretty good at it.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2023, 16:29:24 » |
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Soon to get sorted, with any luck |
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Trowres
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« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2023, 16:35:54 » |
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From the latest issue of routeing guide easements: Due to engineering works between Exeter and Taunton from 20 to 23 March 2023,
tickets priced on (00842) VIA TAUNTON, (00700) NOT VIA LONDON, (00411) AP
SLOUGH, (00820) GW▸ ONLY, (00810) NOT VIA READING, (00000) ANY PERMITTED,
(00203) GWR▸ SLEEPER & GWR and (00840) VIA HONITON will be valid for Travel on
Great Western trains via Honiton, Yeovil and Castle Cary. This map easement will not
apply to journeys that include travel via Brockenhurst or Salisbury. This map easement
applies in both directions
Indicates the intention was honourable, even if implementation wasn't right at the first attempt. |
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trainbuff
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« Reply #12 on: March 15, 2023, 22:27:50 » |
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So why is GWR▸ selling the wrong ticket?
Due to the limitations of ‘the system’. .... Oh, I would 100% agree - which begs the wider question of "how have we ended up with a system like this ...". If anyone wants to attempt a full answer, please let me know and I'll buy some more web space to host your answer And what happens if all the ticket offices close? Asking for a friend |
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Invest in Railways in Devon and Cornwall!
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DaveHarries
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« Reply #13 on: March 15, 2023, 23:10:21 » |
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So ... to arrive Exeter St Davids at around a quarter past 9 in the evening. GWR▸ site offers:
This week: 19:04 from PAD» to EXD» (21:15) - £59.90 Super Off Peak Single
Next week: 18:04 from PAD to EXD (21:36) - £149.50 Anytime Day Single
Astonishing offer - that's a "via Taunton" ticket so is not even valid on that train, is it?
I would have expected a fare of £85.20 ("via Honiton") to be offered automatically, and it would be honourable of the rail industry to continue to offer fares for a mid-evening arrival into Exeter at the regular price if they choose for their own (legitimate) purposes to slow the journeys down and make people leave London earlier. Decided to run a query on my phone for trains between Waterloo and Exeter St. Davids for 22nd March departing at 1800. 1723 London Waterloo - Exeter St. Davids, arr. 2102 came up at £40.00 single with no change of train en-route. The app I use is not one provided by an operator though. Dave |
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stuving
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« Reply #14 on: March 15, 2023, 23:33:26 » |
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That £40 single is an SWR» -only advance, so couldn't be offered for a diverted GWR▸ train.
I tried NR» 's OJP▸ and, apart from that SWR advance, it would only offer GWR's "via Taunton" fares for any routing, even on dates with no line closure. As for their cheap fare finder, when asked to find a fare EXD» -WAT it crashed. So I suspect there's a problem with the data feeds.
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