Cherwell Valley Day Ranger withdrawn

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From Sunday 20th May the Cherwell Valley Day Rangers, for use between Banbury and Oxford, Didcot or Reading on weekends and bank holidays, will no longer be sold.

Confirmed by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) on Twitter yesterday, although no specific reason for withdrawal was given. I suspect GWR will say 'low usage', with the reality being that they can increase revenue as alternative tickets are all more expensive.

Source: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/cherwell-valley-day-ranger-to-be-discontinued.163940/#post-3458095

[didcotdean]

The only GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains that run on a Sunday from Banbury to Oxford are between May and September. So this is withdrawn as they come back into the summer service. Mind you even then there are only 3 all day.

Can't see why the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) validity map though includes going towards Bicester as it isn't valid on Chiltern - and it isn't even an old map as Oxford Parkway is on it.

If I were to bet on the next one to go it would be the Oxford Evening Out ... always get an odd look when I ask for that one.

[FremlinsMan]

The only GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains that run on a Sunday from Banbury to Oxford are between May and September. So this is withdrawn as they come back into the summer service. Mind you even then there are only 3 all day.

Can't see why the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) validity map though includes going towards Bicester as it isn't valid on Chiltern - and it isn't even an old map as Oxford Parkway is on it.

If I were to bet on the next one to go it would be the Oxford Evening Out ... always get an odd look when I ask for that one.

That's odd - one of the gateline staff at Didcot Parkway alerted me to the Oxford Evening Out ticket before I had heard of it! It is a bit hit or miss whether there will be anyone on duty at DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) to sell you the ticket after a certain time, though. Last time I wanted to buy one, there were no staff at the ticket counters or at the open gates. And it seems that you can't buy the OEO^▸ (One Engine Only) ticket online, either.

[martyjon]

This thread prompts me question whether the WSR Awayday ticket is still available, anyone know ?

[JayMac]

It's still listed in the fares database:

http://www.brfares.com/#fares?orig=BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)&dest=K938

And advertised on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) website:

https://www.gwr.com/destinations-and-events/heritage-railways/west-somerset-railway

Edited to add. Yes, you can buy the WSR Awayday via the GWR app and website.

[didcotdean]

That's odd - one of the gateline staff at Didcot Parkway alerted me to the Oxford Evening Out ticket before I had heard of it! It is a bit hit or miss whether there will be anyone on duty at DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) to sell you the ticket after a certain time, though. Last time I wanted to buy one, there were no staff at the ticket counters or at the open gates. And it seems that you can't buy the OEO^▸ (One Engine Only) ticket online, either.

Probably more of a surprised look that anyone knows about it. I remember a discussion a few years between the staff as to whether they had been able to confirm if there was a Network Card discount on it or not (answer: yes) so there must be a few bought thinking about it.

The OEO can be bought online but not then collectable at the station from the machines. Has to be posted out, which is silly considering its cost. Not tried from the app.

[Richard Fairhurst]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) gateline staff at Oxford (when the ticket office is closed) have refused to sell me the Oxford Evening Out, claiming that it has to be bought from a 'country' station and not from Oxford. Which sounds like hogwash and isn't reflected in any online documentation that I can find. (I'd cycled from Charlbury to Oxford and was returning by train.)

[grahame]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) gateline staff at Oxford (when the ticket office is closed) have refused to sell me the Oxford Evening Out, claiming that it has to be bought from a 'country' station and not from Oxford. Which sounds like hogwash and isn't reflected in any online documentation that I can find. (I'd cycled from Charlbury to Oxford and was returning by train.)

Indeed.  As far as I can see you should even be able to buy it at the ticket office at Wolverhampton and split onto it at Banbury.     

As a leisure ranger / rover product you should also be able to use it to split at Didcot if you've got a regular (single or return) ticket to Didcot from somewhere south or east thereof, even if you're passing Didcot on a train that doesn't stop there.

A Ranger ticket which is valid for 1 evening, offering unlimited travel in the area shown on the map.

and

This ticket can either be bought on the day or in advance from a station ticket office, online, by telephone (08457 000 125), or on the train (valid ticket/permit to travel is required unless boarded at a station without ticket-issuing facilities).