82 Journeys via Swindon and Didcot or via Swindon to Didcot and routed Not London may double back between Reading and Didcot. This easements applies in both directions.
THAT is an interesting one. There are often higher fares on journeys like Oxford to Bath via Reading than via Didcot. Am I reading that you are allowed to buy an Oxford to Bath via Didcot ticket, and use it via Reading anyway?
No - the cheaper tickets are specifically routed "not Reading", which is explicitly printed on them. What I don't understand is why there is an easement covering the more expensive tickets - they're routed "not London" and that's also printed on the ticket. Travelling via Reading, fairly obviously, doesn't contravene the route "not London"! I suppose it's because one of the fundamental tenets of the Routeing Guide is that in general you shouldn't double back through the same station, and taking the route via Reading means you double back through Cholsey/Pangbourne/Goring& Streatley/Tilehurst.
It's a pet peeve of mine that
FGW▸ has always been hugely inconsistent with allowing you to use diverted London - Bristol services from Oxford or Didcot via Reading and the
B&H▸ when there's engineering work on the main line. Sometimes it's fine, but more often they expect you to fork out for the "not London"
ticket or spend an eternity messing about changing from train to bus to train again.
30020 Journeys from Moreton in Marsh, Kingham, Shipton, Ascott under Wychwood, Charlbury, Finstock, Combe and Hanborough to Reading and beyond may travel via Oxford. This easement applies in both direction.
And how would you do that journey WITHOUT travelling via Oxford? Change at Shrub Hill, Cheltenham and Swindon , perhaps?
I assume so. Why you would is another matter. May be that the algorithm in the routeing guide somehow makes the direct route "not permitted" so they have to add an easement, although that's only a guess...
300364 Customers travelling from Evesham and Pershore via Swindon may not travel via Worcester Shrub Hill. This easement applies in both directions.
That looks like a hardening, not an easing to me!
Yep, there are several "hardenings" in there that are most certainly not easements!
30114 Journeys from Melksham via Bedwyn may travel via Westbury. This easement applies in both directions.
... but what does it mean?
I have no idea. There are a few of them that apparently make no sense and are just permitting travel by the obvious route. Maybe that means that you can travel via Westbury if you want rather than going round via Chippenham and Reading, allowing you to make the most of your extensive local train service
There's another one I really can't figure out either, #70000:
Customers travelling from Keynsham via Westbury may also travel via Bath Spa. This easement applies in both directions.
Going from Keynsham to Wesbury
avoiding Bath Spa takes you all the way round via Taunton then back up...what on Earth does that easement mean? The journey planner will often give you journeys from, say, Oxford to Keynsham that take you through to Temple Meads and then double back, so that's evidently permitted by the Routeing Guide... This is making my brain ache.
vacman, Donkey Guard, readytostart, super tm, can any of you help us out with these or are they as much of a mystery to staff as they are to the punters?!
