Can I Break My Journey at Weston-super-Mare?

[whole diary]

[hoover50]

An off-peak return from Pewsey to Weston-Super-Mare costs an eye-watering £103.60

However, going via Bristol Temple Meads and splitting the tickets at Bristol Temple Meads brings the off-peak return cost down to £30.70 which is quite a saving.

Going one step further, would I be allowed to use an off-peak return from Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads via Taunton (costing £21.40) and then break my journey at Weston-Super-Mare?

[bobm]

Others may find different but to me that £21.40 fare to Bristol Temple Meads seems to be valid only via Westbury.

[hoover50]

Others may find different but to me that £21.40 fare to Bristol Temple Meads seems to be valid only via Westbury.

How can I check / confirm that please?

[grahame]

Others may find different but to me that £21.40 fare to Bristol Temple Meads seems to be valid only via Westbury.

I suspect that the routing guide from Pewsey to Bristol does not allow via Taunton.  I put in the Pewsey to Bristol journey in the TransPennine Express ticket engine which lets you add a "via" and with a "via Taunton" it said no journeys - so, sorry, no break of journey in that way is rather confirmed.  

I changed Bristol to Worle looking for a price either way round, and the price went up through the roof

[bobm]

I did the same on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) site with the same result.

There is this on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Fares concerning the £21.40 ticket.

[Image from here is not available to guests]

[hoover50]

I did the same on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) site with the same result.

There is this on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Fares concerning the £21.40 ticket.

[Image from here is not available to guests]

When it says "VIA WESTBURY" does it mean that the ticket is only valid when changing trains at Westbury or does it cover trains that stop at Westbury and go onto Taunton from where I can change and get a train to Bristol?

[grahame]

I did the same on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) site with the same result.

There is this on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Fares concerning the £21.40 ticket.

[Image from here is not available to guests]

When it says "VIA WESTBURY" does it mean that the ticket is only valid when changing trains at Westbury or does it cover trains that stop at Westbury and go onto Taunton from where I can change and get a train to Bristol?

A "via" does not mean that a stop is needed, and indeed it's valid if the train takes an avoiding line. - the curve at Didcot, the Rhubarb Loop,  the Weston avoider.

[JayMac]

Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads via Taunton IS a mapped route in the Routeing Guide. However it fails the 'fare check' rule meaning it isn't a permitted route.

The fare from Pewsey to Taunton is more expensive than the fare from Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads. This rules out using the Pewsey to Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) ticket via Taunton.

[hoover50]

Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads via Taunton IS a mapped route in the Routeing Guide. However it fails the 'fare check' rule meaning it isn't a permitted route.

The fare from Pewsey to Taunton is more expensive than the fare from Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads. This rules out using the Pewsey to Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) ticket via Taunton.

OK, many thanks for the confirmation and clear explanation.

Looks like going via Bristol Temple Meads and splitting the tickets at Bristol Temple Meads is the best way of getting the cheapest fare.

[grahame]

Interestingly, this is what from my customer focused journey planner suggests, Pewsey to Bristol Temple Meads.



Most of those are "change at Westbury" but the 18:00 is change at Taunton.

My personal view as a rail passenger is that if I turn up at station "A" (or "P") and want to get to station "B" as early as possible, I should be allowed to use any reasonable route, where any reasonable route includes the one that will get you there earliest, no matter where I may need to change along the way.

This is not just an issue with Pewsey -> Bristol Temple Mead ... I can find lots of other examples.

[ChrisB]

well, it's done on shortest, not quickest....shortest always valid

[grahame]

well, it's done on shortest, not quickest....shortest always valid

In my view, it should be done on both, and earliest arrival is the most important.  Customers are most concerned about how long a journey takes / how quickly that can get there, not how many miles the rail industry choses to take them to achieve that.

Here's another example - Chippenham to Southampton Central.   The shortest route is taken by the 06:19 getting you there at 08:09 ... the next train via that route at 08:59 with a change and getting you to Southampton at 11:03.



Why should customer have to pay a higher fare for a longer distance because of the very thin services provided on the most direct line?

[ChrisB]

All fares ought to be the same for recognised routings....based on one metric (miles per £1 maybe?)

[grahame]

All fares ought to be the same for recognised routings....based on one metric (miles per £1 maybe?)

Indeed - for the shortest routing.  And that fare should then be accepted by any route that will get you there next; it should not be the customers' concern than the rail industry sends them a long way round because there is no appropriate direct or connecting train

[Trowres]

An off-peak return from Pewsey to Weston-Super-Mare costs an eye-watering £103.60
...

Not as cheap as going via Bristol, but I note that the following fares for Newbury-WSM via Taunton are available:
Off-peak return £82.80 valid 09:15 and later from Newbury.
Super Off-peak return: £63.00 valid 10:30 and later from Newbury,

Break of journey is allowed in both directions for these tickets. Perhaps someone would confirm that this permits the train to be boarded at Pewsey?