Error in routing guide since Feb 2023

[Iggy12a]

Changes from 15 Feb 2023 (425) to 20 Feb 2023 (426).

Route changes:



Changed (added sections in red, removed ones in green):



CITY TL/SURREY Q (00365) (124 records)

must go via City Thameslink (CTK) or Surrey Quays (SQE)

must only use Elizabeth Line (XR)



This is due to go live tomorrow, and there may be further changes then. At the moment, the name and details don't match, and the route code is used for journeys (such as Abbey Wood-Alexandra Palace) which can't be made in accordance with the new route details.

There has been another change to the routeing guide this afternoon.
Changes from 20 Feb 2023 (426) to 22 Feb 2023 (427).



Route changes:



Changed (added sections in red, removed ones in green):



CITY TL/SURREY Q (00365) (124 records)

must only use Elizabeth Line (XR)

must go via City Thameslink (CTK) and Surrey Quays (SQE)


The details still make for quite an awkward journey, but there are at least some journeys you could find online for it.

For Finsbury Park-Abbey Wood, this could be something like Thameslink to Peckham Rye, London Overground to Whitechapel and Elizabeth Line from there.

Back in February, these two changes were made to the routing guide; the second was to supposedly reverse the first, but as pointed out on here, it didn't. The effect since then has been that for any journey where a fare is via City Thameslink/Surrey Quays, online journey planners fail to find a valid itinerary, because it is virtually impossible to travel via City Thameslink AND Surrey Quays.

By way of example, brfares shows East Croydon to Finsbury Park via City Thameslink at £7.70 anytime single, or £10.40 any permitted. Journey planners only find the £10.40 fare, even when on the direct train via City Thameslink.

How does one get whoever applied the updates to the routing guide to correct them?

 

[Adam Williams]

How does one get whoever applied the updates to the routing guide to correct them?

Post a thread on the forums and wait

 

[JB_B]

Post a thread on the forums and wait

Well, it's already been posted and discussed in the most relevant thread and nothing has happened.

Sometimes these mistakes are put right very quickly, sometimes not. It would interesting to know who (or what) is responsible for the errors and fixing them - it all seems very opaque and unaccountable.

 

[Surreytraveller]

The industry's full of people who haven't got a clue what they're doing. No one is accountable

 

[JB_B]

Looks like the problem was fixed in the 20 July update (0762).

 

[Joe Paxton]

[...]
How does one get whoever applied the updates to the routing guide to correct them?

Post a thread on the forums and wait

Looks like the problem was fixed in the 20 July update (0762).

It would appear the 'system' works...

 

[Adam Williams]

It would appear the 'system' works...

Frankly the 'system' often works better than contacting individual TOCs/the PMS helpdesk!

I've seen long-running ticket electronic restriction screw-ups get resolved very shortly after being raised here when I've had no luck getting the TOC to sort their stuff out over a period of 6+ months

 

[yorkie]

It does indeed work because the relevant people read this forum directly; let's face it anyone who is heavily involved in almost any aspect of setting/maintaining/supporting rail fares will be reading this forum (whether they have an account or not).

Contacting a TOC is tricky if the error is against the passenger, as first you have to get past the customer service team who are like a 'firewall' and then get it to someone at that TOC who has a clue and then finally get it to someone relevant at RDG...

However if it's an error in the passengers favour, then that's different!

 

[Fawkes Cat]

It does indeed work because the relevant people read this forum directly;

So will they see it if we say 'thank you'?

 

[yorkie]

So will they see it if we say 'thank you'?

Probably!

Honestly the reach of this fares forum is much wider than people may think; it's a great way for companies to see how their products are used (a product could be anything from an entire website to a specific fare), find bugs (in either party's favour), and even to recruit staff.

However sometimes there isn't enough time to read everything that is posted here, so sometimes something can get missed.