How to do Bedford to St Albans Abbey +via London?

[trainJam]

There are two route options:
Any Permitted (CDR £33.50)
+Via London (CDR £44.70)
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The intention is to go the long way around via London for the journey, instead of alighting at St Albans City.

1. For the +via London route, is the following journey permitted: Bedford, St Pancras, Euston, Watford Jn, St Albans Abbey?
2. However, I can't seem to get the online journey planners to give me the itinerary described in (1). I can find one for BDM <> WFJ via London - just not for stations on the WFJ - SAA line.
3. If (1) allowed, then if I want to go outwards via London but return via Bletchley (to tick off the 150s), can I benefit in this situation by buying the cheaper Any Permitted route and buying a one direction change of route excess via +London from staff?

Thanks.

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately, it's being denied by a "negative easement":

Easement 700434 (published by TOC FC)
Customers travelling from Watford North, Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood, Park Street and St Albans Abbey to or via London St Pancras in possession of tickets routed "Any Permitted" or "via London" may not travel via St Albans. This easement applies in both directions.

This is of course nonsense.

You could try writing to GTR about this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are so many of these. Logic would be that the +LONDON one should be +ANY PERMITTED and the Any Permitted one should be BLETCHLEY or similar (is there any other sensible way to go not involving London?)

What route via London do they intend you on using on the +LONDON one that doesn't go via St Albans City? That ticket is essentially pointless if you can't.

(Of course this sort of thing doesn't get addressed because anyone with any sense would just go to St Albans City and walk, not faff about with a tour via London)

 

[John Webb]

Being local to St Albans, I'm curious. Reading the above "Negative Easement" does it mean that if you come from elsewhere via Watford Junction onto the Abbey line, that you then are allowed to walk up to the City Station and catch a train because you've not started from any of the Abbey line stations?

Or alternatively if you start at Bedford, get off at the City station and walk down to the Abbey station that's fine as well?

 

[Haywain]

Reading the above "Negative Easement" does it mean that if you come from elsewhere via Watford Junction onto the Abbey line, that you then are allowed to walk up to the City Station and catch a train because you've not started from any of the Abbey line stations?

It came about because people were using tickets from Abbey line stations to travel from (or via) City to London because they undercut the fares from City.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It came about because people were using tickets from Abbey line stations to travel from (or via) City to London because they undercut the fares from City.

In a sensible world rather than a stupid "ner, you can't" easement typical of the railway, they'd have routed the existing fares VIA WATFORD JUNC and then added a set of new ones routed VIA ST ALBANS CITY priced the same as from there.

The railway is its own worst enemy sometimes with this confusing nonsense.

 

[trainJam]

So it must be an impossible fare.
(I was just curious to know how to use that exact fare - I'll stick to the split ticket combinations generated then or try something else.)

You could try writing to GTR about this.

If I wish to talk to GTR about this, would the best way be to just use the contact us/complaint form on the Great Northern website?