Longest Anytime Short Return

[lyndhurst25]

Back in 2018, it was mentioned in a thread that the longest journey for which there was an Anytime Short Return (SHR) fare for was for a journey of 168 miles.

Anytime Short Return?

What is this new ticket that Northern are selling? Offpeak short return and Anytime short return on the ticket machine was £2 and £4 more than the Anytime day return. Why does the railway like to complicate things.

www.railforums.co.uk

I’ve just noticed that unfortunately these tickets have been spreading e.g. Holyhead to Berwick on Tweed (338 miles minimum!) now only offers SHR or SVR return fares. This makes a total mockery of the reasons given for the introduction of SHRs (to offer a period return where only day return fares exist or, as was later suggested, to prevent fraudulent ticket reuse by commuters). Can anyone find a longer one?

Remember that these tickets do not allow overnight break of journey on the outward portion, something that would be not at all unreasonable on such a long trip.

 

[kieron]

An Inverness-Manchester Airport "Scotrail & TPE only" SOR was turned into a SHR in September 2019. It's 403 miles via Coatbridge, and further via Edinburgh or Glasgow. They probably don't sell any tickets, though, as the "via Lancaster" off peak return has no time restrictions, and is a lot cheaper.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

An Inverness-Manchester Airport "Scotrail & TPE only" SOR was turned into a SHR in September 2019. It's 403 miles via Coatbridge, and further via Edinburgh or Glasgow. They probably don't sell any tickets, though, as the "via Lancaster" off peak return has no time restrictions, and is a lot cheaper.

Are these particular anytime short return tickets also interavailable on TPE services via the ECML?

 

[Merseysider]

Are these particular anytime short return tickets also interavailable on TPE services via the ECML?

Yes, providing you stick to TPE south of Edinburgh, as that is a permitted route, although some journeys require an additional change (or two) and are thus slower; eg 7/10 leaving Edinburgh at 1233, changing at Newcastle and Manchester Victoria is slower than just getting the 1412 direct to the airport.

 

[kieron]

Are these particular anytime short return tickets also interavailable on TPE services via the ECML?

They are, but the "via York" anytime return is also cheaper than the "Scotrail & TPE" version.

I suppose someone who managed to ask to use both routes on a return journey might be offered the TPE ticket online. That's a weakness of online retailers (and the systems they use), though, rather than a justification for this ticket.

 

[Alex365Dash]

An Inverness-Manchester Airport "Scotrail & TPE only" SOR was turned into a SHR in September 2019. It's 403 miles via Coatbridge, and further via Edinburgh or Glasgow. They probably don't sell any tickets, though, as the "via Lancaster" off peak return has no time restrictions, and is a lot cheaper.

Well, the restriction (in addition to the outward Break of Journey restriction) is that you can't actually use it on any trains departing between 02:30 - 04:14 inclusive, but unless you're getting the 03:58 TPE rail replacement bus on Tuesday 7th September 2021 from Manchester Airport to Piccadilly whilst using the return portion of this ticket, this isn't really a restriction in any meaningful way.

You'd be offered this ticket for an itinerary involving the above rail replacement bus (and the example you've already made about using both the WCML and ECML in either direction) but I think that's about it.