Manchester - Liverpool - all routes?

[duncombec]

Usually I stick to the bus side of the forum, this is my first post on the rail side.

I am travelling to Manchester in April and intend on having a day out in Liverpool, having first done the requisite bus-related things in Eccles and at the Trafford Centre. I will be in GM for the week on a System One (Bus + Train) week ticket, and therein lies the basis for my questions.

1. If I travel using the Eccles line in both directions, can I 'get away' with a System one card and a Merseyside savaway (Day) ticket? Essentially, do the ticketing boundaries go right up to the boundaries, thus allowing me to travel beyond Patricroft on System One, or will I find myself having to do something silly like buy a ticket between Patricroft and Newton-le-Willows? I know this won't work with the Urmston Line as I cross through Warrington... or will it?

2. If I wanted to make sure I could travel back by either line (to take advantage of the faster trains, which all seem to run on the Warrington/Urmston line), does a standard Manchester - Liverpool return (even if I buy it at Eccles) cover both lines, or are they only available via one or the other line?

3. Just double-checking - National Rail being what it is - there is no benefit to only booking as far as Oxford Road, as supposed to Piccadilly.

4. More double checking: Is it possible to buy a savaway outside the Merseytravel area (i.e. Eccles or Urmston)?

5. Finally, unless I'm being dim, I can't find a map of the savaway area that is as detailed as that for Manchester. What would be the last station such a ticket would be valid on on the Warrington line? (And is it actually worth a three-ticket extravaganza?)

Many Thanks!

 

[Merseysider]

Welcome to the rail side

1. No, ATOC clarified a while ago that for zonal tickets which are different products to be combined, there has to be overlap at a station. A GM Wayfarer, for example, would do the trick.

2. LIV-MAN return tickets are valid via either Eccles or Urmston. You can also switch between routes midway, travelling Warrington - Newton-le-Willows or vice versa. (Whilst not valid on the RG maps, I got an itinerary for it not so long ago The TPE website will still give an itinerary by inputting LIV-MAN via WBQ; and no guard in a million years would ever query you doing this).

3. Tickets from outside Greater Manchester are issued to "Manchester Stations"; allowing you to choose from Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly or Victoria.

4. Entirely possible; I had one issued at Wigan Wallgate a while ago.

5. The yellow shaded area on this map shows where the Saveaway is valid. On the Warrington line, the last station of validity is Hough Green; on the Eccles line the last station is Newton-le-Willows.

 

[duncombec]

Thanks, Jake, both for the quality and speed of your reply.

It is very useful to know about the 'block' stations and that both routes can be used. Essentially it will depend on which way round I do things - it is weighing up the convenience of being able to stroll from the bus station at Eccles onto the platform versus the hourly service.

I hadn't realised the Wayfarer covered Warrington, but I don't think it will work this way anyway. Already having a System One ticket I was looking for a cheaper add-on: if I have to pay £12 to get to Newton-Le-Willows before the Savaway I may as well buy a return at £12.30. I've just cancelled the thought of singles as well, having realised PAT to NLW alone is £5.30!

 

[Merseysider]

There is a workaround but it's quite a treck: The System One ticket is valid to Bryn (near Wigan) by rail. With a Bryn - Garswood return ticket at £2.10, you could join that up with a Saveaway (all areas) which would be valid from Garswood to Liverpool. The train would have to stop at both Bryn and Garswood. However it's not something I'd advise due to the time penalty (+45 mins)!

Edit: Depending on what day you decide on making the journey, if you do decide on the £12 ticket, you might want to plan your itinerary around the 30 mins TPE (Mon-Sat) from Victoria xx:35 to Lime Street or vice versa (xx:12 from Lime Street).