No returns available Leicester to Rugby. Day return of two singles £59-70 !

[suzanneparis]

Good afternoon
I have come up with what seems to me a shocking price for the short journey from Leicester to Rugby return on Wednesday 9 November. Leaving Leicester at about 10am and returning from Rugby at about 5pm.

Three questions
1. is there a cheaper fare
2. why is such a short journey so expensive?
3. why aren't returns available

Many thanks for any help

 

[matt]

Where have you seen this price? With no railcards the off peak return is £17.70

 

[suzanneparis]

got it off national rail enquiries. i took a photo of the screen i was so shocked

but now on trainsplit i found it for 11.65 with my railcard.

why does nre show such an expensive price?

just double checked. nre leicester to rugby on 9th november dept at 9.15 or later. return at 5.15 pm or later. came up with no returns available. and two singles from £59.70

 

[Watershed]

The reason is because, for the return journey, it is showing journeys via Stafford, Stoke and Beeston. This is, of course, not a valid route for a through ticket and so it's suggesting buying a combination of tickets (and not the cheapest combination by any means!), which is what results in the much higher fare.

The reason why it's suggesting going via Stafford, Stoke and Beeston is that normal timetables are still in the process of being reintroduced for Wednesday.

Some services haven't yet been republished and so the current picture, as seen by journey planners such as NRE, is a slightly misleading one. It leads NRE to suggest that the only route to Leicester (after the last itinerary via Nuneaton under the strike timetable) is to go via Stafford, Stoke and Beeston.

Look again in a couple of days and it should all be sorted out. Unfortunately this is the kind of thing that happens when a strike is cancelled at the 11th hour!