Oxford - Brighton routes

[igloo]

Hi folks,

If, on http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/, I ask to go from Oxford (OXF) to Brighton (BTN) tomorrow at 11am, returning the day after at 11am, and then amend the search to 'travel via Wokingham (WKM)', then for the 53.40 off-peak fare it won't let me select a return journey via Clapham Junction and Reading.

I'm sure this used to be allowed. Is this a bug in NRE, or has something changed?

I also found that if I instead amend it to "avoid London", then it offers me slightly faster routes via Basingstoke, that I also can't select. Does anyone know whether these routes also ought to be allowed please?


Thanks!

 

[BluePenguin]

I have had a little look and can't find any itineries via Basingstoke. The National Rail site gave me the same issue you had.

I tried a few different TOC websites and trainline and found that all of them behaved the same. I think it is because the permitted routes for the £53.40 fare don't include going all the way to Clapham Junction for a SWR service as if you want to travel via Wokingham, then the most sensible and quickest route would be to change at Gatwick for the GWR train to Reading which also stops at Wokingham.

Because of this, the cheaper Not via London fare which you were talking about is your best bet as it includes GWR services which travel via Wokingham. Changing at Reading and Gatwick is easy enough.

The £53.40 Any Permitted fare allows you to travel via Paddington and Victoria, costs more and doesn't much time and is even slower at certain times.

Personally, I doubt it matters if you can't get the itinary you are after. Simply buy the fare you prefer and travel to Brighton along any of the permitted routes.

 

[JB_B]

The £53.40 off peak return ticket is Route: Not London

( http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=BTN&dest=OXF&rte=700&tkt=SVR )

In the past I've had no problem getting itineraries for this ticket via Ascot (ex Clapham J) and via Basingstoke (ex Clapham) - I used to travel these routes fairly often.

From a quick play it looks like you're right - NRE offers no return fares if you request journeys via Ascot.

Checking the relevant maps for journeys from Brighton to Oxford they are

1 XB ( Brighton - Redhill - Reading - Oxford)
2 LB to London ( BML incl Clapham Junction )
3 VB to London ( BML )
4 GC from London (ex Marylebone - Chiltern )
5 LH from London (ex Paddington )
6 WX+RB from London ( Clapham J - Reading )

So it seems that Basingstoke is no longer an option (even on a via London ticket).

2 and 6 would give you the route you want but some interpret the routeing guide as forbidding Not London tickets on routes traced over maps generated by LONDON entries in the routeing point identifier ( even when, as in this case, the actual route traced avoids London Group.)

So what you are seeing could be consistent with that strict reading ( which gives you just the one route on XB and is much more restrictive I'd have thought reasonable ).

However, even if that is the case, I think NRE should be offering other you other returns including the £60.10 Route: Any Permitted ticket ...

( http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=BTN&dest=OXF&ldn=1&tkt=SVR )

.. I don't know why it's saying only single fares are available.

 

[BluePenguin]

I have found a possible work around! I had another go and found that although it won't give you the an itinerary from Oxford it will from Reading. I typed in Reading to Brighton via Stains and got the itinerary you are after and was offered an off peak return for £42.60 Not via London (£8 more than the day return!

As for the Oxford to Reading leg, you can choose between either two £9.50 singles, the £18.40 off peak return or save few pounds getting cross country advance singles for £4.40 to £8.80.

I hope this helps. By the way do you have a railcard? If not you should think about getting one to save a ton of cash on these expensive fares.

 

[igloo]

Thanks all; sounds like it ought to still be valid, then!

In fact, I've discovered that gwr.com is happy to give me that route.

And thanks too for the railcard suggestion; I do actually already have one, but didn't mention it as it wasn't directly relevant to my question.


Thanks again!