Via London - yet cheaper & longer (27th)?

[Horizon22]

The journey is a single from North Camp to Ealing Broadway on the 27th. This an alternative origin station than normal due to SWR engineering works (which may be relevant)

The natural option at the time of travel is with 1 change at Reading. This price defaults to £24.90 and is set by GWR (link to BRfare)

However there is a cheaper option with 2 changes - one at Reading but also oddly Paddington and requires going past Ealing Broadway to then return, which is normally not allowed to my knowledge This fare is £21.20 and is set by SWR and is valid cross London apparently (BRFares)

Is this any particular reason for this? Are the engineering works relevant due to no fast trains to Waterloo? Could the cheaper ticket be used on a GWR/TfL stopping service from Reading to Ealing Broadway

 

[Starmill]

You're likely exposing a mistake, so take care. It's generally permitted to go from North Camp to London via Reading. The 'via London' on the ticket allows the permitted route calculation to be split there, hence allowing the double back. SWR probably should have routed this ticket +Not via Reading but they didn't.

As the ticket is an Anytime Day Single, stopping short is permitted. So you can exit at Ealing Broadway the first time you arrive there by 'stopping short' and not going to London and then coming back again.

 

[JonathanH]

The journey is a single from North Camp to Ealing Broadway on the 27th.

If the journey is a single from North Camp to Ealing Broadway, the cheapest option via Reading is to buy a single from North Camp to Reading for £9.00 and a Contactless single from Reading to Ealing Broadway for £8.80.

That is £17.80.

In theory (and practice), a cheaper option exists to get an Advance single from North Camp to Slough for £12.40 and the Contactless single from Slough to Ealing Broadway is £3.60 but it may not fit the desired travel times.

That is £16.00

 

[Horizon22]

If the journey is a single from North Camp to Ealing Broadway, the cheapest option via Reading is to buy a single from North Camp to Reading for £9.00 and a Contactless single from Reading to Ealing Broadway for £8.80.

That is £17.80.

In theory (and practice), a cheaper option exists to get an Advance single from North Camp to Slough for £12.40 and the Contactless single from Slough to Ealing Broadway is £3.60 but it may not fit the desired travel times.

That is £16.00

I did forget to mention there’s a railcard involved so the contactless option from Reading adds up slightly more expensive than the SWR “via London” ticket. But for ease that will probably be the best option at just a £1 more.

The Slough advance could work although it would be the same train and there would be no way of using contactless there without exiting/entering and there’s no desire to hang around at Slough.

You're likely exposing a mistake, so take care. It's generally permitted to go from North Camp to London via Reading. The 'via London' on the ticket allows the permitted route calculation to be split there, hence allowing the double back. SWR probably should have routed this ticket +Not via Reading but they didn't.

As the ticket is an Anytime Day Single, stopping short is permitted. So you can exit at Ealing Broadway the first time you arrive there by 'stopping short' and not going to London and then coming back again.

I gathered this was some sort of mistake due to the doubling back element. As you say anytime it’s an anytime ticket so may well use that and “break” journey there. Thanks.

 

[yorkie]

There is no blanket rule against doubling back; that's a myth based on a misunderstanding of the rule that you can't double back while tracing the maps (with some exceptions)

If a ticket is routed via London then all the permitted routes to and from London are permitted. These are calculated independently.