What are the rules when the only fare defined is a routed one, but there's a shorter journey possible?

[akm]

I've read the Routeing Guide and the forum's Guide and I'm still confused.

Consider Shaun from Shanklin (Isle of Wight) who wants a single to Birmingham New Street. Two plans immediately come to mind:

1) get to the mainland (Portsmouth) by his choice of sea transport; SWR to London Waterloo; cross London to Euston; Avanti (or whoever) to Birmingham

2) get to the mainland (Portsmouth) by his choice of sea transport; SWR or GWR to Southampton; CrossCountry to Birmingham

Just eyeballing a map, it seems clear that the via Southampton route (2) is much shorter. But unfortunately the flexible fares look like this:



All the stuff in the Routeing Guide about shortest route etc seems to be overridden by the proviso (NRCoT 13.1) that

Your Ticket may show that it is valid only on certain train services, such as those of a particular Train Company, or on trains travelling via a certain route or routes.

(my emphasis) which very much suggests he can only go via London.

But the NRCoT goes on to say:

13.2 If you make a journey by a route that is not valid you will be liable to pay an excess
fare. The price for this will be the difference between the amount paid for the Ticket
you hold and the lowest price Ticket available for immediate travel that would have
entitled you to travel by that route

But what if there is no "Ticket available for immediate travel that would [... entitle] you to travel by that route" ? What could Shaun possibly be excessed to?

The really weird thing in this particular example is that while Shaun from Shanklin is stumped, his travelling companian Ryan from Ryde St Johns - 5 stops up the Island Line - is absolutely fine, he can just buy one of these and explore everything the Routeing Guide can offer him:




And even decide to go via London and be excessed (caveat about LU, of course).

 

[JonathanH]

Consider Shaun from Shanklin (Isle of Wight) who wants a single to Birmingham New Street.

There are quite a few stations Shaun from Shanklin can't even buy a through ticket to.

In practice, a passenger just goes via London, or buys separate tickets for different parts of the journey.

 

[Gaelan]

A similar case is London to Edinburgh, where the only walk-up fares are "via York" (from London Terminals) and "Avanti" (from Euston). Other routes, like MML to WCML, are permitted by the routing guide but have no available tickets.

(There are, however, Any Permitted tickets to Haymarket. Go figure.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

A similar case is London to Edinburgh, where the only walk-up fares are "via York" (from London Terminals) and "Avanti" (from Euston). Other routes, like MML to WCML, are permitted by the routing guide but have no available tickets.

(There are, however, Any Permitted tickets to Haymarket. Go figure.)

This was because people wanting a single to Glasgow were buying tickets to Edinburgh because it was cheaper, which was hitting Avanti's pocket. I don't entirely understand why they created the new fare routed Avanti rather than say Lancaster, though.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Wasn't just Glasgow, Edinburgh to London Super Off Peak Single was cheaper than most single tickets from Edinburgh to south of Lancaster