Author Topic: National Rail Enquiries  (Read 1250 times)

Torslanda

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National Rail Enquiries
« on: 18 October, 2018, 09:05:28 am »
I may have to travel from Manchester to Hull next week to collect a motorbike so checked the National Rail website for train tickets.

According to them an advance, off peak single was around 44 quid. I've heard on here about 'splitting' a journey and, given the suggested route involved changing trains at Huddersfield, tried two separate enquiries. The first from Leeds to Hull and the second from Manchester to Leeds arriving in time to make the connection. Less than 15 quid in total.

I thought that the National Rail site was supposed to help you find the cheapest fares available, anyone able to explain...?
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Wowbagger

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Re: National Rail Enquiries
« Reply #1 on: 18 October, 2018, 09:18:52 am »
I thought that the National Rail site was supposed to help you find the cheapest fares available, anyone able to explain...?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah...

and breathe.

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Re: National Rail Enquiries
« Reply #2 on: 18 October, 2018, 09:37:41 am »
I thought that the National Rail site was supposed to help you find the cheapest fares available, anyone able to explain...?

Simply put, it doesn't consider splitting when looking for the cheapest fares. In an ideal world it would but it's a lot of IT work (cost) that they fear will just result in a direct loss of revenue (despite the fact that more people might use the trains if they were cheaper). Secondly, no-one is forcing them to do it properly.

(Don't know why I did Huddersfield instead of Hull. Will redo my checking...)

Would need to know timings in order to do a proper check (i.e. can't leave before X on day Y, or must arrive by Z on day Y) but a cursory check shows an Advance Single on the 10:47 train on Tuesday 23rd Oct from Manchester Piccadilly to Hull is only £20.50 (Advance Single). I can make it slightly cheaper if I split at Leeds and start from Manchester Victoria (and take a bit more time).

Not sure where the original £44 figure comes from. I think that might be your problem.

Picking a random time/day (Tuesday 23rd October, leaving at ~10.45am) the direct train ticket (From Man Piccadilly to Huddersfield) is £13.80 (Anytime Day Single). Starting at Manchester Victoria and splitting at Leeds I can get it for £10.10 in total (even £9.20 if you've got hours to burn as there's a really slow train from Leeds to Huddersfield that's £5 instead of the usual £5.90) but I can't find a way to split the fare if starting from Piccadilly and making it cheaper (On this particular date/time/route. I could also be wrong).


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Cudzoziemiec

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Re: National Rail Enquiries
« Reply #3 on: 18 October, 2018, 10:22:58 am »
https://www.splitticketing.com is supposedly good.
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robgul

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Re: National Rail Enquiries
« Reply #4 on: 18 October, 2018, 06:32:58 pm »
... they don't allow motorbikes on the trains for the return journey  ;D

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Kim

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Re: National Rail Enquiries
« Reply #5 on: 18 October, 2018, 06:38:53 pm »
... they don't allow motorbikes on the trains for the return journey  ;D

Probably for the best, it'd be really awkward trying to lift them to hang by the back wheel.