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If I am using correct data, is it not beneficial to any traveller going between RDG and PAD during the Off-Peak availability to buy a Thames Valley Branches rover ticket ^16.40 as opposed to a Off Peak Day Day Return of ^16.50?

OK it would seem that there are a number of different ways Rovers work out to be cheaper than walk-on  fares. E.g. Savings can be made on a FOSW rover 3 in 7 compared to, for example, RDG to PNZ walk on SVR or SSR.

This being the case... why can't ticket machines be programmed to a financial threshold [given the information provided by the traveller a propos their return journey and times] above which a rover is automatically issued as the cheapest ticket for the journey?

And, as a poll, how many forum members have EVER been offered the option of a Rover by a ticket office as the cheapest ticket option for their journey??

Once by a first cornwall bus driver on a falmouth to penzance bus.

Was sold a Miseryside Day Ranger at Roby station a few months back by the ticket office as I'd save money around Liverpool, and although not railway - many of the drivers for Stagecoach issue you a Niterider for ^2.00 as a default ticket in the evenings as it's cheaper (than for example a single from Newton Abbot to Torquay).

I too have had bus drivers offer it but never yet been offered it by a rail ticket office :(

Similarly Dayriders in the day, since shockingly ^4.70 is cheaper than a lot of the single fares on Stagecoach.

Almost always on the buses, its very rarely the case on the trains.

As a teenager I was always sold a one day Centrocard (or Daytripper after 0930) for my journeys between Stourbridge and Solihull.

There are actually quite a few Day Ranger type tickets that are cheaper than point-to-point fares over routes they cover.

Cherwell Valley Day Ranger ^7.40. Banbury - Reading CDS ^11.10

Heart of Wessex Day Ranger ^15.90. Bristol TM - Weymouth CDS ^16.40

Cambrian Coaster Day Ranger ^9.80. Machynlleth - Pwllheli SDS ^14.50

Cheshire Day Ranger ^19.00. Whitchurch (Shropshire) - New Brighton SDS ^20.30

East Midlands Day Ranger ^31.00. Peterborough - Crewe SVR ^52.80

Hadrian's Wall Country Line Day Ranger ^19.00. Sunderland - Ravenglass SDS ^26.90

Tyne & Tees Day Ranger ^18.00. Whitby - Hexham SDS ^21.30

Derbyshire Wayfarer Ranger ^10.50. Sheffield - Burton-on-Trent SVR ^23.90

West Midlands Day Ranger ^21.60. Hereford - Northampton SOS ^28.40

Heart of Wales Circular Day Ranger ^32.00. Llanelli - Hereford SDS ^35.70

Off-Peak Freedom Travelpass Zones ABC: Bristol, Bath & Weston ^11.60. Freshford - Weston-super-Mare SDS ^13.40

All comparisons are with the cheapest fare for a single journey between points covered by the Ranger and valid when the Ranger is valid.

Should any of the point-to-point examples I've listed be asked for, when the corresponding Ranger type ticket is valid, then it should be the Ranger that is sold. Whether they are though, I have my doubts.

IIRC since Oyster PAYG was fully adopted, an offpeak day travelcard (basically an 'all modes' rover ticket) is the default return fare offered at ticket offices and TVMs for many NR offpeak returns within London, it is also the fare normally shown on journey planners.

Paul

I'm sure that Truro booking office would sell a ride Cornwall ticket instead of a Plymouth Return as the Ride Cornwall ticket was 10p cheaper, I believe when the powers caught on the Plymouth return ticket became cheaper.

I think the staff there are on the ball. Ride Cornwall (^10) are valid after 0900 but off peak day tickets are not valid until 09.10, but I've always found that they will offer the cheaper one if you turn up for the 09.04 departure.

Yes that is correcct. You should see how many Ride Cornwall Tickets are issued at Truro for the 09.04 XC departure.

This is quite correctly the cheapest deal!

...especially with a YP railcard, no minimum fare on a rover/ranger  :)

it still applies !

on the subject of rovers being offered as an alternative i do it, especially the evening rover

Truro staff don't seem to think so, I've seen many issued there

nor do the onboard staff! I've used my railcard numerous times buying on board before 9am. On the first time my conversation went "I cant use my railcard on this service can i? guard replied "no its ok, i'll give you the discount" and that seems to be the general way it is! 

Hummmmmm

Minimum fare of ^12 is only on the following ticket types:
Before 10:00 Monday-Friday except for on Public Holidays or in July or August:

Off-Peak: BVS, BVR, CDS, CDR, ELS, ELR, EVS, EVR, GDS, GDR, OPS, OPR, VBR, ODT, SCO, STO, SSS, SSR, SVS, SVR, SVH, 1DR, 1DT, SOP, PDS, PDR, SWS, SRR, C1R, EGF, CBA, WRE

Anytime: SDS, SOS, GOR, SDR, SOR, EOR

Other: ELS, ELR, EOS, EVS, EVR

Some Rover and Ranger products: see individual product entry (Of which the Ride Cornwall entry says nothing about minimum fare applying.)

Source: The Manual

You've listed FORTY THREE different ticket types there, Louis.   I always knew there were a lot, but 43 ... and these are only the ones to which the minimum 12 pounds applies before 10 a.m. on Mondays to Fridays from September to June.

How many more ticket types are there?

Is there really one called an EOR?  ;D

Some of these are candidates for the acroyms and abbreviations pages on here I suspect. Others are best ignored in the hope that someday soon common sense will prevail and they'll all be swept away under the Resimplifaction Project.

European Open Return: http://new.raileasy.co.uk/fare/eor

I thought there were only 3 types now after simplification.... :P ;D

 ::)

All the advance ones to start with!!

Between Bristol Temple Meads and London Terminals, there are 75 different fares.  Of these, there are 45 different ticket types:

CDR
DAS
DBS
DCS
DDS
DES
DFS
DHS
DKS
DLS
ETR
F1A
F2A
F3A
F4A
FDR
FDS
FOR
FOS
FRX
FSR
S1A
S2A
S3A
S4A
SCO
SDR
SDS
SOR
SOS
SSR
SSS
SVR
SVS
WAS
WBS
WCS
WDS
WES
WFS
WGS
WHS
WJS
WKS
WLS

Simplification?  I think not!

I tried the system today and was pleasantly surprised....

I told NRE that I was travelling from SWI to PNZ tomorrow, returning Sunday..... and it told me .... the cheapest ticket was a FOSW 3 in 7 @ ^74 and further more offered me FGW to buy it online!  I wasn't expecting that!

Basically the minimum fare applys to all flexible point-to-point tickets.

And when you click through to FGW's website to complete the transaction you will find that the ^74 FoSW Rover is not available to buy online. The cheapest fare offered will be the ^82.50 Off Peak Return.

I'm fairly certain that no booking engine will offer the option to buy Rovers or Rangers, be that as a direct enquiry or when redirected by NRE.

Thanks for volunteering to do that, Phil ...  ;) :D ;D

I don't have access to the pages in order to amend them. The best I can offer is to start a new topic so that the knowledgeable on here can contribute answers, but someone's still going to have to cut and paste them in amongst the existing abbreviations.

Oh, yes, you do!  ;D

Trust me, I do not.

Phil, I do trust you - and you have a PM. CfN. ;)

Here's the letter from ATOC which I received following a letter of complaint as mirrored in this

Let's hope, whoever 'he' is, has a better command of the English language....  ::)

I'd rather receive a poorly worded but sincere letter than the usual cut and paste, thank you for your comments nonsense that you get from the TOCs.

....and at least I now have a named contact at ATOC. :D