Great Western Coffee Shop

I have been looking at a journey from Guildford to Hilsea and am confused that the journey planner throws up routes doubling back from Fratton. It makes sense from a practical point of view because changing from a fast Southbound service to a Northbound service at Fratton can offer better connections; I cannot find anything in the routing guide that allows this though?

The routing guide is a mess.  I would have thought that if it is in the Journey planner used on the site where you purchase your ticket it would be very difficult to argue that the ticket wasn't valid or that you were to blame.  (keep a print out) 

In this case the Journey Planner is applying the Routeing Guide rules correctly.

The particular rule in play is the 'Group Stations' rule.


Hilsea and Fratton are both in the Portsmouth Group for routeing purposes.

http://iblocks-rg-publication.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/group_stations.pdf

I had considered that many of the stations in that area belong to the Portsmouth group, but thought that Hilsea is the destination and part of that group doubling back is not allowed?

I think this is a situation where you need to think of the on the ground practicalities.  If you are coming down the Portsmouth Direct from Guildford, heading for Hilsea, you are only going potentially to be challenged between Havant and Fratton or Fratton and Hilsea.

Sadly I think routeing has got so unnecessarily complicated that staff steer well clear of any complexities.  The BR rule of "Any reasonable route" still happily holds force - I would count Guildford to Hilsea via Fratton as that.

Don't worry about it!

Yes the routeing guide is very complicated, but it's also badly written.

My immediate reaction on reading Bignosemac's quote
was the same as Fourbee:
No amount of cleverly-specified maps and charts will help if the rules are expressed badly.

There shouldn't be a problem as it's shown in the National Rail Journey Planner. Just to back up what has been said in the past:


Which forms part of the bolded part in the NRCOC:

I am interested how it has been implemented to allow it in the online systems. I potentially think this easement may be the reason:
700007
Customers travelling between Chichester and Cosham may double back between
Hilsea and Fratton. This easement applies in both directions.

Same issue applies with Witley and Haslemere, further up the line. On line ticketing allows you to buy a ticket to London from Witley via Haslemere (other direction) and from London to Witley via Haslemere (although for a higher price) This apparent easement means that Witley can have a half hourly service to and from London rather than the generally hourly stopping service. I suspect the same parameters apply with Fratton and Hilsea

Rather like the 'rules' used in Mornington Crescent.  :P ::) ;D