Great Western Coffee Shop

There seems to be a routing error with a very local journey in Devon, with GWR journey planners suggesting an itinerary from the origin to Exeter st David's to Bristol temple meads to Swindon to westbury to Exeter st David's to destination.

GWR's app clearly says ticket is valid by any route shown, so should I buy a ticket and print that itinerary offering, in theory travel circumnavigating nearly the whole southwest for less than £4 for a first class ticket.

Adding a via point of Inverness suggests origin - London Waterloo - Inverness - Exeter st David's - destination, all for the same sub £4 first class fare.

Should someone decide to circumnavigate the UK on that itinerary could the TOCs withdraw the itinerary whilst it's being carried out, or would they have to honour that itinerary.

NRE states any routing given by the journey planner is valid for travel. GWRs app says any route and TOC shown is valid.

The issue only seems present tomorrow.

There was a similar issue several years ago, raised on another forum, where London Terminals to Finsbury Park allowed any routeing, provided it included some journey on the East Coast Main Line.  £8 in First Class from London to Inverness and back.

I seem to recall there being some debate about the ethics, but the consensus was the ticket would be valid when accompanied by the itinerary from the booking confirmation.

I have been playing with the fares feed from http://data.atoc.org/fares-data (free to download once you register, but not updated as often as the paid service).

There is a spec provided, but it is not for the faint hearted.

There are other anomalies in there, it's just finding ones that have not been plugged.

As the only day it showed up was today I will reveal the journey in question was Pinhoe to Exeter central.

I raised a similar thread to this on rail forums and a lot on there are saying as an obvious error under contract law invalidates the itinerary. Now I'm not legal trained or knowledgable to know about contract law and nor is I imagine most travellers, so can't imagine that being a fair option to prosecute for taking the full itinerary. GWRs app says journey valid by all routes and TOCs shown in this planner. Print the itinerary, the bit where it says all routes shown are valid and get seat reservations for good measure.

It does work for any day next week via Inverness though!

They'll probably add some bizarre negative easement now like "journeys from Pinhoe to Exeter may not travel via Inverness".

I can't help thinking the fact the "via option" has disappeared from some journey planners is an attempt to eliminate other permutations they would prefer not to happen.

A complex system will always have holes in it :-)

I think printing out the itinerary is a good idea though if ever these journeys are taken. The St Albans/St Albans Abbey (I can't remember the full details, sorry) commuter found that loophole swiftly dealt with; I am not sure what happened with that, potentially a season ticket is held then overnight the journey is removed (that was by the blunt instrument of a negative easement). In the immediate aftermath I think First Capital Connect put a note on their website saying the journey was not valid (good luck getting that to stand up in court).

Found a better day out! And GWR twitter confirmed it would be accepted as a valid itinerary if it sells. £3.60 first class anytime making it all the better. no doubling back, no revisiting the same interchange.

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On the desktop website, I cannot get past the reservations and journey details page.  £1.45 (with railcard) to Inverness and back seemed rather exceptional value.

I was using the iPhone app. Havent tried buying it, but GWR on twitter seemed to think it wouldn't allow it to be paid for, but if paid for it would be acceptable to use as per the itinerary. It seems Exeter to Exeter group stations allow a via point of most places on GWR and EC/WC stations.