Sanity Check - Bristol Temple Meads - Exeter St Davids via Wesbury

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Can someone just double check this for me please.

Trying to establish the validity of an FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) (First Off Peak Return) from Bristol Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)) - Exeter St Davids (EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)) via Westbury (WSB^» (Westbury - next trains)).

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Journey Planner lists only the 06:08 as a valid service for this ticket. Further investigation shows this is an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Service diverted via WSB between BRI and Taunton (TAU^» (Taunton - next trains)).

So obviously FGW's Journey Planner is hitting the "through train" rule correctly for that service. However their journey planner brings up plenty of other trains changing at WSB, but won't sell me tickets for any of them

Here is the screenshot:



So are EXD - BRI Tickets valid via WSB or not?

The Routeing Guide suggests they are... (Interestingly that suggests such tickets are valid via Swindon too )

General consensus of the forum if you please

Thanks. TT.

*edit* Changed link to the correct screenshot tt.

[Southern Stag]

From what I can see the current version of the routing guide does not allow travel via Westbury any more, I believe the previous version did. The only mapped route between Exeter Group and Bristol Group is map WR. And map WR only allows travel Exeter-Taunton-Bridgwater-Bristol.

[devon_metro]

It used to be valid.

It also used to be cheaper to travel to Westbury on a Taunton to Bristol CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')).

You can see why they changed it.

[thetrout]

Thank you Gents.

I too remember it was always valid, that is a fairly recent change then?!

[Southern Stag]

Yes, I believe it changed when the routing guide underwent its major changes last month.

[LiskeardRich]

This may be a silly question, but you have highlighted First Class fares. The normal traction for Bristol Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)) - Exeter St Davids (EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)) via Westbury, would not have first class accommodation for the Bristol - Westbury leg, so would this mean not having first class fares available?

I have just searched specifying via Westbury and get no results as per attachment

[Timmer]

This may be a silly question, but you have highlighted First Class fares. The normal traction for Bristol Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)) - Exeter St Davids (EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)) via Westbury, would not have first class accommodation for the Bristol - Westbury leg, so would this mean not having first class fares available?

It does if you are travelling on one of the four SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services that operate between Bristol and Westbury.

[Trowres]

Bath-Exeter is valid via Westbury (and from Keynsham / Oldfield Park also)

[grahame]

This may be a silly question, but you have highlighted First Class fares. The normal traction for Bristol Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)) - Exeter St Davids (EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)) via Westbury, would not have first class accommodation for the Bristol - Westbury leg, so would this mean not having first class fares available?

It does if you are travelling on one of the four SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services that operate between Bristol and Westbury.

The first First train also has first.

[JayMac]

The first First train also has first.

Brilliant sentence! 

[thetrout]

This may be a silly question, but you have highlighted First Class fares. The normal traction for Bristol Temple Meads (BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)) - Exeter St Davids (EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains)) via Westbury, would not have first class accommodation for the Bristol - Westbury leg, so would this mean not having first class fares available?

I have just searched specifying via Westbury and get no results as per attachment

It would still offer a First Class fare in some cases. Timmer is also right about the SWT^▸ (South West Trains) Services.

The ^47.50 FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) Fares were what I was looking at (2x with Railcard = ^95.00) you're right. But the same behaviour comes up when searching the SVR (Standard Off Peak Return). It seems as has been confirmed it's a routing guide issue.

Trowres does seem to be correct in the Bath Spa (BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains)) - EXD being valid via WSB^» (Westbury - next trains) or BRI. I was looking at BRI - EXD in particular as myself and my sister need to be in Teignmouth on Saturday. The train we were looking at going out is from Bath Spa as it was the only suitable train to get to Teignmouth for the time we need to be there. Coming back the timings are best for her via Castle Cary (CLC^▸ (Castle Cary)) or WSB.

Hence why the FSR being valid via WSB would have been useful so we could end the journey short at any station between CLC and WSB.

Think I might go for my usual Taunton split and probably an Exeter St Davids - Newton Abbot FCR. (First Off Peak Day Return)

[bobm]

What about a STD ticket with a Weekend First upgrade (^10 each)?

[thetrout]

For some reason I had it in my head that it was ^15 for the upgrade per person = ^60 and the SVR was ^35 so I in that case I might as well just have got the FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) as it would have been the same price. I was wrong and was probably thinking Bath Spa/Westbury/Frome - London Paddington which is almost certainly ^15

I will probably split at Taunton still and then Weekend First the Taunton - Newton Abbot section for a fiver each!

Cheers for the help again everyone

[bobm]

Weekend First to Newton Abbot is ^10 from Bath Spa/Westbury or ^15 from Swindon/Chippenham.