Yet Another Imbalance.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo via Salisbury, Off Peak Day Return (CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day'))) = ^36-50. A longer journey time of around 3 hours but a nice saving against the nearest equivalent fare to London Paddington (there's no CDR) of ^49.00.

Here's the real imbalance though. If you request your fare to London Waterloo (via Salisbury) from Shirehampton on the Severn Beach Line, the CDR is ^27.10. It gets weirder though; all other CDR fares on the SBL to London Waterloo are ^28.10.  Seeing as you have to change at Bristol Temple Meads it's a little odd that it is a whacking ^9.40 cheaper to travel further.

This fare is particularly good value as the restrictions on it during Mon-Fri are that you can arrive on any train into Waterloo after 1000. Compared with the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service into Paddington the earliest you can arrive on a SVR (Off Peak Return) is 1045. Also there is no early evening peak restriction on the return from Waterloo.

I often buy this fare, even when I start my journey at Bristol Temple Meads. Starting short on a CDR is permitted under the terms of National Rail Conditions of Carriage.

[devon_metro]

Shrewesbury to London Waterloo route Bristol is cheaper.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

compair services on a weekday from exeter to paddington and then to waterloo then things get interesting! do it at 6- 8 in the morning

[JayMac]

Shrewesbury to London Waterloo route Bristol is cheaper.

Cheaper than "Any Permitted" but cheaper still route Birmingham, but has evening restrictions. (London Waterloo and London Terminals fares are identical from Shrewsbury). And even cheaper on Wrexham and Shropshire to Marylebone with no time restrictions, excepting that you must travel on their trains!

[JayMac]

compair services on a weekday from exeter to paddington and then to waterloo then things get interesting! do it at 6- 8 in the morning

Wow ^86.20 (according to Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)) difference on the Anytime Return (SOR) !!! But interestingly NRES^▸ (National Rail Enquiry Service) quotes ^205 for the route Taunton fare against Avantix's ^199. And ^112.80 against Avantix's ^112.00 for the route Honiton fare. Us poor passengers are being unfairly hamstrung by all the fare permutations and errors in the system.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

extra 40 mins really dont sound so bad now does it>?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

also do you have the latest update for Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)

[JayMac]

also do you have the latest update for Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)

Umm.... I have Avantix NFM03 vailid from May 17th to Sept 5th 2009. But I've not had it updated since I got it. My copy is not from TSO^▸ (The Stationary Office (now OPSI), or, possibly Trailer Standard Open (carriage), depending on context) Bookshop.....

Has there been an updated version released during this fare period?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i dont know to be honest i was just doing abit of trouble shooting lol, just out of interest have you got a download link?

[JayMac]

Just discovered from another forum that Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) NFM03 CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)-ROM purchasers have been sent an unsolicted updated copy free. So I guess my downloaded copy is gonna contain errors and ommisions. Next time I'll buy a copy......

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

shal i give it the vista test?

[devon_metro]

extra 40 mins really dont sound so bad now does it>?

Yes!!

Time is money! If on business (which let's face it is where the money is made) I'd go fgw. I can't stand the prospect of a 159 with rubbish legroom, no powerpoints, no decent catering and non existant armrests for a long journey!

[JayMac]

extra 40 mins really dont sound so bad now does it>?

Yes!!

Time is money! If on business (which let's face it is where the money is made) I'd go fgw. I can't stand the prospect of a 159 with rubbish legroom, no powerpoints, no decent catering and non existant armrests for a long journey!

Ah but for a SWT^▸ (South West Trains) first class fare that is still approx ^40 cheaper than the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Anytime Return (STD) you can have the better leg room, armrests and powerpoints, no free coffee and nibbles though.

Agreed, time is money, but surely saving money needs to be paramount in business. A business that spends over the odds ain't gonna last long when times are hard.....just ask National Express.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

extra 40 mins really dont sound so bad now does it>?

Yes!!

Time is money! If on business (which let's face it is where the money is made) I'd go fgw. I can't stand the prospect of a 159 with rubbish legroom, no powerpoints, no decent catering and non existant armrests for a long journey!

take away the number 159 and sounds like the airline fun of a hst standard refresh :-)

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

lol i think we both just have our favs there are good points to both if you want to travel in comfort for a decent price with food onboard brought to your seat ok not a proper dinner but snacks or sarnys , after all you will go to the restarant after your business meeting then the waterloo route is the way for you, if you want to pay more look at the back of a seat with no view but theres no barly noticable engine under your feet and you get there faster and be able to go and get hot food by walking half way up the train then paddington all the way. each to his own, and for the record the 159's do have power points do have arm rests have you been one one?