Rovers
Rail rovers: RAIL’s Fares and Services Expert BARRY DOE presents his annual guide to Britain‘s summer services.
Once again I present my annual review of Rovers, and begin by saying that little has changed on the National Rail site, where some information remains incomplete or out-ofdate. No single site spells out the full picture that is shown here.
I can be confident that the prices quoted here are accurate, not least because a majority of Rovers are managed by Great Western Railway (GWR) and Northern, both of whom are really helpful in giving me information well in advance.
However, I am grateful to all those who have assisted, the others being the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), Arriva Trains Wales, East Midlands Trains, London Midland, ScotRail, Southeastern, and Devon’s public transport department.
Once again, even more Rovers can be discounted with a Forces Railcard - yet it still isn’t national. I’m sure this is merely because those operators that don’t accept it have never even thought about it. That’s the chaotic way our railway system is now run.
I have to say, however, that my greatest criticism must be reserved for dreadful websites. Over recent years most operator websites have ceased being informative - they are now merely sites that want to sell you tickets and reluctantly add some other information in the background… if you can find it!
ScotRail, for example, offers little information about its Rovers other than prices. Some are listed as only valid ‘off-peak’, without even saying what that is.
Southeastern sells its Kent Rover online but also gives no details of its time restrictions. If you try to buy it, it also offers what appear to be its 7-day and 14-day Off-Peak Rovers. Only when you click those do you realise they’re actually selling you All-Line Rovers! Since when is the All-Line Rover an ‘Off-Peak Rover’? Southeastern even says that travel is by ‘any permitted route’ - absolute rubbish, of course, with a Rover!
Arriva Trains Wales omits some Rovers from its list, plus a lot of the conditions applicable to the tickets.
Then there’s c2c, which still (despite my telling them several times) refers to its London Terminus as ‘Fenchurch street’ (sic). It’s all an appalling lack of efficiency. British Rail would never have tolerated such sloppiness.
As usual, this review covers all Rovers and Day Rangers outside the Passenger Transport Executives and London, starting with the All-Line Rover then covering Britain north to south. The criterion for an entry is that the ticket includes unlimited travel for at least one day over a network that is part of the National Rail system. If tickets are also valid on private railways, this is stated.
Please read carefully the ‘Definitions’, where I give copious information on time restrictions, how to calculate fares for accompanying children (which vary according to the railcard), minimum fares, and time availability with the Network Railcard and Gold Card.
‘Small print’ definitions are complicated, but worth pondering. For example, with a 7-day Rover advertised as ‘from 0930’ (which means from 0930 on Mon-Fri), one issued Wednesday until Tuesday will commence 0930 Wednesday, expire 0429 on the second Wednesday (day 8), and not be valid from 0430 until 0929 inclusive on Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday.
In particular, the expiry date shown on the ticket will be the Tuesday, even though it remains valid for another 4hrs 29 mins into Wednesday - although all travel must have ceased by then.
The exceptions are Arriva Trains Wales’ Rovers, which (for some reason) expire at midnight. I’m not even sure that is actually allowed under national rules, but that’s another story!
Seasons
As ordinary season tickets are valid by all permitted routes, many effectively offer a network. Thus, as I have said in previous years, they can be excellent value for a holiday. Also, they are not time-restricted.
So, a Weekly Season from Uttoxeter to London, for example, is £ 345.80 Standard or £ 572.60 First Class, and you get validity as follows:
Derby-St Pancras direct; Derby-Nottingham-St Pancras direct; Derby-Melton Mowbray-Corby-St Pancras; Derby-Tamworth-Euston via Rugby, Bedworth or Northampton; Stoke-on-Trent-Reading-Paddington via Wolverhampton, Cannock, Sutton Coldfield, Wilnecote, Coleshill Parkway, Henley-in-Arden, Solihull or Coventry; Stoke-on-Trent-Banbury-Marylebone; Stoke-on-Trent-Euston direct or via Stafford or Wolverhampton, Cannock, Sutton Coldfield, Wilnecote, Coleshill Parkway, Bedworth or Northampton.
The First Class version offers free food, including up to five free breakfasts and/or evening meals on Virgin West Coast or East Midlands Trains (together with complimentary drinks as appropriate).
Bearing in mind that one Anytime First Return from Uttoxeter to London is £ 396 via Stoke-on-Trent or £ 234 via Derby, and that the cheapest Off-Peak Return is £ 69.50 in Standard, the above is excellent value.
Do remember 7-day seasons can commence any day, but you do need a photocard.
Lack of publicity
It is now six years since the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said that one advantage of the then-new All-Line time restrictions was that operators were now more content to advertise its existence, now that business abstraction had been removed.
Well, the only operators to advertise the AllLine in their general publicity remain GWR and Northern - and the RDG that subsumed ATOC has produced nothing centrally at all. What other industry would totally ignore its most expensive and comprehensive ticket?
To my knowledge, only GWR sells its Rovers online - and that includes the AllLine. ( Yes, Southeastern does, as mentioned above, but without any information so is best avoided). Use http://tickets.gwr.com/gw/en/journeyplanning/roversandrangers.
THE ALL-LINE ROVER
All Stations plus the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. On Monday-Friday users may not join or alight after 0429 and before
Express, Heathrow Connect between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow, Eurostar services or London Underground and equivalent PTE Metro systems, although travel on London Overground and TfL Rail (Crossrail) is, of course, permitted.
Note First Class versions permit the holder to partake of all complimentary offers, such as evening meals on Virgin West Coast or Virgin Trains East Coast, and access to lounges, as with a normal full fare ticket.
Note the following special railcard arrangements. Discounts are available as usual for holders of Senior (First and Standard), 16-25 (Standard only), Two Together (First and Standard) or Disabled Person’s Railcards (First and Standard) with prices as shown below. But, in addition:
The Standard Class railcard fares are also available to holders of a Family & Friends Railcard. Children must also travel, as usual, and a special child railcard fare is then applicable of £ 93.50 for 7 days or £141.55 for 14 days.
The Standard Class railcard fares are also available to holders of a Forces Railcard and any accompanying children then pay the special rates, as above.
Standard Class: 7 days - A: £492; R: £ 324.70; C: £ 246. 14 days - A: £ 745; R: £ 491.70; C: £ 372.50.
First Class: 7 days - A: £ 745; R: £ 491.70; C: £ 372.50. 14 days - A: £1,138; R: £ 751.10; C: £ 569.
SCOTLAND
(See also North West Rover)
ScotRail Travelpass and Rovers cannot be used in part-payment towards First Class, nor do they allow Weekend First upgrades. They are not valid on Fort William-Mallaig steam services. They also bar the use of Caledonian Sleeper services except for seats between Edinburgh and Fort William.
Spirit of Scotland Travelpass
All stations Berwick-upon-Tweed, Carlisle and north thereof, plus Edinburgh Trams. Also includes all internal Scottish scheduled Caledonian MacBrayne shipping services (not cruises); Argyll Ferries Gourock-Dunoon; Scottish Citylink/ West Coast Motors services Kyle of Lochalsh-Uig, Inverness-Ullapool, Oban-Campbeltown and Inverness-Oban/ Fort William; Stagecoach East Scotland services between Dundee/Leuchars and St Andrews; Borders Buses from Edinburgh to Carlisle and Melrose; and Stagecoach Highland between Wick/Thurso and Scrabster/John O’Groats and on Skye.
Also 20% off seats on NorthLink Ferries to Orkney and Shetland and Sweeney’s Loch Lomond Cruises; 15% off Cruise Loch Lomond; 10% off Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises, D& E Coaches Inverness-Durness and on the Strathspey and the Keith & Dufftown Railways; and £1 off Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway Standard Class fares and City bus tours of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.
From 0915, except valid any time north of Inverness, on Glasgow-Oban/Mallaig services and between Glasgow and Stranraer. Also valid on the seated portion of 0450 Caledonian Sleeper from Edinburgh to Fort William. Also available any time from Lockerbie to Carlisle or Glasgow Central and intermediate stations, but only from (and not to) Lockerbie.
Any 4 days in 8 - A: £139; R: £ 91.75; C: £ 69.50. Any 8 days in 15 - A: £179; R: £118.15; C: £ 89.50.
Highland Rover
This consists of two networks linked by Scottish Citylink:
Aviemore, Aberdeen and northwards; also Glasgow Queen Street-Mallaig/Oban. Also valid on Scottish Citylink services Inverness-Oban/Fort William and on Caledonian MacBrayne shipping services Oban-Mull and Mallaig-Skye; 20% off seats on Northlink Ferries to Orkney and Shetland; Stagecoach Highland buses Thurso-Scrabster; and 10% off D& E Coaches Inverness-Durness. Not valid on trains arriving Aberdeen or Inverness before 0900.
Any 4 days in 8 - A: £ 81.50; R: £ 53.80; C: £ 40.80.
Central Scotland Rover
Bounded by Partick-Glasgow Queen Street-Croy-Larbert-Dalmeny-HaymarketCarstairs-Hamilton Central-Glasgow Central, plus Larbert-Dunblane/Alloa, Dalmeny-Markinch, Haymarket-Newcraighall/North Berwick, Carluke-Lanark and Hamilton Central-Larkhall. Also includes Glasgow Underground. Not valid on Virgin Trains East Coast or CrossCountry services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh. From 0915.
Any 3 days in 7 - A: £ 39; R: £ 25.75; C: £19.50.
The following ticket is included as it covers a much larger area than would a normal PTE-type facility. It is a scratch-off day ticket purchased at many stations.
Strathclyde Daytripper
Bounded by Ardlui, Balloch, Milngavie, Croy, Cumbernauld, Caldercruix, Shotts, Carstairs, Lanark, Larkhall, East Kilbride, Neilston, New Cumnock, Barrhill and the Firth of Clyde and Loch Long Coasts. Also includes Glasgow Underground. Valid on most bus services and the Kilcreggan and Renfrew ferries. From 0900.
1 day - A: £11.90 (includes up to 2 children, though no children necessary); Family (2 adults + 4 children, no children necessary): £ 21.
The following two Days Out tickets are new:
Glasgow Days Out Travel Pass
Bounded by Helensburgh Central, Balloch, Milngavie, Stirling, Falkirk Grahamston/High, Caldercruix, Whifflet, Lanark, Larkhall, East Kilbride, Neilston, Kilmarnock, Ayr and the Firth of Clyde Coast, plus Falkirk Grahamston- Cumbernauld-Motherwell. Valid only on ScotRail services. From 0915 but not valid out of Glasgow Central or Queen Street between 1643 and 1810. Also not valid on the 1815 Glasgow Queen Street-Falkirk High.
2 (consecutive) days - A: £18; C:£ 9; Family (2 adults + 2 children): £ 34.
Edinburgh Days Out Travel Pass
Bounded by Falkirk High, Stirling, Kirkcaldy, North Berwick, Tweedbank, West Calder and Bathgate. Valid only on ScotRail services. From 0915 but not valid out of Edinburgh or Haymarket between 1643 and 1810, except for the 1756 Edinburgh-West Calder. Also not valid on the 1815 Edinburgh-Falkirk High.
2 (consecutive) days - A: £18; C:£ 9; Family (2 adults + 2 children): £ 34.
‘One-Ticket’ in the Edinburgh area
Run by local authorities in conjunction with over 30 bus operators, ScotRail, Virgin Trains East Coast and CrossCountry, in an area extending to Dundee, Perth and Airdrie, ‘One-Ticket’ is centred on Edinburgh. Tickets are available for unlimited travel for a week, month or a year. (Bus-only tickets also have a day version).
Oddly, although the bus area extends south to Hawick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, the rail limit remains Dunbar and the route to Tweedbank has not been added.
The ticket includes bus travel within the vicinity of a chosen station and unlimited rail travel to and within the Edinburgh zone (bounded by Dalmeny, Wallyford, Gorebridge, Curriehill and Edinburgh Park). It is NOT valid
on Edinburgh Trams.
Prices vary from £ 35.40 a week (£1,275 for a year) for the Edinburgh area alone, up to £133.40 a week (£ 5,212 a year) from Dundee. All versions can be bought online at www. one-ticket.co.uk from where details are available, as well as from stations.