Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

Straight answers to factual questions
Forum rules
Direct questions and answers, this room is not for general discussion please
eepee
Lemon Slice
Posts: 279
Joined: April 11th, 2017, 5:27 pm
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445073

Postby eepee » September 24th, 2021, 3:26 pm

Does anybody know what is 'Anytime Short Distance Return'?

Whilst booking got a pop-up inviting a purchase through the above scheme.

On checking the details via various pages, it tells you all about booking, travel dates, returns etc., etc., etc..

But not what constitutes A SHORT DISTANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody know?

Regards,
ep

Alaric
Lemon Half
Posts: 6031
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 9:05 am
Has thanked: 20 times
Been thanked: 1398 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445075

Postby Alaric » September 24th, 2021, 3:35 pm

eepee wrote:Does anybody know what is 'Anytime Short Distance Return'?
But not what constitutes A SHORT DISTANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Perhaps the context would help. Who is the ticket seller or which train company?

Anytime Return means that you get a ticket from A to B and B to A at one combined price without time restrictions on the first day and with return from B to A at any time of day up to a month later. There's also often available a ticket, usually at a cheaper price which covers travel from A to B and back again but only on the same day. This may be to what they are referring but using incorrect technical jargon. By their very nature, journeys on these tickets can be over a short distance.
Last edited by Alaric on September 24th, 2021, 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

UncleEbenezer
The full Lemon
Posts: 10689
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 8:17 pm
Has thanked: 1458 times
Been thanked: 2964 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445076

Postby UncleEbenezer » September 24th, 2021, 3:36 pm

eepee wrote:Does anybody know what is 'Anytime Short Distance Return'?

Whilst booking got a pop-up inviting a purchase through the above scheme.
ep

I expect it's some scheme for which the journey you were booking is eligible.

Did it offer any savings or other benefits? Did it want you to sign up for something and read T&Cs? Your call.

swill453
Lemon Half
Posts: 7962
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:11 pm
Has thanked: 984 times
Been thanked: 3643 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445078

Postby swill453 » September 24th, 2021, 3:45 pm

eepee wrote:Does anybody know what is 'Anytime Short Distance Return'?

Are you sure it wasn't "Anytime Short Return"? Where "short" refers to time, not distance.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fa ... 98925.aspx

Scott.

eepee
Lemon Slice
Posts: 279
Joined: April 11th, 2017, 5:27 pm
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445080

Postby eepee » September 24th, 2021, 4:00 pm

I think you are right in thinking their jargon is confused.

When checking other pages for a definition they all appeared to have dropped the 'Distance' word - this only appeared on the TrainLine page whilst booking.

With the telephone virtually impossible to use, I will ask at the station.

Question is: Will they know??? :o)

Regards,
ep

RiskyPete
Posts: 14
Joined: September 23rd, 2021, 5:19 pm
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445086

Postby RiskyPete » September 24th, 2021, 4:12 pm

eepee wrote:With the telephone virtually impossible to use, I will ask at the station.

Question is: Will they know??? :o)


Depends who you ask!

Stompa
Lemon Slice
Posts: 825
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:29 pm
Has thanked: 151 times
Been thanked: 208 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445101

Postby Stompa » September 24th, 2021, 5:12 pm


AF62
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3499
Joined: November 27th, 2016, 8:45 am
Has thanked: 131 times
Been thanked: 1277 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445112

Postby AF62 » September 24th, 2021, 5:35 pm

RiskyPete wrote:
eepee wrote:With the telephone virtually impossible to use, I will ask at the station.

Question is: Will they know??? :o)


Depends who you ask!


At my local station, asking the station cat would likely have achieved a more sensible answer than from speaking to any of the staff. I could never work out whether it was down to the people the employed or whether there was something contagious the other side of the glass.

They were so useless that I gave up trying to buy tickets from them, even on occasion needing to print out the National Rail page to prove to them that the tickets existed, and just ordered online to print from the machine.

RiskyPete
Posts: 14
Joined: September 23rd, 2021, 5:19 pm
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445119

Postby RiskyPete » September 24th, 2021, 6:12 pm

AF62 wrote:
RiskyPete wrote:
eepee wrote:With the telephone virtually impossible to use, I will ask at the station.

Question is: Will they know??? :o)


Depends who you ask!


At my local station, asking the station cat would likely have achieved a more sensible answer than from speaking to any of the staff. I could never work out whether it was down to the people the employed or whether there was something contagious the other side of the glass.

They were so useless that I gave up trying to buy tickets from them, even on occasion needing to print out the National Rail page to prove to them that the tickets existed, and just ordered online to print from the machine.


The people to ask are the inspectors. There should be one loitering by the barriers if it's a manned station with gates (these are the people who give you a fine if you don't have a ticket). Had a friend who used to work on the platforms and they once gave me this advice.

SteelCamel
2 Lemon pips
Posts: 208
Joined: February 15th, 2017, 5:49 pm
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 103 times

Re: Rail Travel - How long is a piece of string?

#445120

Postby SteelCamel » September 24th, 2021, 6:14 pm

Yes, the difference is that you can only use the outward ticket on the day it's dated for - normal Anytime Return tickets are valid for 5 days on the outward half. So unless you needed that flexibility there's no difference.

As to what's a short distance - there isn't any official rule as far as I'm aware, and really it doesn't matter. The ticket is either available or not. If there's a journey where it's not available, not matter how short, you can't buy it. If there's a journey where it is available, no matter how long, you can buy it.

As to why - I suspect it's down to fraud prevention. On a short trip the ticket is less likely to be checked, so someone could get away with using it more than once in the five days. On a long trip it's virtually certain to be checked at some point, so there's not so much risk of offering the five days. On the other hand, I suspect that a tiny number of people will use that flexibility, so simply changing all Anytime Returns to only be valid for one day on the outward half (as already applies to Off Peak) would inconvenience practically nobody and avoid creating yet another ticket type.


Return to “Does anyone know?”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests