In case anyone takes the train from Spooner Row and buy's their ticket on board
Last week we went from Spooner Row to Sheringham on the train, and bought tickets on board. We asked for Off peak ( we got the 10:11 to Norwich ) returns, paid our money and off we went.
A while later I noticed that we had in fact been sold full price "Peak" returns rather than "off Peak" returns. I queried this and was told "we don't sell Off Peak returns to Sheringham from Spooner Row", however, they do sell them from EVERY other station on this line. It was too late to argue with the ticket lady, so I took it up with Greater Anglia customer service, where they confirmed this is the case. At 10am weekday, I can get a return from Attleborough to Sheringham for £12.80, from Wymondham to Sheringham £10.80, but Spooner Row to Sheringham is £18.00.
Spooner Row to Norwich - Available as off peak
Spooner Row to London - Also available off peak
Spooner Row to Sheringham or Cromer ( And most probably other places )- NOT available as off peak
Which when you consider ITS ALL THE SAME 10:11am train to Norwich! is just nonsense
Greater Anglia say that this seems to be a ticket anomaly, but are not really interested in fixing it.
The moral of the story is, check your ticket, because if you get on in SR, it may be cheaper to pretend you got on in Attleborough! And if you don't like pretending, it's actually cheaper to get a cab to Attleborough and wave to Spooner Row as you come back past than it is to actually get on in Spooner Row
(Yes, I know it is probably cheaper to pre-book, but even they are more expensive for SR)
Thanks for that information Matt. What the train operator is doing doesn't make sense and is sounds like discrimination to local users. The very limited train service from Spooner Row is rubbish anyway.
One suspects that anything the Train company can do to close small rural stations and discourage their use, they will. Big business rules okay and if you don't like it no doubt you will be told 'get another Train.'
Not defending them just pissed off by their attitude
So much for cohesive infrastructure and Green policies.
I agree. What is annoying is that the proposed new houses and planning permissions for new dwellings include statements that Spooner Row has a viable train service, which anyone with an ounce of awareness knows as totally incorrect - big business and those making planning decisions continue to get away with this nonsense.
