I'm planning my next rover so am frequently using journey planners as
a way to seed my wider research. I once managed to click on
nationalrail.com; now if I'm not careful my browser and/or search
engines tend to land me there when I really want nationalrail.co.uk.
This site is surely misleading? It calls itself Nationalrail and
displays a double-arrow logo, though on the page, not as a
company/site logo.
I have no objection to another ticket vendor and this one offers split
ticketing but I object to what I think is deliberate deception.

Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
and the national network.
OK, but the planner seems to lack many of the options available on the
..co.uk site.
You need to call Bishop Trains if you want to book by phone, and you
can also use the site to look for accommodation, car hire etc.
All a bit odd. What is its relationship to the traditional site?

Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
> Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
> and the national network.

You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
ticket booking site:

"The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"

> OK, but the planner seems to lack many of the options available on the
> .co.uk site.
> You need to call Bishop Trains

That's another name of the actual company operating the site (National Rail
Bishop Auckland Ltd)
https://www.ba-rail.co.uk

> if you want to book by phone, and you
> can also use the site to look for accommodation, car hire etc.
> All a bit odd. What is its relationship to the traditional site?

None.

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
> > Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
> > and the national network.
>
> You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
> ticket booking site:
>
> "The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
> 1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
> Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
> Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"

Ah, that's the Chester-le-Track people. There was some other kind of name
related controversy in relation to them in the past, but I don't recall the
details.

> That's another name of the actual company operating the site (National Rail
> Bishop Auckland Ltd)
> https://www.ba-rail.co.uk

I thought they were related to the above, but it seems not. They appear to
Weardale Railway people.

Theo

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
>>> Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
>>> and the national network.
>>
>> You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
>> ticket booking site:
>>
>> "The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
>> 1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
>> Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
>> Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"
>
> Ah, that's the Chester-le-Track people. There was some other kind of name
> related controversy in relation to them in the past, but I don't recall the
> details.
>
>> That's another name of the actual company operating the site (National Rail
>> Bishop Auckland Ltd)
>> https://www.ba-rail.co.uk
>
> I thought they were related to the above, but it seems not. They appear to
> Weardale Railway people.

They *are* related, and may be the same company. The online version is just
a front-end to Trainline.com, so it probably runs unmanned. It also uses
the traintickets.com url.

From the FAQ:

Who runs nationalrail.com?
The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham.

How do I book by phone?
Telephone bookings are offered at Bishop Auckland station by our sister
company, Bishop Trains, 01388 661 394. Phone lines are open 0900 - 1225
then 1300 - 1600, Monday to Saturday

On Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:16:37 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
<recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:

>Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
>> Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
>> and the national network.
>
>You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
>ticket booking site:
>
>"The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
>1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
>Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
>Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"

Then the header on their front page is definitely misleading.

It says 'Incorporating GBRail' which sounds like a reference to the
Shapps/Williams entity, but clearly isn't. That url simple takes you
back to nationalrail.com. They also claim to be 'Part of the national
rail network'.

Personally I would never use somebody seeking to deceive as I wouldn't
trust them to treat me ethically.

>
>> OK, but the planner seems to lack many of the options available on the
>> .co.uk site.
>> You need to call Bishop Trains
>
>That's another name of the actual company operating the site (National Rail
>Bishop Auckland Ltd)
> https://www.ba-rail.co.uk
>
>> if you want to book by phone, and you
>> can also use the site to look for accommodation, car hire etc.
>> All a bit odd. What is its relationship to the traditional site?
>
>None.
>

Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:16:37 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
>>> Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
>>> and the national network.
>>
>> You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
>> ticket booking site:
>>
>> "The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
>> 1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
>> Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
>> Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"
>
> Then the header on their front page is definitely misleading.
>
> It says 'Incorporating GBRail' which sounds like a reference to the
> Shapps/Williams entity, but clearly isn't. That url simple takes you
> back to nationalrail.com. They also claim to be 'Part of the national
> rail network'.
>
> Personally I would never use somebody seeking to deceive as I wouldn't
> trust them to treat me ethically.
>

Yes, it's definitely deliberately misleading, which should put anyone off
using it. It seems to be just a front-end to The Trainline.com (without
fees), so it doesn't offer anything not offered by the many other similar
front-ends.

In message <4jir9id14sbp8d8bd5on3h62gsh76efdok@4ax.com>, at 19:21:06 on
Thu, 29 Jun 2023, Ken <ken@birchanger.com> remarked:
>On Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:16:37 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
><recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Ken <ken@birchanger.com> wrote:
>>> Oh. Just seen that it claims that it IS official and is part of GBRail
>>> and the national network.
>>
>>You were right the first time: it's not official. It's just another private
>>ticket booking site:
>>
>>"The website nationalrail.com has been used to promote train travel since
>>1999, and has sold tickets since 2003. Formerly managed from
>>Chester-le-Street station, the online business is now operated by National
>>Rail Bishop Auckland Ltd based in County Durham"
>
>Then the header on their front page is definitely misleading.
>
>It says 'Incorporating GBRail' which sounds like a reference to the
>Shapps/Williams entity, but clearly isn't.

cf: https://gb-rail.co.uk/ and also GBR*F*

>That url simple takes you back to nationalrail.com. They also claim to
>be 'Part of the national rail network'.

--
Roland Perry