Advanced train tickets

[plloydie]

Hi, Not having travelled on a train in over 30 years myself and my better half are heading to london for a long weekend and have found some very good deals travelling by train. The trip would involve at least one change which is OK but the heading states "specified trains only" as the one journey involves a change at birmingham with 20 minute window in which to catch the next train, what would happen if there was say a 30 minute delay in train #1 and my "specified" train #2 was already on it's way to London once I got to Birmingham? Do I pay a different fare as I am now travelling on an unspecified train?

 

[shapeshifter]

If it is not your fault you don't pay anything. If it is your fault you do, that is the principle applied to advanced purchase tickets.If train 1 is late and you are unable to make train 2 then it is the railways fault you don't pay anything.

 

[boliston]

If it is not your fault you don't pay anything. If it is your fault you do, that is the principle applied to advanced purchase tickets.If train 1 is late and you are unable to make train 2 then it is the railways fault you don't pay anything.

Do you need some sort of "proof" that your train was late when the ticket collector on the next train tries to make you buy another ticket at full cost?

 

[shapeshifter]

If train 1 is late it is very likely you will not be the only person to miss train 2 so the Guard will know by the fact that there is more than one person on a later train all telling him that the first train was late.That is the usuall way the Guard knows.Sometimes it can be one person telling him that train 1 was late so what he does is telephone control and they will tell him that train 1 was late.Also if you are really concerned and you want proof, you go to the Guard on train 1 and ask him to endorse your ticket with the headcode of train 1 and TRL (train ran late) to show to the guard on train 2, with modern comunication this is not usually done unless requested by a worried passenger. This sort of thing happens every day on the railway all over the country,as long as it is not your fault you will not be charged.Thousands of advanced tickest are sold and used every day from many different train opperators all the ticket checking staff now about train 1 being late and train 2 being missed.

 

[Mr Bump]

i use advanced tickets a lot as i travel to and from leeds-glasgow and i dont think my tickets have the actual train marked on them.

 

[Keith W]

i use advanced tickets a lot as i travel to and from leeds-glasgow and i dont think my tickets have the actual train marked on them.

If you have bought an advanced ticket it should have the date & time of the train you are booked on

 

[Mr Bump]

If you have bought an advanced ticket it should have the date & time of the train you are booked on

mine are dated but no trains are ever specified on the actual tickets.
if you look on national rail it says that tickets bought for specified journeys can be used on other trains, usually the one in front or behind.

 

[simonblue]

The way it works is.
The cheapest tickets are time booked,that mean if you book in advanced for a specified trains only,and miss that train you will be charge full if you catch the next train,i have seen it happen on trains.
The next cheapest is of peak advanced tickets,which means you can travel on any off peak train.

 

[Mr Bump]

agreed i am just saying the tickets i alwasy get are never marked with the specific trains and on the few times i have used a different train the ticket checker has never said anything.

 

[Keith W]

When I book advanced I usually reserve seats in first class as well so that is why mine have the date/time on them

You can get some good deals booking in advance

 

[shapeshifter]

agreed i am just saying the tickets i alwasy get are never marked with the specific trains and on the few times i have used a different train the ticket checker has never said anything.

They are not Advanced purche tickets then.All Advanced purchase tickets are only valid with a reservation.The tickets that are flexible and are super off peak,off peak and anytime tickets they are the ones that are not train specific.

 

[Blank_Canvas]

agreed i am just saying the tickets i alwasy get are never marked with the specific trains and on the few times i have used a different train the ticket checker has never said anything.

You must be buying an open ticket then, if you book the 11:00 from York to Liverpool for example - it will say 11.00 valid at the time shown only

 

[plloydie]

The way it works is.
The cheapest tickets are time booked,that mean if you book in advanced for a specified trains only,and miss that train you will be charge full if you catch the next train,i have seen it happen on trains.
The next cheapest is of peak advanced tickets,which means you can travel on any off peak train.

Is this the case even if it is the fault of the train company?

 

[Stu Meech]

Is this the case even if it is the fault of the train company?

If your incoming train is late, and when booked you left enough time to meet the minimum connection time (as shown in the timetables), you wouldn't have to buy a ticket to catch the next train. Best to get your ticket validated by the guard or something though.

 

[simonblue]

as Stu said always best to get the ticket validated,to make sure

 

[Blank_Canvas]

If your incoming train is late, and when booked you left enough time to meet the minimum connection time (as shown in the timetables), you wouldn't have to buy a ticket to catch the next train. Best to get your ticket validated by the guard or something though.

And if your train is running late and you are going to miss you're important appointment the railway company are obliged to get you a taxi They won't, offer, they don't advertise it anywhere for obvious reasons. Most staff are even unaware but the Station Manager can arrange it, they don't like doing it but if your appointment is important. Picking up kids etc they are obliged to do this.