Train ticket question

[laairventte]

If I’ve bought an advanced single that requires a change of trains...

there is a 45 minute wait between trains. But if all runs on time there is actuallly a train form the same platform that leaves 4 minutes after arrival.

If I managed to leg it, would my ticket be valid on this earlier connecting train?

I understand that my seat reservation wouldn’t be valid

Maybe, maybe not. Train ticketing can be compicated.

I would telephone the customer service desk for that particular train operator and check with them.

Unlikely, advance tickets are valid on booked train only. If you can find the guard before the train leaves though, they do seem to have discretion to let you on a different service.

Advance tickets are only valid for the journey booked. Sometimes you don't get a reservation for a particular leg of the journey though so in those instances I've always assumed it's fine to get a different time train.

Maybe, if you couldn't reserve a seat on that leg.

I know when I advanced book I can usually get any train for the first part from my local station, it's the connecting train I've had to travel at a certain time.

But who knows! Train tickets can be a mystery.

Usually the 'advance' ticket is really only tied to the long distance component of the journey. For the connecting localish services, you can take any train you like. If you tell me the route, I can probably make a good guess whether it's ok or not!

It’s difficult to answer exactly without knowing what conditions are written on the ticket. Check your ticket as there are three ways (ime) that advanced tickets can be restricted: 1. If your ticket says “booked trains onlly” and lists the train services, you have to use those trains and can’t substitute another train on that leg unless you miss it due to delays 2. if you have a seperate coupon with a seat reservation for the later connecting train and your main ticket says “valid on booked train only” the same applies as 1 (If your seat reservation is only for the first train you should be okay to get any second train but check with staff and don’t quote me ). 3. if your ticket says (for example) “valid on cross country only”, the later service is cross country and the earlier train is Virgin you can only use the cross country service.
Hope that makes sense...

So no booked seat for first stint, but a seat reserved for second part.

It’s Gatwick Airport to Reading. Reading to Bristol Temple Meads.

If it's an actual "advance " ticket, usually the trains are stated and you must use those trains. But just because you bought it in advance it doesn't mean it's necessarily an advance ticket in which case you could probably get the earlier train

If a seat is reserved probably not. 4 minutes would not be enough for a connection officially which is why your ticket is not for the earlier train

IME it doesn't matter for the shorter distance trains where there are no seat reservations.

It should say on your ticket "Valid on booked train only" or not which is a good indication.

If your banking on making a 4 minute connection from the Gatwick Line to the Bristol train at Reading, I'd forget it. The exit from the Gatwick platform is very confined and, unless the Bristol train goes from Platform 8 I wouldn't give much for your chances of making it.

I did the exact same journey last week! You can get any train from Gatwick, but the Reading to Bristol part you usually have to get the train you're booked on.

On the way back last week we were supposed to wait 45 minutes for the train back to Gatwick but the previous one had been delayed so we jumped on that.