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Original poster

Anyone know anything about train tickets?

31 replies

WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 19:02

I'm travelling with friends by train next week. I booked the tickets and collected them (from a machine). We are all travelling to the same place but getting on at different stations, I live the furthest away, two will join me on the same train a couple of stations down the track and the 4th will get on at the station where the first 3 of us need to change trains.

It was cheaper for me to book all 4 passengers from my station Confused. Anyway, I'm meeting up tomorrow to hand over the tickets as the last person will be getting on at a station with a ticket barrier in place to access the platforms.

All 4 tickets have come as a whole ticket from my station to the destination rather than in the individual parts of the journey.

Will passenger 4 be able to use a ticket that theoretically originates from my station to get through the barriers to get on the second train? It is a valid ticket and obvs once on the train then the ticket collector will have no idea (or care) where she got on.

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 13/09/2019 19:03

I think you are allowed a short break between trains so if you are changing trains it shouldn’t make a difference

SquintEastwood · 13/09/2019 19:07

Tickets are valid for the whole route so she'll be fine, we've done this a few times :)

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 19:14

Perfect, thank you :)

We are paying for the trip for passenger 4 so don't want her to turn up and find she can't get on the train and then have an expense to get a ticket to get through.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 19:16

It's quite bizarre that it was cheaper (by a decent amount) to buy a longer journey ticket - it's not the same carrier all the way either (3 different rail companies). The last time I did the similar journey, I was given 3 separate tickets (I have 2 changes) so I was a bit taken aback when the machine only gave one ticket per person per whole journey.

OP posts:
Spam88 · 13/09/2019 19:40

It'll probably work, if not I'd be very surprised if staff didn't let her through. This is called 'travelling short' btw and is prohibited for some tickets types.

LordEmsworth · 13/09/2019 19:43

Ummm... sorry but the tickets may not be valid.

Imagine a train going from A to B to C. It leaves A at off-peak time, by the time it gets to B it's in peak time, and on arrival at C it is in peak time. If you buy a ticket from A, it's an off-peak ticket. If you buy it from B, it's a peak ticket - and may therefore be more expensive...

Therefore, buying a ticket from A to C but getting on at B will sometimes invalidate your ticket. Not always but sometimes. You might want to check beforehand, or you might want to be willing to brazen it out and hope the ticket collector's feeling generous...

LordEmsworth · 13/09/2019 19:45

www.smoothradio.com/news/quirky/stupid-train-fine/

ginandtonicformeplease · 13/09/2019 19:54

Which trainline is it? At one time East Coast were stopping people doing this.

joblotbubble · 13/09/2019 19:56

Totally depends on the ticket type, TOC and route. Sorry, it's not a given that this will work.

BlueLadybird · 13/09/2019 20:05

Is it a group ticket? If so you may have an issue if yours is checked before the others get on.

If friends 2 and 3 are getting on at stations without barriers, fine. friend 4 should be ok but she may need to make out like she has just popped to the ticket office or something.

If you had asked the train company if this was valid the answer would likely be no. But the reality is it will probably be fine.

Brightsparx03 · 13/09/2019 20:07

Due to station locations and transport issues (we had to chase the train and hope we reached a stop before the train left again) I have had to join my booked train at a later station. I just explained to the ticket person at the barrier and have been allowed to go through no problems as I am still catching the booked train my ticket was for :)

ColdCottage · 13/09/2019 20:14

As long as your stops at the station they are getting on at (as in they don't need to get another train to join yours) then it's fine.

IncognitaIgnorama · 13/09/2019 20:17

East Coast mainline used to get very arsey about this - with electronic barriers, it may not work also. I don't think it will be a foregone conclusion that it will be fine - sorry Sad

BlueLadybird · 13/09/2019 20:33

OP, why don’t you tell us the stations concerned and the ticket type.

joblotbubble · 13/09/2019 20:49

As long as your stops at the station they are getting on at (as in they don't need to get another train to join yours) then it's fine.

This isn't true at all. As above, it depend on various factors.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 20:49

Sorry, I was away watching something.

We all have separate tickets and they are Advance single tickets. We are travelling in the morning. I'm starting at Bridge of Allan, 2 getting on at Larbert and then we change at Haymarket where passenger 4 gets on.

I was thinking the same as a PP said, technically she could have missed the BofA train, driven to Haymarket and picked up the 2nd leg of journey.

OP posts:
joblotbubble · 13/09/2019 20:51

She can buy a Haymarket to Waverley ticket for £2.50 to get her through the barrier of hers doesn't work.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 20:52

Ticket says Virgin trains and connections, we only have seat reservations for middle portion by Virgin. So, Scotrail, then Virgin, then change at preston.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 20:53

job, that's what i was thinking as that should be the cheapest option available.

OP posts:
joblotbubble · 13/09/2019 20:53

Going to Blackpool OP?

How long between connections at haymarket? She could just tell them she had been out for a fag

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 20:59

Liverpool :) - 7 minute connection.

OP posts:
Wintersnowdrop · 13/09/2019 21:00

They can be arsey about this but you might be lucky. My dd has a ticket from our local station to a bigger town where she had to get another train. Our local train are often late so I offered to drive her to the bigger town. The guard wouldn’t let her through the barrier unless I bought a ticket to the original station 😡 and she also had a season ticket from our town to the bigger town but she didn’t have it on her because I didn’t think she would need it. He would have seen her getting the train for the last three years! The guard was just being awkward and unhelpful.

StrawberrySquash · 13/09/2019 21:01

If it's an Advance then not permitted according to this. www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46546.aspx
In reality staff are likely to let her through the barriers if she shows her ticket. And I'd get there in time just in case there are any issues.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 21:01

Booking info says: Advance single
Non-refundable ticket, only valid for the date, time and trains specified.

And that's what we will be doing, it's just that she isn't getting one of the trains.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 13/09/2019 21:07

Okay, so ticket says Valid on x date, then "Virgin trains and connections" "Mandatory reservations detailed on coupon xx".

Coupon XX only details the virgin train from Haymarket to Preston and then the Northern train from preston. It doesn't specify the Train from BofA so technically you could use any connection to get to Haymarket. Passenger 4 could have come in on an earlier train and left the station and come back in. Correct?

OP posts:
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