Advice on a train journey- which ticket?

[NCTDN]

I'm getting the train from Liverpool to Bristol. It's such a lot of money! Choosing my return train makes it much cheaper than an open return but is it risky as I need to make one change and what if there's a problem at the middle station?
Can you tell I never get the train?!

Were split saver tickets offered?

If you miss a connection because of a delay on the first train I'm pretty sure you can just get on the next available even if you've specified your return train.

This. It'll be fine OP.

Even if it's a different company?
It is split save.

I don't think delay repay works with split tickets from different companies. But some tickets are flexible to allow you to amend the travel times and if you book a particular journey and are delayed you get compensation after a minimum time period and can continue the journey.

Yes. Even if a different company. Just tell the conductor on train B that you had to catch a later train as train A was late and you missed the connection. They'll be fine with it (I travel by train loads and often miss the connection due to no fault of my own).

Incidentally if travelling to Bristol, why is it not a direct train (from Paddington)? Unusual to have to change trains from London to Bristol.

The OP is travelling from Liverpool, not London.

@TheFlis - so they are. Silly me.

Yes, you can just get on the next train if you miss your connection, even if it’s split save and a different company than the first train. So long as it was booked as one journey then it’s as if you had booked one ticket all the way there, and delay repay works too.

Good to know thanks

What's the difference buying tickets from the Trainline or train split? TrainSplit is the same trains but £6 cheaper.

Nothing. The Trainline adds a fee. Cheapest option is usually to buy direct from the train operator (e.g GWR, Crosscountry etc)

I'd I was to buy the tickets direct , the two tickets for the two pays off the journey would be from different companies. If there was a delay I guess I wouldn't be able to just get the next train?

You can usually buy a ticket for another company via the first. It makes it easier if you get delayed to reclaim. Trainline were difficult when ds needed to change his journey due to cancellations during a storm.

TrainSplit also adds a fee.

You can buy the whole journey through the first company website.

Buy the whole journey from one train company. Add journey A to your basket then add journey B separately. When you checkout (both tickets in the same transaction), they'll count as a single purchase.