To wonder how I'm going to get home tomorrow with no ticket or money!

[newrecruit]

Help

I lost my purse on the train. The train manager has found it and sent it back to my home station.

So far, so relieved.
Trouble is how am I going to get home tomorrow?

Virgin won't print me another ticket, even though I have reservation number.

I can't buy another one as I have no money or cards

Help!

where are you going to?!!? where are you now?! Can't someone organise a ticket on your behalf and you can pay them back?

I'm in a hotel, which luckily was prepaid.

I'm in a meeting tomorrow but don't know them well enough to ask them to buy me a ticket.

I suppose someone could buy one online but I wouldn't have the card to collect it at the station

Sometimes train lines will give you a "right to travel" ticket if you speak directly to the person selling the tickets, they've done that for me before.

Ooh that sounds good.

My purse should be at my home station by the time I get there.

You'll also find the police may help you. if you go to a police office - BTP might help even - and get someone to lodge cash at a police office near them once the station you're in has confirmation they'll give you the equivalent. It's something done with my local force and only for circumstances like this.

Could you not go into a branch of your bank and withdraw money that way? Surely there is enough security checks to enable this, even without ID (providing you know all the necessary information).

Id second the advice to get in touch with your bank. Once through security, ours (normal, high street bank) has an emergency service where they give you a code, you go to a cash point, even without card, select other services , type in the code and out pops out cash. Sorted. Hope you get home safely.

Where are you travelling from? Virgin ticket machines just need the confirmation number to print I think.
Can you not queue and plead with Virgin? That's ridiculous!

I've had my bag stolen before now and have just explained at ticket barriers (no ticket and no money) and have been waved through. I have also once been given a penalty notice by a ticket inspector when it have left my ticket at home by mistake, you then just have to send the ticket in to get the penalty cancelled.

I can understand why they can't print duplicate tickets, but I expect train staff will be sympathetic when you are actually travelling.

Oh and I would avoid buying another ticket unless you are prepared to pay for it as you'll never get a refund. As long as the tickets are in your purse you're better off getting a penalty notice that will be canceled when you produce your original ticket.

OP, do not travel home tomorrow (today?) without a valid ticket. Travelling without a valid ticket is against the railway byelaws, and it is a strict liability offence, which means that you are guilty of the offence even if there are mitigating factors. If a member of staff authorises you to travel without a ticket then that is fine, but you must get them to write the authorisation down on official paper or a blank ticket, and then preferably get them to stamp it with their stations stamp.

If you were to travel without a valid ticket with no authority from staff there is a real risk of you being reported for prosecution. You would not be issued with a a Penalty Fare because Virgin do not operate a Penalty Fare system.

If staff refuse to authorise travel there are two options available. One is called Stranded Individual Location Known. A friend or relative visits their nearest ticket office and you visit your nearest ticket office at the same time. They pay for the ticket at their office and it is issued to you at your office.

Alternatively, get a friend or relative to purchase e-vouchers at eastcoast.co.uk. Then get them to spend thee vouchers on the ticket you need, and email you the confirmation code. You can then put any card in the ticket machine to collect them. This only works if you have with you/have access to a credit or debit card-the card you insert will not be charged so if you could borrow one from someone at the event that would do the trick.

If all else fails and you can't sort a train ticket, it may be possible to book a National express coach online (again with the help of a friend or relative) and then get an e ticket sent to your mobile phone. Please please please don't travel on the train without a valid ticket/authorisation. I see people do it all the time and get into trouble, because there is no way to distinguish between people with genuine need like you, and chancers who want to fare evade.

Agree with try transport police. If you want a ticket could you ask the hotel? I mean explain exactly what has happened and ask if they can give you cash against your credit card - the one used to pay for the hotel. You will have to speak to the manger but worth asking.

I once had my purse stolen in London (drinking with 5 met officers which I found funny that none noticed my bag going) anyway I was given a card by the police that let me travel on the underground for the rest of the day - that was many years ago but there must be some similar idea.

I contacted Virgin Trains vis Twitter.

They have said that if my purse is t my home station, this station can ring them and verify that I have a valid ticket.

Fingers crossed

I second contacting btp. They'd be able to verify your purse being at the other station more easily I would have thought.

As for cash now, do you have a natwest account and smartphone? Their function for texting a code has been invaluable when I've left my purse at home before. I've been able to withdraw cash without my card.

I'm fine for cash today. Breakfast was included and lunch is provided.

I've just found out that thetrainline accepts PayPal so I the worst happens and they don't have my purse - I can still get home.

Phew.

Thank you everyone. Particularly that bit about not getting on without a ticket

Glad you're going to get home ok, newrecruit. I'd have been frantic with the stress of it all!
Fwiw, when I used to travel all over the world, I wore a very small flat money belt around my waist under my clothes. In it was a credit card and a bit of cash in notes, so that if my money/bank card were to be stolen or lost, at least I had back-up. It must have been a lucky charm, because I never needed it!

Are you on business? Then let your work sort it out

Sounds like you'll be ok, but just so you and others know, when picking up a train ticket at the station, you don't actually need the card it was purchased on - despite them saying you do. I know this because I do it all the time for work - they buy my ticket and I collect, I just put my own debit card in the machine and it works fine.

So if you need to, you can get a new ticket purchased, and maybe ask a colleague as a favour to come to the station and use their card to collect it.

Though calling about the purse seems an easier solution!

My handbag with exhibition tickets and train tickets was stolen. Exhibition venue asked for email & address details and printed new tickets. Train station employee provided me with some sort of authorisation to travel but no actual new ticket. Just explained at barriers and showed whatever document the employee gave me. Hope you get home OK!

Banks do the emergency cash thing - call and you get given a number which you put into cash machine.

Woohoo

Special permission to travel authority slip in my grubby paws.

Thank you everyone. You made me much calmer about the whole process.

God bless Mumsnet.

Great news op. X