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Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

place to discuss doing things round and about the UK or to ask advice about other locations
Alaric
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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#61887

Postby Alaric » June 22nd, 2017, 11:49 am

DiamondEcho wrote:For the time being at least my position is that I've bought the tickets and the Ticket Seller did not make it clear when I bought them, that I cannot get off one stop early without penalties.


You can also look up the tickets at the brfares website.
http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=CBG&dest=NRW

I think this was the ticket
http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig ... RW&tkt=CDS

That has a restriction code of B5 which requires travel after 8:30. On the right hand side of the page, under general conditions, it says "Break of Journey Yes".

Alaric
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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#61891

Postby Alaric » June 22nd, 2017, 11:58 am

Watis wrote:As it's there in black and white, and there's a financial advantage to the rail company to levy the penalty specified in the document, why would they not enforce this restriction?


They don't like being ridiculed in the Press. It's a very easy attack. It's like paying a fixed price for two courses and not being allowed to leave the dessert.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1 ... arlington/

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#61940

Postby DiamondEcho » June 22nd, 2017, 2:45 pm

Alaric wrote:I think this was the ticket http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig ... RW&tkt=CDS
That has a restriction code of B5 which requires travel after 8:30. On the right hand side of the page, under general conditions, it says "Break of Journey Yes".


Thanks, interesting, and I believe you are correct. ...Who'd have thought buying a train ticket in my home country (in my mother-tongue) could be sooo complicated - it's quite surreal.
This is a direct link to the ticket type [deleted/it is precisely the one you give] I too see 'Break of journey = permitted' too... well I hope so anyway. I'm sure Greater Anglia wouldn't wish my 85 year old mother to have to drive all the way into Norwich city centre to collect us from there...

Alaric wrote:It's like paying a fixed price for two courses and not being allowed to leave the dessert.


Funnily enough that is precisely the analogy I had in mind earlier today!

Alaric
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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#61950

Postby Alaric » June 22nd, 2017, 3:25 pm

tjh290633 wrote:You may know the area well, but it is better to change before Earls Court, as you can make a cross platform change onto the District at Hammersmith or Barons Court, before the Piccadilly goes underground. If you have luggage it's a lot easier.


There's no regular through service on the District Line between Barons Court and High Street Kensington, so you would still have to change at Earls Court. That's also cross platform, so potentially easier with luggage.

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#61972

Postby tjh290633 » June 22nd, 2017, 4:37 pm

Yes, I know that you have to change twice, but it is a lot simpler than climbing up to the District platforms at Earls Court.

TJH

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#62076

Postby DiamondEcho » June 22nd, 2017, 9:25 pm

tjh290633 wrote:Yes, I know that you have to change twice, but it is a lot simpler than climbing up to the District platforms at Earls Court. TJH


I just checked, for the record, Earl's Court now has both escalators and lifts, and since a few minutes here or there doesn't matter I reckon we'll be ok.
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUEC ... nd-station

That said if we find on the day it's simpler to change a stop or two pre E-Ct then that's what we'll do :)

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#62101

Postby ahenry » June 22nd, 2017, 10:41 pm

DiamondEcho wrote:Who'd have thought buying a train ticket in my home country (in my mother-tongue) could be sooo complicated - it's quite surreal.


There are over 16 million different fares for trains in the UK. In theory, things should get simpler in the not too distant future:
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/new ... 55636.html

This example was just for tickets for journey on the same trains. "Split ticketing" is where its cheaper to buy a number of tickets for shorter journeys than getting the basic ticket between the start and end points. On the Kings Cross-Cambridge and Cambridge-Norwich routes, split ticketing only really helps if you start a journey at peak hours. The definition of what is a "reasonable route" between two stations is easy here, but it can be really baffling.

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#62115

Postby Alaric » June 22nd, 2017, 11:49 pm

ahenry wrote: The definition of what is a "reasonable route" between two stations is easy here, but it can be really baffling.


Up to a point the National Rail enquiries site will do the leg work for you. You ask for trains between A and B, optionally via C. If it offers a single ticket, it's a valid route. If it says two tickets are needed, it's a case of "computer says no". That's where it gets arcane if you challenge that.

Kings Cross to Norwich via Cambridge is certainly a valid route and at some times of day, or starting from Kings Cross, quicker than alternative trains direct from Liverpool Street. 45 minutes non-stop to Cambridge makes a difference.

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Re: Rail journey with a stop-off en route, ticketing?

#62275

Postby ahenry » June 23rd, 2017, 2:50 pm

Alaric wrote:
ahenry wrote: The definition of what is a "reasonable route" between two stations is easy here, but it can be really baffling.


Up to a point the National Rail enquiries site will do the leg work for you. You ask for trains between A and B, optionally via C. If it offers a single ticket, it's a valid route. If it says two tickets are needed, it's a case of "computer says no". That's where it gets arcane if you challenge that.

Kings Cross to Norwich via Cambridge is certainly a valid route and at some times of day, or starting from Kings Cross, quicker than alternative trains direct from Liverpool Street. 45 minutes non-stop to Cambridge makes a difference.


It is easy, in that if a ticketing web site will sell you a ticket for a journey, then it is allowed, even if it may be best to take a printout of the itinerary to convince a ticket collector. Understanding what is going on is not so simple. The complexity leads to anomalies, where tickets end up being much more expensive, or occasionally much cheaper than you would expect.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=70716 is a pretty clear description of the system, but it is a result of evolution, rather than intelligent design!

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=139079 is a thread about reasonable routes between London and Norwich (GEML is the Great Eastern Main Line from Liverpool Street to Norwich, WAML is the West Anglia Main Line from Kings Cross to Cambridge).


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