Split tickets - overlapping if not stopping?

[cookie365]

Lucky I spotted this in time to make it into a theoretical question!

I often split Paddington to Bristol TM at Didcot Parkway. I've always just assumed all trains stop at Didcot, but just realised that that the weekday 10:45 (which involves a change at Bristol Parkway) stops at Reading and Swindon, but not Didcot.

So if I'd gone ahead and bought my split before I spotted that and before I got on the train without a valid ticket of course could I have bought a Reading to Swindon single to 'overlap' the Didcot split and make it valid? £14 off peak at that time of day? Would that be the cheapest way?

 

[yorkie]

Yes, there would be no harm in using a Paddington-Didcot ticket as far as Reading, and a Didcot-Bristol ticket from Swindon, in conjunction with a Reading-Swindon ticket.

(You're arguably not even 'stopping short' but if they are walk-up tickets stopping short wouldn't be barred anyway so it's moot. But see See Overlapping split ticketing? and Overlapping advance tickets for previous debates if this part of the question is of interest...)

An over-distance excess to one of the tickets would likely be cheaper.

 

[Flamingo]

Quite a lot Bristol Temple Meads to/from Paddington don't stop at Didcot Parkway, and as a rule of thumb the ones nearest to the hour off Parkway don't either (one or two exceptions), most of the XX:45's of London to Swansea don't stop at Didcot. I always make the relevant announcements advising passengers on split tickets, but it'a amazing the number who don't hear the two/three announcememts.

If you are on-board you can be charged an Anytime Rdg-Swi, £34.60 (from memory) if you don't sort it out before the last stop before passing through Didcot. It's £18 on an off-peak train. I will usually charge the relevant fare for the time departing Reading (unless the attitude test is failed). I will only offer an excess if asked before Reading or Swindon (depending on direction).

It's something to be aware of - quite a few of my colleagues are taking to charge as well as me...

 

[cookie365]

Thanks both, I should have known there'd be a thread about it already

 

[yorkie]

Thanks both, I should have known there'd be a thread about it already

No harm in having another thread, and sometimes rules, conditions or validities do change (not applicable in this case, but you get the idea).

 

[Flamingo]

Thanks both, I should have known there'd be a thread about it already

No problem, I'd much rather clip a fistfull of valid tickets than have a discussion that starts with the passenger saying "Well Moneysaving expert says..." and ends with me saying "Thank you, Here is your receipt, if you wish to complain you'll find the address on our website"

 

[LexyBoy]

Of course unless you're in a mega-hurry you could just change at Reading for the next service which does stop at Didcot, which would be half an hour at worst.

It's something to be aware of - quite a few of my colleagues are taking to charge as well as me...

Unfortunately it seems some of your colleagues are keen but not quite up to speed... I had a fairly protracted "discussion" on the 0759 from Reading recently during which the TM was adamant that my combination (Season RDG-DID, SDR DID-BTH) was not valid. Disappointing as FGW have been quite good IME. Ironically the next day I had a trip to Liverpool with a 19(c) split and no questions asked by XC in either direction - having had to explain myself on every previous occasion.

 

[bnm]

I often find myself having to explain a NRCoC 19(c) split to FGW TMs. Mine are usually Rovers in combination with other tickets. Vast majority of TMs accept the explanation. Some are happy when you show them the NRCoC. One or two blindly insist you must be on a service that calls at the split point and fail to comprehend 19(c).

That said, FGW on train staff are vastly better at understanding rules and restrictions than their station colleagues.

 

[fandroid]

So what does 19(c) say?

 

[yorkie]

"(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket (which for this purpose does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or local authority) or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/are not."

See RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Section 1 - Ticket Types & Conditions: 1.6 Split Ticketing

 

[PermitToTravel]

Quite a lot Bristol Temple Meads to/from Paddington don't stop at Didcot Parkway, and as a rule of thumb the ones nearest to the hour off Parkway don't either (one or two exceptions), most of the XX:45's of London to Swansea don't stop at Didcot. I always make the relevant announcements advising passengers on split tickets, but it'a amazing the number who don't hear the two/three announcememts.

If you are on-board you can be charged an Anytime Rdg-Swi, £34.60 (from memory) if you don't sort it out before the last stop before passing through Didcot. It's £18 on an off-peak train. I will usually charge the relevant fare for the time departing Reading (unless the attitude test is failed). I will only offer an excess if asked before Reading or Swindon (depending on direction).

It's something to be aware of - quite a few of my colleagues are taking to charge as well as me...

Are you the guy who announces "Split ticketing is not valid on this service", or is that one of your colleagues?

 

[Flamingo]

Are you the guy who announces "Split ticketing is not valid on this service", or is that one of your colleagues?

Might be me, but I'm usually more specific (in case bnm is on the train ) and say:
"This train does not stop at Didcot Parkway. If you are traveling on two tickets, one to Didcot Parkway and the other to your final destination the combination may not be valid for this train and you may be required to purchase a supplement to cover your journey. I will be passing through the train, if there is anything I can help you with please let me know."

This covers the 19c who don't need to purchase anything, but I think gives fair warning to the others.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Ah, that's good to know. I suspect Didcot is the only location in the country where the split is so prolific and well known that it justifies an announcement.

 

[Flamingo]

Ah, that's good to know. I suspect Didcot is the only location in the country where the split is so prolific and well known that it justifies an announcement.

The last twice I worked an evening train that didn't stop in Didcot I charged around ten people each train, despite making the above announcement on departure from London and prior to arrival at Reading. A few were sitting there cards in hand waiting for me, a few season-ticket holders gave the "Is £500 a month not enough?" argument, a few said "My firm bought the tickets, nobody said anything to me", and one chap moaned on so much about what dreadful customer service, and how he hated travelling by train to such an extent that I let him in on what was obviously something he wasn't aware of - that there are buses to London as well, and he might be happier travelling by that means next time . Funnily enough, this only seemed to upset him more. No pleasing some people...

 

[Agent_c]

The last twice I worked an evening train that didn't stop in Didcot I charged around ten people each train, despite making the above announcement on departure from London and prior to arrival at Reading. A few were sitting there cards in hand waiting for me, a few season-ticket holders gave the "Is £500 a month not enough?" argument, a few said "My firm bought the tickets, nobody said anything to me", and one chap moaned on so much about what dreadful customer service, and how he hated travelling by train to such an extent that I let him in on what was obviously something he wasn't aware of - that there are buses to London as well, and he might be happier travelling by that means next time . Funnily enough, this only seemed to upset him more. No pleasing some people...

Not sure what else you could have done. You warned em beforehand with the announcement, and gave em the opportunity to fix it. As good customer service as I can imagine given the situation.

 

[VauxhallandI]

The last twice I worked an evening train that didn't stop in Didcot I charged around ten people each train, despite making the above announcement on departure from London and prior to arrival at Reading. A few were sitting there cards in hand waiting for me, a few season-ticket holders gave the "Is £500 a month not enough?" argument, a few said "My firm bought the tickets, nobody said anything to me", and one chap moaned on so much about what dreadful customer service, and how he hated travelling by train to such an extent that I let him in on what was obviously something he wasn't aware of - that there are buses to London as well, and he might be happier travelling by that means next time . Funnily enough, this only seemed to upset him more. No pleasing some people...

Nice work