Chiltern Railways and connecting services Advance

[Panceltic]

Hello,

I have booked two advance tickets online, one Southend Airport - Birmingham Moor Street and another for the return trip.

The itinerary is Abellio Greater Anglia from Southend Airport to London Liverpool Street, cross-London Tube transfer, and Chiltern Railways from London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street.

I know about advance tickets being valid on booked train only, but I'm not sure if it applies to the 'main' part of my journey (Chiltern) only or all the trains? In other words, can I take the first Airport - London train or must I wait for the one specified on my travel itinerary?

I will collect the ticket at the airport station so I don't know what exactly they will say.

Thanks for helping

Edit: The e-mail confirmation states: This ticket is valid on Chiltern Railways and connecting services only

 

[CyrusWuff]

The short version is that you have to use any trains for which you have a reservation coupon. As the Greater Anglia service between Southend Airport and Liverpool Street is non-reservable, you can use any train you like for that leg of the journey.

 

[Panceltic]

The short version is that you have to use any trains for which you have a reservation coupon. As the Greater Anglia service between Southend Airport and Liverpool Street is non-reservable, you can use any train you like for that leg of the journey.

Thanks for your quick reply. Yes, in the booking confirmation, the AGA train has 'reservation not possible' next to it, but the CR one has 'reserved - no seat allocated'.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

CyrusWuff is absolutely correct.

On the leg of the journey for which a reservation is possible and has been printed, then you must travel on that service. For the leg of the journey for which a reservation was NOT made (and is not possible), then you may take any reasonable and appropriate service.
In your circumstances, there is nothing mysterious about the services on the Stansted Airport link (such as non-franchised operators), and you will be at liberty to take any service that makes a useful connection between Liverpool Street and Marylebone.

Where the booking includes a suggested itinery for the connecting service and you choose to take an alternative, then in the unlikely event that you are questioned about your choice, then for your explanation to be accepted, your reason should not include any wish to spend time in London for non-travel purposes.

 

[Panceltic]

In your circumstances, there is nothing mysterious about the services on the Stansted Airport link (such as non-franchised operators), and you will be at liberty to take any service that makes a useful connection between Liverpool Street and Marylebone.

That's nice to hear The itinerary allows over one hour for the Tube which I'm sure can be done in about 20 minutes.

 

[button_boxer]

To expand on DaveNewcastle's reference to "non-travel purposes", the terms of an Advance ticket do not permit you to break your journey. Transferring between stations per your itinerary (Liverpool Street to Marylebone) is not considered a break of journey but stopping off at a shop/pub/etc. on the way would be.

I'll leave you to consider how enforceable this would be, but Dave's point is that in the unlikely event that you are questioned you shouldn't admit to having broken your journey.

 

[Panceltic]

I'll leave you to consider how enforceable this would be, but Dave's point is that in the unlikely event that you are questioned you shouldn't admit to having broken your journey.

Thanks for this. It seems I'll have to kill some time at the Victoria & Albert pub within Marylebone station!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Whilst you can normally get from Liverpool Street to Marylebone in about 20 minutes, if you allow less than the 56 minutes specified in the National Rail Timetable and it goes wrong and you miss the booked train, you're likely to need to buy a new ticket.

 

[Mojo]

That's nice to hear The itinerary allows over one hour for the Tube which I'm sure can be done in about 20 minutes.

I would say leaving only 20 Min to go between Liverpool Street and Marylebone is extremely tight. Travelling on the Met or Circle & Hammersmith lines from Liverpool Street to Baker Street is timetabled at between 13½ - 14½ Min. Taking the Tube via Oxford Circus would take even longer. Plus you have to walk to the platform, wait for a train, then either walk from Baker Street or change at Baker Street and catch the Bakerloo line.

 

[Panceltic]

I would say leaving only 20 Min to go between Liverpool Street and Marylebone is extremely tight.

Yes I completely agree that I probably wouldn't be able to make a connection from a 17:00 arrival at Liverpool Street to a 17:20 departure at Marylebone, for example; but I have 65 minutes for getting accross London (even more if I manage to get an earlier train from Southend).

 

[Tetchytyke]

If you get an earlier reasonable connection you should be ok, but if you take a later one then if you have a delay you'll probably need to buy a new ticket from Marylebone.

 

[67018]

I would say leaving only 20 Min to go between Liverpool Street and Marylebone is extremely tight. Travelling on the Met or Circle & Hammersmith lines from Liverpool Street to Baker Street is timetabled at between 13½ - 14½ Min. Taking the Tube via Oxford Circus would take even longer. Plus you have to walk to the platform, wait for a train, then either walk from Baker Street or change at Baker Street and catch the Bakerloo line.

I wouldn't say the route via Oxford Circus would take longer - if anything it's usually a bit quicker. Met or circle is preferable though, being a much less cramped journey and no need to change.

Would echo the advice not to cut it too fine though, sods law says when doing so your train will be on platform 6 necessitating walking what feels like half way to High Wycombe to get to it!

 

[hassaanhc]

I wouldn't say the route via Oxford Circus would take longer - if anything it's usually a bit quicker. Met or circle is preferable though, being a much less cramped journey and no need to change.

Would echo the advice not to cut it too fine though, sods law says when doing so your train will be on platform 6 necessitating walking what feels like half way to High Wycombe to get to it!

And being the "Far train" on Platform 6 .
But yes I also agree with leaving enough time, especially as there has been disruption somewhere on the Subsurface group of lines almost every day for the last few weeks.

 

[67018]

And being the "Far train" on Platform 6 .

Aaargh!

But yes I also agree with leaving enough time, especially as there has been disruption somewhere on the Subsurface group of lines almost every day for the last few weeks.

Actually, this is one of the benefits of having two alternative routes. A quick look at the live status gives an opportunity to take whichever route happens to be working.

 

[Mojo]

I wouldn't say the route via Oxford Circus would take longer - if anything it's usually a bit quicker. Met or circle is preferable though, being a much less cramped journey and no need to change.

The Central line Liv St to Oxford Circus takes 10 Min, and Oxford Circus to Marylebone is 5 Min, and that's before you take into account the time needed to change trains.

Still, regardless of the route taken, I would suspect that in order to make a 20 Min connection, you would have to be extremely lucky.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

. . . .

Still, regardless of the route taken, I would suspect that in order to make a 20 Min connection, you would have to be extremely lucky.

I agree, to the point of predicting that a passenger connecting between an arriving train at Liverpool Street to a departing train at Marylebone would not achieve it in 20 mins. (and I say this as one who does like to challenge some of the accepted times for travel between London stations).