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Grand Central Buy On Board

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AlterEgo

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This is rather a daft question, but on a whim I'm going to go and do a GC bash up to Sunderland tomorrow. I can definitely buy a First Off-Peak Single on board, and I should be able to use travel vouchers right?

I'll be starting from KGX - I can just walk through the barriers with no ticket can't I?

Just checking - mind blank!!! Aargh.
 
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glenbogle

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I have often wondered that too on them services if i could buy a priv on board if needed.
 
Lampshade

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I know at Bradford Interchange they only let you through if there's < 10 minutes left before departure.
 
scotsman

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From Grand Central's website
At Grand Central, tickets are flexibe, easy to buy, simple to understand and offer great value for money. Our Fair Fares policy means you’ll never pay more than our usual flexible Off-Peak or Anytime rates – even if you buy on-board on the day of travel.
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I have never heard of a PRIV holder being forced to buy a full-fare ticket on Grand Central, and a member of GC staff has stated:-
BOSCH said:
If by "privs" you mean your "boxes" then no,however if you bought a priv open single/return with your TOC card then it will be accepted as it is an inter available ticket ! ;)
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My understanding is that GC will be happy to sell a PRIV-discounted ticket on board, and I've not heard of that changing. Back in the days of Valentas I often travelled on GC, and several members present on occasions held PRIVs and I never heard of any problems.

And yes, my understanding is that barrier staff cannot prevent you boarding another operators trains - unless there is an agreement between the TOCs that this can be done (which, for franchised operators, may be a franchise commitment in some cases, but for open access operators such agreements cannot be imposed on them). EC staff should be under instructions to let you through, and if they did not then that incident would need to be reported. I did hear of issues in the early days when GNER and GC had some 'disagreements' (!) but not heard of any issues at all for years.
 
158757

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I'm not sure you can use travel vouchers onboard-someone else would have to confirm.
 
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bnm

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158757 said:
I'm not sure you can use travel vouchers onboard-someone else would have to confirm.
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I've been able to use them onboard. Avantix is, I believe, set up to accept them as a valid payment method. However, an individual Guard/TM may not know how to carry out the transaction, or there maybe local instruction not to accept RTVs onboard.
 
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Lampshade said:
I know at Bradford Interchange they only let you through if there's < 10 minutes left before departure.
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Although this is probably now too late for the OP, I travelled recently on the 1022 GC departure from Bradford and the barrier staff quite happily allowed me on to platform 2 when I arrived about 0940, and I sat on the platform and waited.

On my return journey, the train departed from one of the platforms [7 I think], which is not yet barriered, so, again, although I had my ticket, there would have been no problem in gaining access and purchasing on board.
 
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raildude

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Adam_Harrison said:
You are correct, you cannot use rail vouchers on Grand Central services.
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I don't think that is right personally.

Travel Vouchers may also be used to pay on-train. The ticket range which the customer can buy on the train may be restricted or subject to a penalty fare, depending on the circumstances, but the Travel Voucher can be used to pay for whatever ticket the customer is being sold on the train. Customers cannot receive any change when the value of the tickets purchased is less than the value of voucher(s) tendered.
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Something which we normals can't access to check for ourselves (is reminded of the thread on whether the manual should be in the public domain :roll:).
 
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raildude

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ainsworth74 said:
Something which we normals can't access to check for ourselves (is reminded of the thread on whether the manual should be in the public domain :roll:).
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I don't need a password to access it though, it just takes me straight to the homepage? No need to log in. Don't see why you can't get it too...?
 
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ainsworth74 said:
Something which we normals can't access to check for ourselves (is reminded of the thread on whether the manual should be in the public domain :roll:).
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Apparently it's all in the NRCoC? ;) Anyway I know some people are going to be upset by this, which they'll just have to get over, but The Manual will be released into the public domain in due course. Until then, we will just have to rely on people being helpful and posting extracts from it.
 
Aictos

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yorkie said:
I have never heard of a PRIV holder being forced to buy a full-fare ticket on Grand Central, and a member of GC staff has stated:-


My understanding is that GC will be happy to sell a PRIV-discounted ticket on board, and I've not heard of that changing. Back in the days of Valentas I often travelled on GC, and several members present on occasions held PRIVs and I never heard of any problems.
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Yes you are indeed correct, I've enjoyed a few trips with Grand Central simply not because of the timings or the traction but because of the convenience and comfort Grand Central serves as a result I look very much forward to any expansion plans by them.
 
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Adam_Harrison said:
I'm not sure about other operators but
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The Manual says Rail Travel Vouchers can be used on the train. If GC do not comply with that, we will investigate.
Adam_Harrison said:
when we issue Grand Central issue rail vouchers they can't be used on the train.
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Do GC issue non-standard vouchers? Can you provide more information about the vouchers you issue?

Edit: GC have now confirmed that they do accept RTVs on board.
 
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island

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I wonder is it because GC is an OAO? Can you use RTVs on-board FHT services?
 
bb21

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Well HX don't accept them and they are an OAO.
 
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