• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Section 4 - Excesses, Upgrades & Supplements

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,430
Location
Yorkshire
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.1 Introduction to excesses & upgrades

Passengers who already hold a ticket can often buy excesses, upgrades and supplements (terms sometimes used interchangeably) and therefore the excess, upgrade or supplement is only valid in combination with the original ticket.

Excess fares are used to amend a ticket and the contract it represents by paying a difference between two appropriate fares: this may for example allow passengers to travel further or use a different route. An excess fare is defined as:
Ticketing and Settlement Agreement said:
“a variation in the Rights and Restrictions applicable to a Fare which has the impact of converting that Fare into another Fare”

If there was an opportunity to obtain the excess fare before boarding, which the passenger does not take, then the excess on board the train may be to the FULL fare in some cases (such as Overdistance excess fare) and would not qualify for Railcard discounts.

Some types of excess fare are the same price whether or not there was an opportunity to buy before boarding, and these should always be made to the APPROPRIATE fare. These include Change of Route and Change of Ticket Type excesses – note that brand new Anytime tickets should not be offered when these excesses are appropriate.

Upgrades are generally set at fixed prices and include Weekend First upgrades and High Speed upgrades for travel on High Speed 1.

APPROPRIATE fare type is the lowest priced available ticket that allows the journey to be made at the time the customer is travelling, including Railcard discounts (if the original ticket was discounted).

FULL fare type is the highest priced single or return ticket available for the journey.

Note: Excess fares should be issued before a ticket expires; once the ticket has expired you can expect that any excess request is likely to be refused.

Multi-journey tickets

Multi-journey tickets, such as Season tickets, Day Rangers, Rovers etc cannot, as a general rule, be "excessed".

If such a ticket is not valid for the journey in question, a new ticket may be required.

An exception to this is 4.2.2 Excess: upgrade to 1st, for which the difference is payable between the Standard and 1st Anytime Single fares, for holders of Season tickets or All Line Rovers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2 Excesses

4.2.1 Excess procedures: change of route

A change of route excess is available for passengers wishing to travel on a more expensive route than the route their ticket permits. Passengers who change their plans and passengers who wish to travel one way on a more expensive route and in the other direction on a cheaper route may wish to purchase a change of route excess.

NRCoC Condition 13e said:
If you make your journey by a route other than those referred to in (a) and (b)
above, you will be liable to pay an excess fare. This excess fare will be the
difference between the price paid for the ticket you hold and the price of the
lowest priced ticket(s) available for immediate travel that would have entitled you
to travel by that route.

If bought from ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding:

  • For Singles & Returns, the whole difference is charged
  • For one portion (Outward or Return) of a Return ticket, HALF the difference is charged
  • The difference is between the price paid and the APPROPRIATE ticket type of the route requested.
  • Railcard discounts ARE available
If bought on board where there was opportunity to pay before boarding:

  • As above there is no penalty on board with this type of excess.
Note: If the cost of the excess is £0.00, staff may have to complete a form, which they may be reluctant to do. It is also the policy of some Train Companies not to issue zero fare excess fares. There is an argument to say that such an excess is not neccessary, as the Routeing Guide states:
Routeing Guide said:
Where a journey is undertaken by an alternative route to that for which the ticket was originally purchased, and for which a higher fare applies, additional payment is required to enable the customer to make or complete their revised travel arrangements.
So if a lower fare applies, no payment is required. It is up to the rail industry to either allow travel with the existing ticket or issue a zero fare excess.

An excess fare may also not be necessary for tickets routed 'Any Permitted', as the Routeing Guide also states:
Routeing Guide said:
An "any permitted" ticket cannot be used for travel on a route not listed in the Routeing Guide for which a higher priced route specific fare exists.

It can be used on any route not listed in the Routeing Guide for which a lower priced route specific fare exists.
For example, Burnley to Manchester has a higher priced route via Hebden Bridge, but as this is a permitted route, an excess would not be required. This is in contrast to Blackburn to Manchester, which has a higher priced route via Preston, but as this is not a permitted route, and excess would be required.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,538
Location
Redcar
4.2.2 Excess procedures: Upgrade to First Class

If a passenger holds a standard class ticket but wishes to upgrade to First Class then it is usually possible to pay an excess to allow this, the exact procedure followed depends on the TOC being used, the existing ticket held and when they're trying to buy the excess. The procedure carried out by most Train Companies follows but please note that in Penalty Fare areas you are not entitled to any excess fares on board and some companies will give you more rights than indicated here.

If bought from ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding:

  • For Singles & Returns the FULL difference between the existing Standard ticket and the appropriate First Class ticket is charged.
  • For ONE portion (Outward or Return) of a Return ticket, the charge is the DIFFERENCE between the price already paid and the SUM of the appropriate Standard Single for one leg and the appropriate First Single for the other leg. If cheaper then the FULL difference between the Standard Return and the First Return (as if upgrading both legs) is charged.*
  • For Advance tickets, when travelling on the reserved service, the FULL DIFFERENCE between the price paid and the appropriate First Single is charged.
  • For Advance tickets, when not travelling on the reserved service, the FULL DIFFERENCE between the price paid and the appropriate First Single is charged, PLUS a £10 admin fee. This only applies if the time of the reservation has not yet passed.
  • For Season Tickets, Rovers, Rangers & BritRail the FULL DIFFERENCE between the appropriate Standard Class and First Class (Single or Return) fares for the journey being made is charged.
*For example, if a passenger holds an Anytime Return from Middlesbrough to York and wishes to upgrade to First Class on the Outward portion then they should be charged the following. The sum of the appropriate Standard (SDS £26.40) and First Single (FDS £32.50) for this journey is £58.90. The price already paid is £42.90 so the difference to be paid by the passenger is £16.00.

Prices correct as of 30/11/2017

Note: In PF areas passengers cannot generally buy excess/upgrades on board. However there may be exceptions on specific routes and you should check before travel if any apply. But when in doubt assume that no exception exists.

If bought on board where there was opportunity to pay before boarding:

  • As above because in all but two cases there is no penalty for buying on board. The exceptions are detailed below.
  • For Advance tickets, when not travelling on the reserved service, the FULL First Class Single for journey being made is charged as if no ticket was held.
  • For Season Tickets and Travelcard Seasons, the FULL First Class Single for journey being made is charged as if no ticket was held. Note: Virgin Trains East Coast allows the difference to be charged, if the Guard is approached before taking a seat.

Note: Railcards which offer a discount on First Class fares are allowed.

Updated: 30/11/2017
 
Last edited:

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2.3 Excess procedures: over-distance

Over-distance excesses allow a journey to be extended beyond the destination shown on the ticket and is appropriate for passengers changing plans. You may be refused such an excess if you wish to extend the journey beyond the origin. The original destination must be on a permitted route from the origin to the new destination. This excess may only available before the original journey has been completed i. e. once a single or the outward leg of a return is fully used, an excess on the single or outward portion of a return is no longer possible and many ticket clerks will not issue an over-distance excess on the return portion of a return either.

If bought from ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding:

  • For any ticket, the whole difference is usually charged
  • The difference is between the price paid and the APPROPRIATE ticket type for the new journey.
  • Railcard discounts ARE available
If bought on board where there was opportunity to pay before boarding:

You may be required to buy a new ticket to cover the additional portion of your journey, however if an excess is issued:

  • For any ticket, the whole difference is usually charged
  • The difference is between the price paid and the FULL ticket type for the new journey
  • Railcard discounts are NOT available
Note: If the cost of the excess is £0.00, staff may have to complete a form, which they may be reluctant to do. It is also the policy of some Train Companies not to issue zero fare over-distance excess fares.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2.4 Excess procedures: change of ticket type

Change of ticket type excesses allow a journey to be made at a time when time and/or break of journey restrictions prohibit this. There is no penalty for buying on board even if there was opportunity to buy before boarding.

If bought from ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding:


  • For Singles & Returns, the whole difference is charged
  • For one portion (Outward or Return) of a Return ticket, the FULL difference is charged. Alternatively, the passenger can buy the APPROPRIATE Single instead.
  • The difference is between the price paid and the APPROPRIATE ticket type of the route requested.
  • Railcard discounts ARE available

If bought on board where there was opportunity to pay before boarding:


  • As above: there is no penalty on board with this type of excess.
 
Last edited:

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2.5 Excess procedures: Advance tickets on wrong train.

These instructions are applicable to holders of Advance tickets who travel on a service other than specified on the ticket (correct date and train company, but wrong train).

If bought from ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding:


  • Where a Train Company is apparently at fault - DO NOT CHARGE EXCESS FARE. Issue a ‘Free’ Excess ticket to cover the journey.
  • Otherwise if the time of the reservable leg has not yet passed, charge a £10 admin fee PLUS the DIFFERENCE between the fare paid and the APPROPRIATE Single fare for the journey being made
  • The time of the reservable leg has passed, charge the APPROPRIATE Single fare for the journey being made as if no ticket held.

If bought on board where there was opportunity to pay before boarding:


  • Where a Train Company is apparently at fault - DO NOT CHARGE EXCESS FARE. Issue a ‘Free’ Excess ticket to cover the journey.
  • Otherwise, charge the APPROPRIATE Single fare for the journey being made as if no ticket held.

Notes: Railcard discount allowed provided original ticket is discounted; Reference to ‘appropriate fare’ means the cheapest Single or Return ticket available for immediate travel on chosen service.
 

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2.6 Excess procedures: Single to Return.

Single to Return excess fares are a relatively recent addition, and there is no automatic entitlement to such an excess fare in detailed in the public domain

The most common reason for issuing these excesses is when a passenger accidentally purchases a single ticket from a ticket machine.

Not all ticket issuing systems are able to issue these, and some staff may have been instructed not to issue them. The earlier such an excess is requested, the greater chance there is of the excess fare being issued.


The Excess Fare to charge on board the train where there was “opportunity to buy” before boarding
Charge a new Single ticket for the return leg, as if no ticket was held.

The Excess Fare to charge before travel, or on board the train when there was “no opportunity to buy” before boarding
It is permitted to charge an excess fare to upgrade a Single ticket into a Return (but not into London Day Travelcards), provided the excess fare is paid before departure. If no ticket office facilities are available, it must be done at the earliest possible opportunity, but before the validity of the Single has expired,
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Oscar

Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
11 Feb 2010
Messages
1,152
Location
Switzerland
4.2.7 Excess procedures: Railcards

Applying Railcard discounts to excess fares

Railcard discounts apply when the APPROPRIATE fare is charged and do not apply with the FULL fare is charged, but only when the original ticket is discounted and a valid Railcard is held.

Minimum fares

Railcard minimum fares, where appropriate, apply to the cost of the whole ticket after an excess and not to the excess itself. This is because an excess is not a ticket in itself but rather the modification of a ticket. If a Railcard minimum fare has already been paid for the original ticket this may mean that an excess costs less than may otherwise be expected or it may be a zero excess.

Minimum fare not met

If a passenger travels on Railcard discounted ticket, and is travelling at a time when the minimum fare is met, then an excess would apply. The excess would be the difference between the price paid and the minimum fare, unless a non-discounted ticket was cheaper, in which case it would be the difference between the price paid and the non-discounted fare.

Railcard not held

If a passenger travels on Railcard discounted ticket, and is not in possession of a valid Railcard, then an excess would normally apply. The excess would be the difference between the price paid and the non-discounted fare. Note that this excess is ONLY available from a ticket office or on board with no opportunity to pay before boarding. The ticket seller may however be obliged to sell a brand new undiscounted ticket and let the passenger apply for a refund of the original discounted ticket minus the Administration Fee (as is the policy of East Midlands Trains for example).

If a passenger travels on a Railcard discounted ticket, and is not in possession of a valid Railcard, and has boarded a train with an open ticket office, then the passenger is treated as if no ticket is held, and a brand new undiscounted Anytime fare is chargeable.
 
Last edited:

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,538
Location
Redcar
4.3 First Class Supplements

4.3.1 Weekend 1st Supplements

Please note that Weekend First is subject to availability, and may not be available on very busy services, in particular when a reduced frequency of service is in operation due to engineering works.

Weekend First is available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Some Train Companies may extend this offer to other days such as during the Festive Season.

Please note: where prices are included below, they are correct as of 01/11/17

CrossCountry
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? YES
  • Available online? YES
  • Reservations available? YES
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? NO
  • Other information? N/A
  • The price ranges from £5 to £20
East Midlands Railway
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? YES
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? YES
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? Available only on long distance services on the Midland Mainline (St Pancras - Nottingham/Sheffield/Leeds/York/Scarborough/Corby).
  • The price is £12
TransPennine Express
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? Holders of monthly (or longer) season tickets, excluding PTE season tickets (such as WYPTE MetroCard), are entitled to a free upgrade to first class for journeys covered by their season ticket when travelling on weekends.
  • The price ranges from £10 to £20
Grand Central
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? NO
  • Other information? N/A
  • The price is £15
Great Western Railway
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? N/A
  • The price ranges from £10 to £25
Greater Anglia
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? YES
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? YES
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? Available only on mainline services between London and Norwich.
  • The price is £10
West Midlands Trains (LNR/WMR)
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? YES
  • Available online? YES
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES (See other information below)
  • Other information? Holders of Advance tickets cannot book their Weekend First before travel and must upgrade on-board subject to availability. Return upgrades are available.
  • The price is £10 (single) or £15 (return)
ScotRail
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? NO
  • Other information? Available only on services between Edinburgh - Glasgow, Aberdeen - Inverness and Edinburgh/Glasgow - Aberdeen/Inverness.
  • The price is £5 or £10
South Western Railway
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? YES
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? YES (50% discount)
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? N/A
  • The price is between £5 and £15
LNER
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? NO
  • Available online? NO
  • Reservations available? NO
  • Child discounts? NO
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES
  • Other information? N/A
  • The price is £15 or £25 (the £25 charge applies to journeys between London/Stevenage and Wakefield/Leeds/York and beyond)
Virgin Trains
  • Available on board? YES
  • Available from ticket office? YES
  • Available online? YES
  • Reservations available? YES
  • Child discounts? YES
  • Available with Advance tickets? YES (See other information below)
  • Other information? Holders of Advance tickets cannot book their Weekend First before travel and must upgrade on-board subject to availability. Holders of Anytime Single/Return tickets can upgrade to First Class free of charge by approaching the Train Manager.
  • The price if £10 to £25
 
Last edited:

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,430
Location
Yorkshire
4.3.2 Other 1st Class Supplements

Business Zone - Arriva Trains Wales

The Business Zone is shown as First Class in the timetable and 1st Advances are available, but is marketed as the Business Zone.

An upgrade of between £20 and £50, subject to availability, applies to the loco-hauled services between Holyhead & Cardiff, currently 0533 from Holyhead and 1716 from Cardiff. This includes a complimentary breakfast on the morning train, or a complementary 3-course meal on the evening train.

Gold Card


Gold Card holders can upgrade to First Class (except on the route covered by their Season ticket) on payment of a £5 supplement, within the Network Area. The £5 supplement is valid for one day and covers all travel within that day, for example it could cover a return journey from Stevenage to Bournemouth, which would include all relevant Train Companies, with the exception of CrossCountry, East Coast, East Midlands Trains (Mainline), Heathrow Express and Virgin Trains. Some time restrictions apply Monday-Friday. Full details on the National Rail website.

Chiltern Business Zone

The Business Zone is not actually shown as First Class in the timetable, but has similar features to First Class.

This is available on Chiltern's loco-hauled Silver trains. The cost is advertised on the Chiltern Railways website at £25 for a single upgrade (or £40 return, if booked online), but on trains against the peak flow is announced as only costing £10.The guard will issue you the upgrade on board the train; simply take a seat.
 
Last edited:

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,980
Location
0036
4.4 Travelcard boundary extensions

It is possible to purchase a ticket which extends the validity of a Travelcard (either a day Travelcard or Travelcard season) for a single or return journey to a station outside the London fare zones. These are issued with an origin or destination of Boundary Zone 2 (NLC 0041), Boundary Zone 3 (0042), Boundary Zone 4 (0043), Boundary Zone 5 (0044), or Boundary Zone 6 (0072), corresponding to the outermost zone of the Travelcard held.

Tickets to or from Boundary Zone destinations may be purchased from any booking office, from a guard (subject to the restrictions about buying before you board, if applicable), from Southern ticket vending machines, and possibly over the telephone from certain TOCs' telesales. When purchasing from a booking office or when there is an inspection, one may be required to produce the Travelcard.

There is no requirement for the train to call at a station where the passenger changes from one ticket to the other. Although it is not at all clear whether a Boundary Zone ticket is considered an excess or modification to the Travelcard, or a separate ticket, in the former case, it is one ticket and can be used on a through train, and in the latter case, it would be considered zonal, and is valid with the other ticket without any requirement for the train to stop at the boundary (NRCoC 19a).

For the most part, Boundary Zone tickets can be issued only where the other station is within the Network area. There are a few exceptions (such as Peterborough).

Until 2011, Boundary Zone tickets were only supposed to be sold with an origin of a Boundary Zone location (i.e. heading away from London). This ceased to be the case with effect from NFM10, but a number of stations outside London are still reluctant to sell tickets from a regional origin to a Boundary Zone. If this arises, you are entitled under NRCoC 3 to purchase a ticket for part of your journey and part-exchange it on your train or at your destination for the ticket you want. (In practice this may be dealt with by an over-distance excess.)

In certain instances, the use of Boundary Zone tickets can result in a substantial difference to the validity of off-peak tickets, compared to a ticket to or from London Terminals. This arises for example on tickets between boundary zones and Milton Keynes Central.

For the purpose of getting and using Boundary Zone tickets it is irrelevant whether the Travelcard held is on paper or on an Oyster card. However, certain TOCs (such as East Midlands Trains and Virgin Trains) have been known to take issue with people using such a combination, on the (specious) grounds that they can't read the Oyster card, or that Oyster allegedly isn't valid on their services. While not obliged to, a passenger wishing to use a Boundary Zone ticket with an Oyster Travelcard should consider having evidence of the Travelcard available in order to reduce hassle. The Gold Record Card issued with an annual ticket would be one example of suitable evidence.
 
Last edited:

district

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2011
Messages
1,098
Location
SE16
4.5 HS1 Supplements

High Speed 1 (or HS1) is a railway line between St. Pancras International in London and the Channel Tunnel, for services from London to the Continent. Since 2009, Southeastern have been operating domestic high speed services from St. Pancras International to Ashford International, and then onwards to other destinations.

There is an additional charge for travelling on services operated by Southeastern between St. Pancras and Ashford. Tickets marked 'ANY PERMITED' or 'PLUS HIGH SPEED' are valid on this service (these tickets can be bought conventially from a ticket office, online, through telesales and in some cases onboard), however 'NOT HIGH SPEED' or 'NOT VALID ON HS1' will not usually valid unless a supplement is purchased.

The supplement can be bought from a ticket office or on board. The price varies based on the time travelled and the distance.

Prices from Ashford Internationaal to St. Pancras International (the entire length of the highspeed line) are £5.00 off peak (arriving London after 10am, first train the 0943 from Ashford) or £9.80 anytime. Single upgrades are also available.

If you are travelling from Ashford International away from London (for example to Canterbury West, Ramsgate, Margate or Dover Priory) or from Ebbsfleet International to the Medway towns you do not need a highspeed ticket, as the line your train travels on is not the high speed line.
 
Last edited:

maniacmartin

Established Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
15 May 2012
Messages
5,394
Location
Croydon
4.6 Sleeper Supplements

Sleeper accommodation is only available on selected routes from London (to/from Cornwall and over 40 Scottish destinations). You can travel on these trains in seated accommodation without any supplement.

Sleeper supplements to normal tickets and inclusive Sleeper tickets ("Dedicated Tickets") can be bought at most station booking offices or from the websites or telesales of the respective operators. See Section 9 for more information. Each operator has different rules and ticketing:

First Great Western Night Riviera Sleeper

The Night Riviera runs between London Paddington and Cornwall via Reading. All seated and sleeping accommodation is designated as Standard Class. You can get a Solo cabin (which includes the Volo in-train entertainment system) or a Twin cabin. There are some lockable doors between adjacent berths, so if travelling as a larger group, booking office staff can view a plan of the berth layout in The Manual, and allocate reservations in berths with an interconnecting door.

You are no longer able to make a booking that results with you sharing a berth with a stranger. A lounge car is available for the exclusive use of customers travelling in Sleeping accommodation. Sleeper ticket holders can also use the first class lounge and Network Rail shower facilities free of charge at Paddington.

Sleeper advance tickets are non-refundable, but may be excessed or changed to any service, including day trains , provided the journey is the same as that on the original ticket. A £10 administration fee applies, and an excess fare will apply if the new ticket if more expensive than the ticket held. Two advance singles cannot be excessed into single return ticket. Sleeper advance tickets cannot be changed (but may be excessed) after departure of the booked train.

First Scotrail

ScotRail’s Caledonian Sleeper provides overnight services between London Euston and North West England to over 40 locations in Scotland. Single Berths are classed as First Class, and Twin Berths as standard class. The only difference between First and Standard class berths is that First class berths have the upper bed folded away; whereas Standard class berths have both beds folded out with bedding. It is not possible to get a First class berth supplement on a Standard class ticket - the ticket must first be excessed to First class.

Wheelchair-accessible berths are available, but must be booked booked 48 hours in advance (7 days for the Fort William service). A second bed is available in the accessible berths for a companion, with a 10% discount on Standard berth inclusive fares. All passengers with berths may access the lounge car.

Only First class Sleeper ticket-holders may use:

  • The room service facility, and get a free breakfast and toiletries
  • The lounge car (Standard class ticketholders also allowed, but access may be restricted to First class ticketholders at busy times)
  • First Class lounges at London Euston and Aberdeen
  • Shower facilities (also available to standard-class ticketholders for a charge):
    • Free of charge at Aberdeen, Fort William and London Euston
    • Chargeable at Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central and Inverness

Standard class ticket-holders may request a complimentary toothbrush kit. Breakfast is available for a supplement and can be ordered on boarding. If travelling alone, you may have to share a cabin with someone of the same sex, unless you pay for single occupancy of the berth with a Solo supplement instead of the usual Standard Class supplement.

Seated sleeper is available on all journeys except those originating or terminating at Watford. Passengers travelling to/from Fort William and intermediate stations on the West Highland Line are required to change seating coaches at Edinburgh.

Children aged 15 and under do not have to pay a Sleeper fare supplement if they are sharing a berth with a Supplement-paying passenger. (Thus two children aged 15 and under would only be charged a single supplement. Single Berth cabins have a maximum capacity of 1 adult and 1 child or 2 children (where child means up to 15 years old). Twin Berth cabins have a maximum capacity of 1 adult and 3 children, 2 adults and 2 children or 4 children (where child means up to 15 years old).

Reservations are required for all Sleeper accommodation, and are available from 12 weeks in advance to 2-3 hours before departure from the origin station. Groups of 10 or more travelling together in Sleeper accommodation can receive a discount of up to 30%, and can book provisionally ahead of the 12 week window.

Refunds are available non-Advance tickets, subject to an admin fee, up to the close of reservations on the day of travel (around 16:00) on the day of booking for Sleeper Singles and Berth supplements. Sleeper Std Singles which are refunded on the day of travel will only be refunded at 50% of their value, before the admin fee is applied.

Where there is not time to arrange for the ticket to be posted to the customer prior to travel, for bookings made by ScotRail telesales only, the tickets of passengers travelling from an unstaffed station will be available for collection from the chief host when boarding the train, upon presentation of the debit/credit card used when making the booking.
 
Last edited:

maniacmartin

Established Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
15 May 2012
Messages
5,394
Location
Croydon
4.7 Accompanied Animals & Articles

Conditions 23 and 24 of the NRCoT detail the limit to the amount of animals luggage you may travel with, although this may not be enforced on less busy services.

4.7.1 Animals

You are allowed up to 2 accompanying domestic animals. Dogs must be kept on a leash and all other animals must be in a carry-cage at all times. Additional animals are charged up to £5 single or £10 return. An animal may be conveyed in a train’s luggage van, if one is available. Dogs and any baskets or pet carriers must be clearly labelled with the customer’s name, address and destination station.

Animals which cause a nuisance to other passengers may be refused entry to or removed from trains or stations by railway staff, including when changing trains at interchange stations

On First Great Western Night Riviera sleeper services, only assistance dogs may travel in Sleeping cabins; other pets must be conveyed in the guard’s accommodation in a suitable pet carrier.

On Caledonian Sleeper services, pets are only permitted in berths when the owner has exclusive use of the cabin. There is an £80 cleaning charge levied (except for guide/hearing dogs), and the animals must be booked at least by 4pm 2 days prior to travel, and you will be issued with a letter of authorisation. If pets are added to an original booking, a £10 administration fee may apply. Pets are not permitted in the seated coach on this service.

4.7.2 Luggage

In addition to the luggage allowed under the NRCoT, you may take additional items for a fee of no more than £5 single or £10 return per item.

Below are amended extracts from The Manual:

  • Passenger accommodation in this context means the parts of trains with seats or sleeper berths including luggage stowage areas
    above, beneath and behind seats and adjacent to doorways.
  • A luggage van, in this context, means the part of some trains provided specially to convey parcels, packages, cycles and larger
    items of Luggage.

In passenger accommodation:
  • each additional item in excess of your free allowance (as defined in the NRCoC)
  • any item with dimensions exceeding 90 x 70 x 30 cm and but no more than 100 x 100 x 100 cm and weighing no more than 50kg.

In the luggage van (if the train has one):

  • Items of Luggage or Articles with maximum dimensions of 150 x 150 x 100 cm, weighing no more than 75 kg
  • Skis, ski-boards and golf equipment
  • Surfboards - only on First Great Western services on flows to Newquay, St. Ives, Penzance and Barnstaple, with ticket type SFB (£5), if space is available and subject to time restrictions.

Luggage and Articles conveyed in a luggage van must be clearly labelled with the passenger's name, address and destination station.

Items not carried

  • Items of Luggage or Articles with dimensions exceeding 150 x 150 x 100 cm or with a weight exceeding 75kg
  • Surfboards
  • Canoes and Sailboards
  • Motorcycles, mopeds & motor scooters
  • Dangerous goods – inflammable liquids, explosives, guns
  • Furniture

Other reasons luggage may be refused
A Train Company may refuse to accept Luggage or Articles in passenger accommodation if any of the following apply, either at the start of a journey or when changing trains:
  • the item would obstruct doorways, gangways or corridors
  • it may cause injury, inconvenience or a nuisance or it may cause damage to property
  • there is not enough room for it
  • the loading or unloading may cause delay to trains
  • it is not carried or packaged in a suitable manner.
  • in the opinion of the Train Company’s staff, the item is only suitable to be conveyed in a luggage van.

4.7.3 Lost Property
Lost property must be handed in to rail staff or the BTP if found, who will issue a receipt. The station or train operator will then attempt to contact the owner, who may collect the property from the appropriate Lost Property Office or pay the cost of the property being sent by normal Post Office services.

Operators can levy a charge for retrieval of lost property, as well as a storage charge per 24-hour period. Retrieval fees are caps at different rates depending on the item. Maximum charges vary from £2 for umbrellas, gloves etc to £20 for laptops and video cameras. Total charges, including storage, must not exceed £5 for umbrellas, gloves etc though to £25 for laptops etc. If any item of lot property is or contains cash, 10% of the amount found, capped at £10 charged by the operator as an administration fee.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

maniacmartin

Established Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
15 May 2012
Messages
5,394
Location
Croydon
4.8 Cycles

You can travel with a bicycle on most services. Notable exceptions include most trains into central London at peak time, in common with many non-National Rail services, such as deep level tube lines and the DLR. Depending on the rolling stock, bicycles may need to go in a specific section of the carriage or in the luggage van. Look out for a bicycle symbol by some train doors, or ask staff where to board.

Cycle reservations are available on some services, either optional or mandatory. Cross Country trains require mandatory reservations that cannot be booked on the day of travel. There are a limited number of bicycles that can be conveyed on each service, so it best to obtain a cycle reservation as soon as possible, either when buying a ticket or later from a ticket office. Tandems, tricycles and bicycle trailers are not carried unless otherwise stated by the operator. You can find full details on the appropriate train operating company's website.

Folding cycles can be taken as normal luggage if they fit within the size requirements, however on c2c and Stansted Express they should be transported in a protective carrying case, and on London Overground there is a limit of one per vestibule area at peak times.
 
Last edited:

Top