Advance ticket but only part of journey nominated

[ian1944]

I have an advance single Manchester to Edinburgh with the only nominated train/reservation being on a Virgin train from Preston. Can I use any train from Manchester to Preston? The most convenient will be a TPE which happens to go to Edinburgh, OK if I change in Preston onto the designated one?

 

[yorkie]

You may take any "appropriate" connecting service.

The view of the rail industry is that this should be an unreservable service.

I would recommend sticking to the suggested service. Is there a particular reason why you would prefer to take another train?

Next time you book, you may want to consider using a booking site that lets you specify additional options, so you can generate the exact itinerary you prefer; there are sites that will do this, if this is of interest.

 

[ian1944]

The Northern service shown at the time of booking gets to Preston only 16 minutes before the Virgin departure, on largely a different route so any delay would be unlikely to hold up the onward train. I'd like more time, so will take an earlier unreservable Northern service.

 

[A Challenge]

The Northern service shown at the time of booking gets to Preston only 16 minutes before the Virgin departure, on largely a different route so any delay would be unlikely to hold up the onward train. I'd like more time, so will take an earlier unreservable Northern service.

If you miss the train at Preston, then assuming you are on your booked first service then they have to get you to your destination, meaning you will be allowed on the next service despite being 'booked train only'

 

[yorkie]

The Northern service shown at the time of booking gets to Preston only 16 minutes before the Virgin departure, on largely a different route so any delay would be unlikely to hold up the onward train. I'd like more time, so will take an earlier unreservable Northern service.

If arriving at your final destination is crucial to you (ie. you would rather depart earlier than the contracted time than be delayed and claim Delay Repay compensation) then my advice in future is to use a site that allows you to specify additional interchange time (e.g. Trainsplit does this, or a booking office or telesales should also be able to do it if you prefer not to book online) and obtain an itinerary that suits you.

But yes on this occasion, as you have no booked reserved train as far as Preston, you are allowed to take an earlier unreservable service.

 

[ian1944]

I'll be getting to Edinburgh quite late enough on schedule, so the likelihood of being on a later train from Preston is to be lessened. I'll look more carefully at connection times in future.

 

[route101]

You get this on LNER advances from Glasgow Queen St , i always go for earlier , some connections are very short at Edinburgh .