ALR question

[anti-pacer]

On the last day of a 7 day rover would an ALR be valid on a Sleeper service, which in effect would take you into the 8th day?

 

[Hadders]

Sadly no longer valid on the Caledonian Sleepers since the useless Serco introduced their own rules on ALRs riding roughshod over many many years of what had gone before.

I believe it's still valid on the Night Riviera.

 

[anti-pacer]

Sadly no longer valid on the Caledonian Sleepers since the useless Serco introduced their own rules on ALRs riding roughshod over many many years of what had gone before.

I believe it's still valid on the Night Riviera.

When did this end? According to National Rail website they still are.

 

[Hadders]

When did this end? According to National Rail website they still are.

It's on their website:

https://www.sleeper.scot/ticket-type/berth-supplements

You may only purchase Berth Supplements if you hold:

- Open/Off-Peak/Super Off-Peak tickets for the entire journey being made
- All Line Rover tickets valid for the date of arrival in destination
- BritRail passes valid for the date of arrival in destination. Wales/England and England only BritRail passes are only valid between Carlisle and London
- InterRail Passes valid for travel in Great Britain and for date of arrival in destination

This is just typical of the useless Serco, on whose watch we've also seen:

- Appalling reliability
- Removal of Advance fares in seated accommodation between Fort William and Glasgow/Edinburgh
- Massive increase in berth supplement fees
- Removal of solo occupation of standard class berth supplements

 

[Kite159]

It's on their website:

https://www.sleeper.scot/ticket-type/berth-supplements



This is just typical of the useless Serco, on whose watch we've also seen:

- Appalling reliability
- Removal of Advance fares in seated accommodation between Fort William and Glasgow/Edinburgh
- Massive increase in berth supplement fees
- Removal of solo occupation of standard class berth supplements

You forgot removal of the "Bargain Berths" where you could get a shared berth for £29 if you were lucky

 

[anti-pacer]

It's on their website:

https://www.sleeper.scot/ticket-type/berth-supplements



This is just typical of the useless Serco, on whose watch we've also seen:

- Appalling reliability
- Removal of Advance fares in seated accommodation between Fort William and Glasgow/Edinburgh
- Massive increase in berth supplement fees
- Removal of solo occupation of standard class berth supplements

Oh so you can still use an ALR on them, it just has to be valid on arrival the next day?

 

[Hadders]

Oh so you can still use an ALR on them, it just has to be valid on arrival the next day?

That's right. Previously you could catch a sleeper at 2350 (for example) on the last day of validity. Technically the ALR expires at 0429 on the morning following its last day of validity.

It is worth pointing out that you can normally board the sleeper at Watford at 0010 and Reading at around 0030 which can be useful on the first day of validity as a positioning move to obtain maximum value.

 

[anti-pacer]

That's right. Previously you could catch a sleeper at 2350 (for example) on the last day of validity. Technically the ALR expires at 0429 on the morning following its last day of validity.

It is worth pointing out that you can normally board the sleeper at Watford at 0010 and Reading at around 0030 which can be useful on the first day of validity as a positioning move to obtain maximum value.

That's worth noting. Thank you.

 

[AlterEgo]

Doesn't that change simply mean that the "extra day" has now moved to the start of the ALR's validity? As you can use an ALR dated Wednesday on Tuesday's sleeper as it'll be valid when you arrive on Wednesday. I wasn't aware you could do that before.

 

[Hadders]

Doesn't that change simply mean that the "extra day" has now moved to the start of the ALR's validity? As you can use an ALR dated Wednesday on Tuesday's sleeper as it'll be valid when you arrive on Wednesday. I wasn't aware you could do that before.

No! There's been a reduction of validity on the Caledonian Sleeper.

Let's say I had an ALR starting on Wednesday 4th January. The last day of validity would be Tuesday 10th. I want to travel on the sleeper from Euston to Glasgow, arriving Glasgow at 0720 on Wednesday 4th January

The Lowland Sleeper departs Euston at 2350 on Tuesday 3rd (the ALR wouldn't be valid).

But the sleeper calls at Watford Junction at 0010 on Wednesday 4th, so I could board the train there and the ALR would be valid. I would have to pay separately to get from Euston to Watford (in theory a NRCoT condition 14 split is valid and the sleeper could be used throughout but while totally valid I wouldn't want to risk getting into a dispute and being denied travel). Note that this doesn't work on Sunday nights lowland sleeper from Euston as it calls at Watford before midnight.

Before the validity rules changed you could catch the sleeper on the final night of validity. In this example you could leave Euston at 2350 on Tuesday 10th January and arrive Glasgow at 0720 on Wednesday 11th. Technically the ALR expired at 0429 while en-route but you were always allowed to finish your journey. This is what Caledonian Sleeper have stopped you doing o there has been a reduction in validity.