Can I take an earlier connecting service on an advance e-ticket?

[miklcct]

I have bought an e-ticket departing on a Saturday from Bournemouth - Bracknell transferring at Reading, on route XC & Connections. The XC train departs at 07:47 and arrives Reading at 09:06.

If I have chosen a paper ticket, as the connection is unreservable, I will only get a reservation on the XC train printed on the ticket leaving me free to take the 09:12 train to Bracknell. However, this is an illegal connection which can't be produced on an itinerary planner. Now my e-ticket comes with an itinerary with the 09:42 connecting train printed on it. Am I entitled to disregard it and take the 09:12 connecting service?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I can't see anyone saying anything if it isn't the reserved train. If you want to be really safe, ask the guard before you board.

 

[ashkeba]

I believe so, but you cannot claim delay repay due to missing or being delayed on the invalid (not illegal) connecting train.

 

[Snow1964]

This is one of the ways the railway like to confuse the public, an itinerary is a plan of the journey, a reservation is a booking on a specific train.

As far as I am aware, an unbookable train is a suggestion, not compulsory. The reservation forms part of the ticket contract, an itinerary doesn’t.

If you don’t have a reservation on a shortish connection then most people will just take first train, it’s not like the barrier staff will make you wait half an hour to exit station, so as not to complete journey before itinerary suggested.

In practice if previous connection is running late (or you know route to quickly get between platforms) then you might catch it, the booking system will apply the minimum connection time for the station (which is a set time, regardless of which combination of platforms)

 

[AlterEgo]

I believe so, but you cannot claim delay repay due to missing or being delayed on the invalid (not illegal) connecting train.

Disagree. Taking an earlier, but appropriate train is perfectly valid and the only trains you MUST travel on are those with a reservation.

There is nothing illegal, or invalid, about taking the 0912 instead of the 0942, and in fact is sensible practice for which the OP can't be penalised.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Disagree. Taking an earlier, but appropriate train is perfectly valid and the only trains you MUST travel on are those with a reservation.

There is nothing illegal, or invalid, about taking the 0912 instead of the 0942, and in fact is sensible practice for which the OP can't be penalised.

You cannot claim Delay Repay for a delay caused on an itinerary that doesn't follow minimum connection times nor for alternative transport if stranded as a result of taking such a train. That is true on any ticket, not just Advances.

 

[AlterEgo]

You cannot claim Delay Repay for a delay caused on an itinerary that doesn't follow minimum connection times

Ah yes, I misread that this was at the end of his journey and not the start - my bad!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah yes, I misread that this was at the end of his journey and not the start - my bad!

It is at the end - but the DR thing is still true. It can be frustrating when crossing London given the very long connection times allowed there. I don't think I've ever managed a DR claim across London for that reason!

A claim would probably be paid if the earlier train you took was delayed such that it would be at least 15 minutes later than the one you should have taken, but I think that would be at TOC discretion.

 

[AlterEgo]

It is at the end - but the DR thing is still true. It can be frustrating when crossing London given the very long connection times allowed there. I don't think I've ever managed a DR claim across London for that reason!

A claim would probably be paid if the earlier train you took was delayed such that it would be at least 15 minutes later than the one you should have taken, but I think that would be at TOC discretion.

Yes that’s what I meant. We are in agreement

 

[robbeech]

The reservation forms part of the ticket contract, an itinerary doesn’t.

Careful here, whilst what you say is fine in this context, generally speaking if you have an itinerary obtained at the same time as the transaction for you ticket or tickets then this does form part of the contract and you must be allowed to follow it. This can be particularly useful and important when you are wanting to travel on an unusual but perfectly valid route between stations which may otherwise cause hassle from staff.

 

[317 forever]

In 2018 I was sufficiently worried about missing my Virgin train at Euston on a Twyford - Stockport via London Advance single that I boarded the train 1/2 hour early at Twyford.

What was bizarre was that they changed the timetable after selling me my Advance ticket. Admittedly it was the Saturday over Easter so there must have been a late change due to engineering.

 

[yorkie]

I have bought an e-ticket departing on a Saturday from Bournemouth - Bracknell transferring at Reading, on route XC & Connections. The XC train departs at 07:47 and arrives Reading at 09:06.

If I have chosen a paper ticket, as the connection is unreservable, I will only get a reservation on the XC train printed on the ticket leaving me free to take the 09:12 train to Bracknell. However, this is an illegal connection which can't be produced on an itinerary planner. Now my e-ticket comes with an itinerary with the 09:42 connecting train printed on it. Am I entitled to disregard it and take the 09:12 connecting service?

If it's unreserveable then yes but in future you may want to get the exact itinerary you want; there are websites that let you specify additional interchange time (and even where to change trains) if that would be useful.

A caveat is that you should only get an earlier train if that train is also unreserveable.

When the e-ticket is scanned, it won't come up with unreserved legs to the person looking at the scan. They will only see the unreserved legs if they look at the e-ticket.

In 2018 I was sufficiently worried about missing my Virgin train at Euston on a Twyford - Stockport via London Advance single that I boarded the train 1/2 hour early at Twyford.

What was bizarre was that they changed the timetable after selling me my Advance ticket. Admittedly it was the Saturday over Easter so there must have been a late change due to engineering.

Yes timetable changes can occur after purchase and in this case you can take an earlier or later train, and if you end up arriving sufficiently late you can claim Delay Repay based on the original contracted arrival time.