Combining Advance Tickets and Staff Travel - A question....

[cookiescrumble]

On the 11th May I will be travelling up to York for a weekend away. I booked the tickets to York as part of East Coasts £25 first class offer and the ticket type is 'EC FLATFARE 1st', as I understand these tickets have the same restrictions/T&C's as an Advance ticket. The tickets are for London Terminals to York.

To make the connection I need to travel up to London from Fratton with SWT on my staff pass, and will be using an oyster card to get across London on the tube. What I would like to know is, where do I stand if the train is delayed on my journey up to London and I miss the connection at Kings Cross? I won't have a ticket as such for this part of the journey, so would I be allowed to take the next service or would this be at the discretion of EC?

The journey I will be making is (I've even included a screenshot) :

I have spent the morning looking through the T&C's etc and can't find an answer to the question (i might have just missed something ). I made sure that I left myself plenty of time to get through Londo.

 

[AlterEgo]

Good question.

Someone posted recently a clarification from ATOC which detailed that staff travelling on concessions, passes or Priv tickets should not given less extensive rights than 'ordinary' passengers. I am not entirely sure of the specifics (and believe the original question was about being denied a taxi/hotel etc) - could somebody provide details?

I've tried the search to no avail.

Frankly if you were refused travel on this basis, I'd be appalled.

 

[clagmonster]

See
"Q22. Can a passenger travel on any other service than the one on which they are reserved, without changing the booking?

A. the following principles apply.

...

2) Once the journey has begun. If the passenger is delayed and the train company or it's partners [are] at fault, which should be check by [staff] control office, change to a train of the same company is allowed to get them to their destination with the least delay. This is irrespective of the combination of rail tickets held. Examples are:

Included: are passsengers on valid:

...

Combination of rail only tickets.

e.g. Rail season ticket Skipton-Leeds and Advance Leeds-Peterborough, or adjoining advance fares;

Combination of rail and partner tickets.

...

e.g. Advance ticket Bristol-Paddington plus tube single ticket, plus advance ticket Kings Cross to Hull;

...

Not included for the avoidance of doubt, are:

...

Tickets that cannot be read on-train e.g. smartcards (allowable where electronically checked, verified and advance ticket endorsed in travel centres).

Please note that there is no change to :

a) Any other rules e.g. trains stopping where tickets join together (NRCoC 19), nor;

b) The need to verify that a train has been delayed on route and ticket endorsed, nor;

c) Any other passenger entitlements as defined by the NRCoC or CIV conditions, nor;

d) General ATOC disruption guidance

e) [Staff] discretion in extreme circumstances."
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=48377

So I would say you should be fine. Is your SWT pass paper?

In the event of a delay, I would get the ticket endorsed at the earliest opportunity (without causing another train at Kings Cross to be missed), this is not strictly necessary but would make life easier for you and the East Coast guard later.

 

[calc7]

Also worth remembering that you're not duty bound to take the tube between terminal stations in London, so the argument that "an Oyster single fare does not count as part of the through journey", ie. that it does not join up the tickets, holds no water.

You are perfectly entitled to run/walk/jog/skateboard/take a taxi/bus/boat/etc between London terminals.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

The main issue with using only the Advance fares FAQs is that they don't really take account of staff passes, however I believe they should.

By all accounts East Coast are okay with genuine problems (and as you're staff, wink, wink), however my current view of 'customer service' is not what it was this morning.

 

[Flamingo]

Print out the journey itinerary before leaving home (or at the station before boarding as "proof" of leaving there at a certain time), and if delayed, get it endorsed at information desk before travelling.

It'll prove you are telling the truth, which TBH is all that 95% of staff want when confronted with a story about delays.

 

[cookiescrumble]

Thanks for the responses.

If there is a delay on my way to London, I'll ask the guard to do a print out of the journey from his Avantix and ask him to endorse it on the back as proof of making that journey with the required connection times.

I just wanted to see what people opinions would be as I couldn't find a steadfast answer anywhere.

 

[jscho84233]

On a similar subject, but not involving staff travel:

If I were to buy an advance from Banbury to Marylebone (Chiltern), and another from Euston to Manchester (VT), would this be classed as a valid journey, and be covered if I miss the connection because of delay? I could go directly from Banbury to Manchester (XC), but is much more expensive. How would I get an itinery for this journey? Thanks!

 

[yorkie]

On a similar subject, but not involving staff travel:

If I were to buy an advance from Banbury to Marylebone (Chiltern), and another from Euston to Manchester (VT), would this be classed as a valid journey

Yes, as described in Advance Fares FAQs, providing sufficient interchange time was allowed, you may use a Banbury to London Terminals plus a London Terminals to Manchester Stns for one journey.

I'd also get a printout from National Rail Enquiries (as the OP did) showing the itinerary, though of course this is not necessary.

and be covered if I miss the connection because of delay?

Yes

I could go directly from Banbury to Manchester (XC), but is much more expensive. How would I get an itinery for this journey? Thanks!

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Example date/times chosen at random: http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/BAN/MAN/050412/1315/dep?via=London_Marylebone

 

[jscho84233]

Thank you very much for the advice, Yorkie, much appreciated.