Confused about route restrictions on advance ticket

[ptork66]

I wish I had found this forum before I bought tickets!

I've bought advance single tickets from Bishop's Stortford to Bingley. The journey planner says to change at Tottenham Hale, take the underground to King's Cross, then catch the train to Leeds from there.

The restrictions on the webpage say, "Route: Only valid on booked London North Eastern Railway services and required connecting services." I haven't yet collected the tickets from the station, so I'm not what might be printed on that regarding the route.

I'm used to journey planners suggesting switching at Tottenham, but I've always ignored that and continued on to Liverpool Street and getting the underground from there (I normally have a London travelcard or 'any permitted route' ticket, never bought advance tickets before), so I didn't really think I might be stuck with changing at Tottenham Hale until after I'd bought them - nor did I realise I could set the search to "via Liverpool Street" to force it to show Liverpool Street options.

My main question is: Am I stuck with having to switch at Tottenham Hale, or would my ticket be valid to go to Liverpool Street and change there?

Thanks so much for your knowledge and help!

 

[Clip]

One question I would ask is why would you want to go to Liv street when its so much quicker via Tottenham Hale?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I wish I had found this forum before I bought tickets!

I've bought advance single tickets from Bishop's Stortford to Bingley. The journey planner says to change at Tottenham Hale, take the underground to King's Cross, then catch the train to Leeds from there.

The restrictions on the webpage say, "Route: Only valid on booked London North Eastern Railway services and required connecting services." I haven't yet collected the tickets from the station, so I'm not what might be printed on that regarding the route.

I'm used to journey planners suggesting switching at Tottenham, but I've always ignored that and continued on to Liverpool Street and getting the underground from there (I normally have a London travelcard or 'any permitted route' ticket, never bought advance tickets before), so I didn't really think I might be stuck with changing at Tottenham Hale until after I'd bought them - nor did I realise I could set the search to "via Liverpool Street" to force it to show Liverpool Street options.

My main question is: Am I stuck with having to switch at Tottenham Hale, or would my ticket be valid to go to Liverpool Street and change there?

Thanks so much for your knowledge and help!

Yes, your tickets are valid to continue on to Liverpool Street - you are permitted to use any "appropriate connecting service(s)" for unreserved portions of the journey (e.g. service(s) suggested by National Rail Enquiries when searching for a journey for the unreserved portion).

Personally though, changing at Tottenham Hale is likely easier and quicker, unless you for example have a medical condition that means you can't travel in Deep Level Tubes (e.g. the Victoria line), or if you have a lot of luggage.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Maybe the OP enjoys the scenery across the Tottenham Marshes? The short answer is that if a specific train from Bishops Stortford to Tottenham Hale is shown on your tickets, when they print, then you must travel that way. If not you are free to go via Liverpool Street but you must take a non-reservable train - and in general this will mean travelling half an hour earlier than your booked train, in order to ensure you still allow time for a valid connection at King's Cross, since the route via Liveprool Street is much slower (the trains originating from Stansted Airport are non-reservable but those originating from Cambridge are reservable).

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Maybe the OP enjoys the scenery across the Tottenham Marshes? The short answer is that if a specific train from Bishops Stortford to Tottenham Hale is shown on your tickets, when they print, then you must travel that way. If not you are free to go via Liverpool Street but you must take a non-reservable train - and in general this will mean travelling half an hour earlier than your booked train, in order to ensure you still allow time for a valid connection at King's Cross, since the route via Liveprool Street is much slower (the trains originating from Stansted Airport are non-reservable but those originating from Cambridge are reservable).

The alleged requirement to use non-reservable services only is something that isn't communicated to people anywhere, no matter the means they buy their ticket. It isn't even in the Advance ticket terms, or the route restriction, or the NRCoT. So I don't think there's any basis to say that you would have to avoid reservable services for unreserved legs of the journey. You should just make sure you are using "appropriate" connecting services. Said appropriateness could be demonstrated by an NRE itinerary, for instance.

 

[ptork66]

Thanks, everyone! I've printed my tickets, and it looks like I am stuck changing at Tottenham, as the reservation coupon has "to Tottenham Hale" printed on it. Oh well, now I know for next time!

To be honest, I like going to Liverpool Street just because it's a nicer station to wait at (at least it's not outside) if the trains go wrong, and, what I had been particularly looking forward to this time, it has a McDonald's.

 

[robbeech]

There’s 2 McGreyhounds as I call them next to King’s Cross so rest assured you can keep your cardboard intake up

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thanks, everyone! I've printed my tickets, and it looks like I am stuck changing at Tottenham, as the reservation coupon has "to Tottenham Hale" printed on it. Oh well, now I know for next time!

To be honest, I like going to Liverpool Street just because it's a nicer station to wait at (at least it's not outside) if the trains go wrong, and, what I had been particularly looking forward to this time, it has a McDonald's.

As previously stated, you are entitled to travel on any "appropriate connecting service". If an accredited journey planner suggests travelling via Liverpool Street when departing Tottenham Hale at the time you are scheduled to arrive there, then that is eminently appropriate. If it just so happens to be the train you were booked to arrive into Tottenham Hale on, that is purely a happy 'coincidence'!

The requirement to have a reservation for all reservable services taken is something that is applied to ticket retailers when selling tickets, but I have seen nothing that indicates it's in the terms and conditions that are referenced when buying tickets, and thus it can't be a term of the contract (or a restriction on the ticket).

There is nothing stopping them from changing this in future, but that is the way the system works at the moment.