First Class EC+CONNECTIONS ticket

[ACBest]

Hi all,

Just a quick and hopefully easy question - I've got a First Class advance purchase ticket from Lincoln to Peterborough for next week, which is an EC+CONNECTIONS one. I'm booked on something like the 0820 from Newark North Gate to Peterborough, however it's the connection I'm wondering about.

As you're not really tied to any connecting service, am I allowed to use the 0704 from Lincoln to Newark Castle (then walk to NNG) in order to take advantage of the first class section on that service? It's a connection and Newark Castle and North Gate are in a station group - indeed, walking between the two is shown on some journeys.

All help appreciated!

Many thanks,
Damon

 

[Oscar]

You're only allowed to use unreservable trains for your connecting if you don't have a reservation. Since the 0704 is reservable, you can't use it (in theory at least). I don't see why you couldn't travel at 0704 otherwise though - the train journey and walk make up a valid connection, given that it's a valid route, the train arrives at 0729 and the minimum connection time for the walk is 28 minutes and I don't expect the guard would mind.

 

[Romilly]

First, you need to note that there is industrial action on East Midlands trains from today through to Thursday.

This means that for Monday to Thursday this week, the only actual trains between Lincoln and Newark are the 0704 (East Midlands train to St Pancras via Nottingham), the 0720 (East Coast train to Kings X via Newark North Gate) and the 0726 (East Midlands train to Leicester). All other Lincoln-Newark services are by rail replacement bus.

Second, I think that Oscar meant to say that the 0704 is reservable (and therefore in theory you can't use it if you don't have a reservation for it).

Third, if I try to book a 1st Class Lincoln-Kings X Advance for the week after next (or tomorrow) and specify "via Newark Castle", the 0704 to Newark Castle plus the 0823 from Newark Northgate comes up as a valid journey option but I would get reservations on both trains. Are you sure that you didn't get a reservation for Lincoln-Newark Castle when you booked? If you did, you have to use the booked train. (If I don't specify "via Newark Castle", I can't get the journey planner to offer a journey that includes the 0823.)

 

[Oscar]

Second, I think that Oscar meant to say that the 0704 is reservable (and therefore in theory you can't use it if you don't have a reservation for it).

Yes, correction made.

 

[yorkie]

See our Fares Guide, 1.1.3 Advance tickets

You are allowed to take "appropriate" connecting trains, but the policy of the rail industry (which is not made clear in the T&Cs) is that you shouldn't take a reserveable train, though some Train Companies officially have exceptions, and in any case, common sense is nearly always applied.

 

[ACBest]

First, you need to note that there is industrial action on East Midlands trains from today through to Thursday.

This means that for Monday to Thursday this week, the only actual trains between Lincoln and Newark are the 0704 (East Midlands train to St Pancras via Nottingham), the 0720 (East Coast train to Kings X via Newark North Gate) and the 0726 (East Midlands train to Leicester). All other Lincoln-Newark services are by rail replacement bus.

Second, I think that Oscar meant to say that the 0704 is reservable (and therefore in theory you can't use it if you don't have a reservation for it).

Third, if I try to book a 1st Class Lincoln-Kings X Advance for the week after next (or tomorrow) and specify "via Newark Castle", the 0704 to Newark Castle plus the 0823 from Newark Northgate comes up as a valid journey option but I would get reservations on both trains. Are you sure that you didn't get a reservation for Lincoln-Newark Castle when you booked? If you did, you have to use the booked train. (If I don't specify "via Newark Castle", I can't get the journey planner to offer a journey that includes the 0823.)

No bother about the days, it's Saturday I'm off.
For your third point, I never specified via anywhere, it just stuck me on a LCN to NNG service at 0740ish.

As for your second point, and in reply to yorkie - does this mean that if I wander down to the station tomorrow and get a reservation for the 0704, I'll be covered? Cheers again.

 

[High Dyke]

No disrespect...but why catch the 07:04 EMT service to Newark Castle and then walk to Northgate? Surely the 07:46 service direct to Northgate, and then the 10 minute connection at Newark - where you just get off the train in P3 and move to P2 - is just as suitable. For a start you can have a later start from Lincoln.

1st class option between Lincoln & Newark Castle probably won't be of much benefit...apart from having a valid ticket to use 1st class. Depending on the Team Leader you may or may not get any free tea or coffee in such a short distance.

 

[Oscar]

As for your second point, and in reply to yorkie - does this mean that if I wander down to the station tomorrow and get a reservation for the 0704, I'll be covered? Cheers again.

No, for Advance tickets you have to obtain the reservation as part of your itinerary. The only way to obtain a reservation would be to amend the ticket by paying the difference in price and a £10 admin fee. You can get reservations free of charge for any valid itinerary for Off-Peak and Anytime tickets because they are not tickets valid only on a booked train (and connections).

 

[Romilly]

Apologies for not realising that you were travelling on a Saturday (when the train times are different).

If I look at next Saturday, then to connect into the 0822 Newark Northgate to Kings X train, I can at this point in time either pay £37.25 on the East Coast website for a 1st Class Lincoln-Kings X Advance with an unreserved journey on the 0746 Lincoln-Newark NG train, or £41.65 for a 1st Class Lincoln-Kings X Advance with a compulsory reservation on the 0704 Lincoln-Newark Castle train.

So it's either a case of changing your ticket (and paying the difference and the £10 admin fee) or asking on the day before you board the 0704 (and not banking on getting a Yes).

 

[bb21]

If it's a Saturday, it's hardly worth it. First Class will not have any catering iirc, so do you really want to walk to North Gate for the sake of a slightly bigger seat for 20 minutes?

 

[ACBest]

Thanks for all your replies folks - and to those questioning my sanity and reasoning behind it (I don't blame you for doing so either!) it was an idea mainly just for the hell of it to travel first class the whole way. As it is, I don't expect any extras on either journey because of the short journey lengths.

Thanks again, really helped!