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Folkestone - Birmingham

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Southern

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Hi all!

I'm going to Birmingham tomorrow and am looking for some ticket advice. The cheapest ticket I've been able to find is this:

Super Off Peak Return valid via: High Wycombe (£36.30 with YP Railcard)

The booking engine doesn't show any morning peak restrictions for this ticket, is this right? I just want to check as I'd like to be on the WSMR loco hauled diagram out of Marylebone at 0837, requiring me to travel up on the 0653 from Folkestone - St Pancras. That's another thing, is this ticket valid for HS1? I'm always wary about travelling that line from past experiences. If I am unable to use this ticket on the 0653, I am able to travel later and was wondering if it is possible to excess it for use with Virgin from Euston. This would only be for the outward leg as I'm aiming to make the 1555 back from Moor Street anyway.

Many Thanks
Marc
 
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island

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You can excess it to †ANY PERMITTED SVR to travel on Virgin Trains, costing £12.30 one-way, but that does have morning restrictions (barred from EUS between 0430 and 0926 and 1501 and 1844). No restriction on the bit up from Folkestone by virtue of the fact that tickets from somewhere in the so-called Network Southeast area via London to somewhere outside the NSE area are unrestricted on the bit between London and somewhere in the NSE area.
 

Southern

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Thanks for the help! :) On a side note, I've only used the High Wycombe route once so was wondering if anyone knew how busy both the 0837 and 1555 usually are?
 

calc7

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Thanks for the help! :) On a side note, I've only used the High Wycombe route once so was wondering if anyone knew how busy both the 0837 and 1555 usually are?

I've used the 0837 a couple of times. Lovely stock and easy to get a table of 4 to yourself, even in the coaches nearest the gates. £5 singles often sold upto a day or two before so should never been ridiculously busy.

The 1555 I have no experience of.
 

LexyBoy

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Am I missing something or is this ticket ridiculously good value? If it's really unrestricted timewise then it's considerably cheaper than the London-Birmingham Anytime fare...
 

OwlMan

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Am I missing something or is this ticket ridiculously good value? If it's really unrestricted timewise then it's considerably cheaper than the London-Birmingham Anytime fare...
There are evening restrictions from London on the outward journey and morning restrictions to London on the return
 

calc7

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There are evening restrictions from London on the outward journey and morning restrictions to London on the return

Basically inherits the restrictions of the rte High Wycombe SSR from London to Brum.

But I do agree with LexyBoy that it is ridiculously good value - very affordable to, say, a student from from Kent who had to go to a uni interview early one day in Birmingham.
 

paul1609

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Validity code PU: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/OPR_PU.pdf

No HS1 restrictions (only one is via High Wycombe) and no morning peak restrictions.

Get a print out of the itinerary to avoid HS1-related issues.

Ive used a Ashford international to Birmingham super off peak return 3 times now in the morning peak.
Never been queried, In my experience HS1 on board staff are very knowledgeable about restrictions despite what you might believe from reading this forum.
Like most non HS1 tickets though dont expect the ticket to work the ticket barriers at St Pancras, it'll be "seek assistance"



 

dvboy

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Always had to seek assistance at St Pancras but it is often the case at Victoria or London Bridge also.
 

MarkyMarkD

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There are evening restrictions from London on the outward journey and morning restrictions to London on the return
Yes, which effectively means no restrictions if you are travelling from Kent to Birmingham.

I used one of these (via High Wycombe) to Stratford-upon-Avon recently - beyond the understanding of my local station's barrier staff but fine on HS1. Not such nice rolling stock for that route, though.

Amazing value for Birmingham. I might be going there in mid-April and it would be good to try this route.
 

Southern

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Just want to say thanks for the help everyone, had a good day...in the end. Missed the 0837 as guard refused to sell me the ticket, claiming "not valid on HS1." Had to get off at Ashford, go all the way to the ticket office to be told it was, helpful guy on the desk told me to tell the guard of the next train that if he had a problem to call Ashford ticket office. On to the next train and the guard didn't perform a check, if he had there probably wouldn't have have been a problem, just like the barrier staff at St Pancras who waved me through and the guard on the train home this evening. Bar that, enjoyed my day and had 67xxx in DB Schenker Red on the 1555 back from Birmingham.
 

Cherry_Picker

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The 15:55 BMO - MYB fills up a bit by the time it reaches Banbury/Bicester, but if you are getting on in Birmingham then you should have no problem whatsoever getting a seat/table. It arrives at Moor Street at about 15:20 (inward stock is the 13:37 MYB-BMO) and can usually be boarded immediately.

See this is a moot point as you already travelled! :lol:
 
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yorkie

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Just want to say thanks for the help everyone, had a good day...in the end. Missed the 0837 as guard refused to sell me the ticket, claiming "not valid on HS1."
So there's still some badly trained guards there. Where do they think High Wycombe is; somewhere on the 'classic' line between Ashford and London? If they are not sure they should check. Unacceptable.
 

Southern

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The 15:55 BMO - MYB fills up a bit by the time it reaches Banbury/Bicester, but if you are getting on in Birmingham then you should have no problem whatsoever getting a seat/table. It arrives at Moor Street at about 15:20 (inward stock is the 13:37 MYB-BMO) and can usually be boarded immediately.

See this is a moot point as you already travelled! :lol:

Thanks anyway :) It had a reasonably good load yesterday, managed to secure a table to myself up to High Wycombe.
 

paul1609

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So there's still some badly trained guards there. Where do they think High Wycombe is; somewhere on the 'classic' line between Ashford and London? If they are not sure they should check. Unacceptable.

To be honest Im a bit confused as to why the OP would be trying to buy the ticket from the train manager. The ticket office at Folkestone opens at 6 am if he was on one of the HS1 trains before this there would be ample time to get off at Ashford buy the ticket, catch the next HS service to St Pancras and make the 08.37 from marylebone



 

Southern

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To be honest Im a bit confused as to why the OP would be trying to buy the ticket from the train manager. The ticket office at Folkestone opens at 6 am if he was on one of the HS1 trains before this there would be ample time to get off at Ashford buy the ticket, catch the next HS service to St Pancras and make the 08.37 from marylebone

Should have explained, was in a bit of rush and couldn't find the ticket on the machine. I had toyed with the idea of buying my ticket the night before but decided not to just in case my plans changed and I couldn't go.

It's also a little easier said than done to battle your way from the rear six of a twelve coach train, up to the barriers/down the escalators at St Pancras onto the Circle/Met/H&C to Baker Street, before changing to the Bakerloo at Marylebone, in 18 minutes. Come to think of it, I may have made it by walking/running, did do Euston Square - St Pancras P12 in 10 minutes on my way home. Whether I could do Marylebone - Euston Square in 7 minutes by walking, I don't know.
 

paul1609

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You need to allow about 30 mins to go from St Pancras to Marylebone. To be honest you must have walked past an open ticket office, you were lucky not to be penalty fared.
I'm not surprised the train manager refused to sell you a super off peak return.
 

Cherry_Picker

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Whether I could do Marylebone - Euston Square in 7 minutes by walking, I don't know.

You probably wouldn't be able to do it in seven minutes if you ran all the way and were as fit as an Olympic athlete! It is well over a mile from one place to the other, and with all of the other people in the way and half a dozen busy roads to cross I'd say it would be almost impossible, especially in the morning rush hour.
 

calc7

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With a bit of luck and some agility, I think HS1 platforms @ STP to MYB is doable in 18 mins. It's only three stops on the tube (roughly 6 mins) and about 4 minutes of jogging at each end.
 

MarkyMarkD

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Should have explained, was in a bit of rush and couldn't find the ticket on the machine. I had toyed with the idea of buying my ticket the night before but decided not to just in case my plans changed and I couldn't go.
So, buy the ticket on the Southern website because they will refund you if you don't collect the ticket.

Southern Railway said:
This offer is valid for tickets booked on southernrailway.com for any journey and for travel on any train operator, for the following ticket types:
Anytime
Anytime Day
Off-Peak
Off-Peak Day
Super Off-Peak Day
Southern Advance (Advance tickets for travel on Southern trains only)
 

island

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Should have explained, was in a bit of rush and couldn't find the ticket on the machine. I had toyed with the idea of buying my ticket the night before but decided not to just in case my plans changed and I couldn't go.

Then the guard was right, but for the wrong reason. For choosing not to use ticket facilities at the departure station, you should have been charged an undiscounted Anytime ticket from Folkestone Stns to the destination of your choice at or after the train's next stop, where you could disembark and buy the right ticket.
 

Southern

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You need to allow about 30 mins to go from St Pancras to Marylebone. To be honest you must have walked past an open ticket office, you were lucky not to be penalty fared.
I'm not surprised the train manager refused to sell you a super off peak return.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if the ticket office was open. I always buy my ticket from the machine as it's quicker and I don't have to put up with the miserable staff that work there.

So, buy the ticket on the Southern website because they will refund you if you don't collect the ticket.

I don't know if you have missed one out but the list you gave does not mention the Super Off Peak Return that I needed.

Then the guard was right, but for the wrong reason. For choosing not to use ticket facilities at the departure station, you should have been charged an undiscounted Anytime ticket from Folkestone Stns to the destination of your choice at or after the train's next stop, where you could disembark and buy the right ticket.

And I wonder what the ticket office would have said? Perhaps they were not aware of the validity of the ticket on HS1, given how poorly Southeastern staff seem to be trained.

You need to allow about 30 mins to go from St Pancras to Marylebone. To be honest you must have walked past an open ticket office, you were lucky not to be penalty fared.
I'm not surprised the train manager refused to sell you a super off peak return.

He didn't refuse to sell me the ticket, his machine would not physically let him sell it. He found it on his machine and was getting ready to sell it to me, then told me it would not let him.
 
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island

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He didn't refuse to sell me the ticket, his machine would not physically let him sell it. He found it on his machine and was getting ready to sell it to me, then told me it would not let him.

That's very odd.
 

paul1609

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To be honest the fact that the ticket office staff are miserable is not really a valid excuse for not buying a ticket before travelling where thats needed.
I bought a Appledore Kent (unmanned) to Birmingham Stations rte High Wycombe super off peak off the guard on the first marsh link service 2 months ago with no problem after he not surprisingly checked it was valid for my intended route . (he also did me a Birmingham Stns to Aberwyswth Cheap day return at 6am)
As marsh link is operated by Southern my experience of Southeastern staff is limited to Ashford and onboard HS1 but I find the staff knowledgeable and helpful, despite often needing unusual tickets.
 

Southern

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The ticket I had is what used to be referred to as an "Open Return", valid to come back within a month. Cheapest walk - up fare there is, unless there are any splits to be had for that journey.
 
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