• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Free Ticket from Northern - advice, please.

Status
Not open for further replies.

HowMuch?

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2009
Messages
159
I signed up with Northern to try for their free tickets. I'm not usually a sucker for these things but I reckoned I'd give it a go as it didn't cost anything, and Northern would be able to give away plenty of tickets.

Yesterday my ticket arrived! Woohoo! The freedom of Northern's luxury trains. Actually, although it IS easy to poke fun at the less-glamorous end of the industry, I like using Northern. The staff are nicer than most, for a start. Though it will be nice when the last of the really creaky, bouncy ones have gone (trains, not staff).

The Significant Other was excited by the prospect of a day in Scarborough, until I pointed out how long it takes to get there and back on the "direct" train from Sheffield. (Does that one still run ? I got it by mistake once in the other direction, suckered by "Direct to Sheffield". Hah!) And anywhere closer is so cheap (Lincoln? Harrogate?) that I'd rather pay cash for that trip and save the freebee for a couple of long solo trips.

Does anyone know how this ticket works? It says "2 journeys" and has two boxes to write dates (there are actually more spaces, but they are "VOID"). The letter that came with it says that if two people travel together, then I should fill in both date boxes.

- Can I use it on two solo trips on different dates? It seems obvious that I can. But one thing this forum has taught me is that relying on the "obvious" on the railway can land you in court.

- Once I have written a date in the box and set off, is it in effect an "All-Northern" Ranger for the day? Or will it get cancelled on the first train ? My guess is the former.

If it IS a go-anywhere ticket, I might use it for a weekend in Edinburgh, via Settle-Carlisle and the Tyne Valley (is that what the line through Hexham is called?). It will get me to Alnmouth, and I can get an advance to Embra for a fiver from there.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

pemma

Veteran Member
Joined
23 Jan 2009
Messages
31,474
Location
Knutsford
It sounds like they have sent you the same type of ticket they issue during disruption.

There's 7 spaces for dates but if it's valid for 2 days then 5 date spaces are marked void. You must write the date in using ink before you start your first journey otherwise it isn't valid as per the terms.

If it sounds like we're talking about the same ticket then yes it valid on all Northern services for 2 different dates for one person.
 

HowMuch?

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2009
Messages
159
Thanks for the prompt and clear reply.

I could even do a round trip with ships! via Embra, and the Irish Sea. I could use the second day on the free ticket for Heysham Port to home.

The ticket expires end of August. Pity, that. Or I might have waited until Scotrail brought Club55 back. No PRIV or railcard, so always looking for cheap fares for the poor old full-price payer :cry:!

- Anyone got a suggestion for ferries? Scotland/Northern Ireland/Dublin/Isle of Man ? Footpax fares seem pretty cheap.

- And for a roundabout Northern-only day from Heysham Port to Sheffield ?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top