No, but I thought if someone held a reservation for any leg of an advance ticket then they have to travel on the reserved train? Obviously in this case seeing as GLQ-EDB cannot be reserved that doesn't apply but say I had a Norwich to Darlington advance (change at Peterborough) both legs are reserved so surely I have to travel on the reserved trains?
It's been debated many times before, we'll never get a conclusive answer.
The trains are not reservable on this particular route so it doesn't apply here, but I would argue that the system is mostly geared up to ensuring - where practicable - people are on the correct long-distance train, and if that means allowing people to take an earlier local train, then there should be no problem with that.
The rules used to be clear, simple, and easy-to-understand, stating:
Valid on date, GNER train and
seats shown on the ticket,
plus connecting trains as
required.
That was clear to me that the GNER train was compulsory (yes, even the seat... but this is rarely enforced) but connecting trains were not.
Then came simplification and this wording changed,
Valid on National Express
East Coast (TOC Code: XEC)
and connecting services.
(Free) seat reservations are
compulsory.
Yes, it really does say that, even now in NFM09, despite National Express being gone ages now. Anyway, it is no longer clear whether reservations are "compulsory" on the non-EC sections if reserveable trains are chosen.
If all Glasgow-Edinburgh trains were being delayed by 10 minutes, and if the trains were reserveable, and if it was enforced that you had to get the booked train, and Scotrail denied the customer access to the train 15 minutes earlier, then Scotrail would be liable for the delay. It would make absolutely no sense for them to do this.
It would be in Scotrail's favour to allow the customer to board an earlier train, because if delays do occur on Scotrail services then the customer is less likely to miss their EC train, and therefore Scotrail are less likely to pay out.
Anyway, it's all theoretical as the trains are not reserveable.
On Monday I was on a later train than booked to Aberdeen (those trains are reserveable), but the Scotrail guard accepted the tickets as soon as he saw they were "EC & Connections" tickets, and did not ask to see reservation coupons. I believe the guard acted correctly and this is how I would expect any guard to act on connecting services, and is in accordance with my experiences on "& Connections" tickets.
Oh indeed I agree completely that it isn't a requirement but as we have seen some members of staff disagree (naming no names
) so I was just pointing out that no staff will question it as it's a through ticket whereas on split tickets they might (depending on their interpretation of the NRCoC) even if that's wrong (as the PTUs have told us).
Ah yes, that's fine.
If the customer was on a split ticket, I would send them a PM with various information to quote to anyone who questioned it, and instructions on what to do in such circumstances that would ensure a favourable outcome. But as they aren't, that's not needed.
