Gold Card 1st classs upgrade

[philjo]

A query regarding Gold Card 1st class upgrades.

Are these available on FGW services to London from Worcester via Evesham (i.e. within the Network card boundary)? I would be travelling on a weekday (early afternoon).

FGW is not listed as an exclusion on the National Rail site:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/first_class_upgrade.html#Gold_Card_First_Supplement

I found a similar worded page on the FGW site which did say that FGW services were excluded for Gold Card 1st upgrades (but it also mentioned GNER & Midland Mainline services in the same list so is obviously out of date)


Also, does the 1st upgrade have to be in conjunction with a Gold Card discounted ticket from the same station (i.e. worcester Foregate Street in this instance).
I will actually be travelling back from Church Stretton. Looked at splitting at Hereford & Worcester but I can't see any 1st class singles for the Hereford to Worcester section - so how would I upgrade that section?


I would normally buy an off-peak return Potters Bar to church Stretton so not sure which ticket combination to get this time.

I can't see any advance fares to London from hereford via Evesham - they are all routed via Newport.

I plan to travel out to CTT from London probably via crewe (or possibly Newport) as it is the quickest way & return via Hereford & Evesham (as not done that route before)

 

[island]

As far as I can see, FGW does accept gold card first upgrades.

The upgrade must be used in conjunction with a ticket endorsed GOLDC or CHNGC, except on weekends, when it can also be used in conjunction with your season ticket. One upgrade ticket appears to be valid all day.

GOLDC discounts aren't available on advances, so the gold card first upgrade does not appear to be usable with one.

 

[philjo]

Thanks.
I'll split at Worcester then to use the discounted ticket to there from London with the 1st Gold Card upgrade.

How is the 1st class fare calculated for the Worcester to Hereford section - NFM11 only shows standard class fares?
I'll probably have a Worcester to Church Stretton ticket unless it is easier to split again at Hereford.

Hereford to London via Evesham does not seem to have any advance fares at all - they are all routed via Newport. though you can get some on the same train form Oxford to London.

 

[SickyNicky]

How is the 1st class fare calculated for the Worcester to Hereford section - NFM11 only shows standard class fares?
I'll probably have a Worcester to Church Stretton ticket unless it is easier to split again at Hereford.

You can get a Hereford to Pershore 1st class and split there. The train will normally be very quiet from Hereford to Worcester, though, so standard class is usually perfectly OK for that section.

Hereford to London via Evesham does not seem to have any advance fares at all - they are all routed via Newport. though you can get some on the same train form Oxford to London.

Nope - nothing at all. One of my biggest bugbears, but at least the peak restrictions on that line are favourable.

 

[Flamingo]

Can I respectfully suggest getting it done at the ticket office before boarding (or be prepared for lots of head scratching from the guard). They are very rarely asked for on-board, indeed I can only ever remember selling one on one occasion, and I had to get out my book to figure out how to do it. I'm fairly sure that pretty much every TM would struggle to do it (assuming they were even aware of it).