GTR Brands Ticket Acceptance

[scottish rider]

According to the Southern website because of the ongoing disruption tickets routed Southern only can be used on Thameslink or Gatwick Express

"Owing to ongoing disruption to Thameslink services as the new timetable is implemented, the following will apply until further notice:

• Valid ‘Thameslink Only’, ‘Southern Only’ and ‘Not Gatwick Express’ routed season, single and return tickets can be used on any Gatwick Express, Southern or Thameslink train service that will enable them to complete their journey

Please note:

• Time restrictions on the use of tickets and Railcards remain in place
• First class remains available only to those with a valid first class ticket.

I have an Any Permitted routed season ticket, can I change it?
Yes, please visit one of our ticket offices who will be able to assist with this as long as the original ticket has been issued for a validity of one month or more and there is at least 7 days’ validity remaining on the original ticket.
If your season ticket is still valid after these temporary arrangements expire, you will need to change your season ticket back to the original routed version and will need to pay the difference due.

Please note that during very busy times, staff may not be able to carry out the changeover straight away."

I wondered if this arrangement also included Daysave tickets? I appreciate the argument they should be valid anyway as its all one TOC being part of GTR, however I have always tried to stick to Southern services only when using Daysave in the past. I would try Customer Services but have found their knowledge of Daysave has been rather lacking.

Any thoughts?

 

[island]

I expect they would accept DaySave on routes where TL/GX run in parallel to SN, but not to, say, Luton.

 

[Flinn Reed]

As "Thameslink only" tickets can be used on any GTR services, how does this affect London terminals?

For example, with a Thameslink ticket from Gatwick Airport to London (thameslink) terminals.

Thameslink terminals includes stations on the core from London Bridge to St Pancras.

However, with the ticker acceptance, would the ticket be valid on Southern or Gatwick Express services, from Gatwick Airport to Victoria?

 

[yorkie]

Yes. Ticket acceptance means just that.

Of course we know GTR are not permitted by law to charge differential pricing by brand, so it is good to hear that people will have valid tickets accepted without quibble rather than have to request refunds (all refund requests have been honoured that I know of, e.g.: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/southern-admit-they-were-wrong-to-sell-gx-supplement.64324/ however if anyone has been refused a refund request, I would like to hear from you; please contact me directly if so) which is welcome, but it should be permanent, not temporary.

 

[Flinn Reed]

Yes. Ticket acceptance means just that.

Of course we know GTR are not permitted by law to charge differential pricing by brand, so it is good to hear that people will have valid tickets accepted without quibble rather than have to request refunds (all refund requests have been honoured that I know of, e.g.: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/southern-admit-they-were-wrong-to-sell-gx-supplement.64324/ however if anyone has been refused a refund request, I would like to hear from you; please contact me directly if so) which is welcome, but it should be permanent, not temporary.

I understand tickets are accepted on other GTR services on the same route.

However does this allow travelling into a different London terminal, not otherwise permitted by a Thameslink-only ticket?

 

[gray1404]

Does anyone know how long this ticket acceptance is in place for? I just checked the Southern branded website and it just say "until further notice." This is not helpful when wanting to plan ahead for trips as it implies GTR could just pull such acceptance without notice.

 

[island]

The stations to and from which one may use a ticket haven’t changed, only the trains on which it may be used.

There is no such ticket destination as “London (Thameslink) Terminals” however. Gatwick Airport to London Terminals is not valid north of City Thameslink. Gatwick Airport to London Thameslink is valid to St Pancras International as usual.

 

[JB_B]

Does anyone know how long this ticket acceptance is in place for? I just checked the Southern branded website and it just say "until further notice." This is not helpful when wanting to plan ahead for trips as it implies GTR could just pull such acceptance without notice.

I've been told cross-brand acceptance will run 'until the end of August' by both ticket office and gateline staff at Brighton. I don't think GTR have put out anything further in the public domain since they were saying 'Until further notice.'

Disappointingly, last week I was challenged by a Southern guard/OBS who said my T/link-only one day travelcard was not valid on Southern ( it would be entirely typical for GTR not to brief staff properly.)

Another dismal failure last week: my friend's Brighton London Zones 1-6 T/link-only season was turned away by gateline staff at Charing Cross - "You can't use this on Southeastern" (!)

[ Both cases were resolved without an issue - it's just slightly annoying to have to explain things to staff.]

 

[yorkie]

....Disappointingly, last week I was challenged by a Southern guard/OBS who said my T/link-only one day travelcard was not valid on Southern ( it would be entirely typical for GTR not to brief staff properly.)...

It's outrageous that they can ever think it is acceptable to attempt to inform someone such a ticket is not valid at any time, though with the current "acceptance" of accepting already-valid tickets it is all the more surprising.

I am very interested in gathering evidence of incorrect charging, so if anyone is ever charged I would be very keen to hear from you. The more evidence that can be gathered, the more chance there is of something being done to put a stop to this.

My concern is that most people would pay up and not realise they can get a refund, no realise how vital their evidence can be, while people who would be capable of gathering the evidence and claiming a refund demonstrate a knowledge that puts the staff off the illegal action. This makes it very difficult to gather evidence of wrongdoing.

 

[Flinn Reed]

The stations to and from which one may use a ticket haven’t changed, only the trains on which it may be used.

There is no such ticket destination as “London (Thameslink) Terminals” however. Gatwick Airport to London Terminals is not valid north of City Thameslink. Gatwick Airport to London Thameslink is valid to St Pancras International as usual.

With a ticket from Gatwick Airport to London Thameslink (London Bridge to St Pancras inclusive), would this be valid instead to London Victoria using Southern or Gatwick Express?

 

[mallard]

I expect they would accept DaySave on routes where TL/GX run in parallel to SN, but not to, say, Luton.

Also note that there is a "Thameslink Daysave" product, which (disappointingly) is limited to the "classic" Thameslink MML routes; the only update it recieved when the new routes were added was to explicitly exclude them.

However, the text specifically says "Valid ‘Thameslink Only’, ‘Southern Only’ and ‘Not Gatwick Express’ routed season, single and return tickets" which seems to deliberately exclude DaySave; why else would the ticket types be listed?

 

[island]

With a ticket from Gatwick Airport to London Thameslink (London Bridge to St Pancras inclusive), would this be valid instead to London Victoria using Southern or Gatwick Express?

This is debatable. In my opinion it is not – as the ticket is routed Not Underground – so you would be off route between Clapham Junction and Victoria. This discussion has been had in the past, and some members felt it was allowable as one could take a walking transfer from Victoria to Blackfriars to rejoin the line of route.

 

[gray1404]

I just hope I am not challenged when I use my Thameslink Only ticket on Southern shortly. It is bother I an do without and I do not want to be getting asked for more money or my name and address before I fly out the country.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I just hope I am not challenged when I use my Thameslink Only ticket on Southern shortly. It is bother I an do without and I do not want to be getting asked for more money or my name and address before I fly out the country.

Provided the geographical route is valid (i.e. you aren't travelling from Victoria on a "Thameslink Only" ticket from London Thameslink, not that they exist AFAIK), they (doubly) have no argument to challenge you, whether at the gateline or on the train.

 

[yorkie]

I just hope I am not challenged when I use my Thameslink Only ticket on Southern shortly. It is bother I an do without and I do not want to be getting asked for more money or my name and address before I fly out the country.

If anyone is asked to pay and does so and produces the relevant evidence, I would be extremely grateful to receive a copy of this, along with any correspondence.

 

[Flinn Reed]

Provided the geographical route is valid (i.e. you aren't travelling from Victoria on a "Thameslink Only" ticket from London Thameslink, not that they exist AFAIK), they (doubly) have no argument to challenge you, whether at the gateline or on the train.

I contacted Thameslink and was told "Thameslink only" tickets are valid to London Victoria.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I contacted Thameslink and was told "Thameslink only" tickets are valid to London Victoria.

In my view that would ordinarily not be valid. If the ticket acceptance extends to this - great.

 

[yorkie]

Whether or not tickets to "London Thameslink" or "London St Pancras" specifically, which would often be routed something like "London Not Und" are valid via Victoria or not under normal circumstances is, in itself, a matter of much debate (as a quick Google search on this forum will reveal!)