Liverpool to Glasgow VWC & Connections

[eastend43]

Hi

My question is about the connections part of a Liverpool to Glasgow advance ticket, route is VWC & connections.

When I specify that I want to go via Ormskirk in Virgin's route planner (and the national rail website) it usually offers a better fare than the 'standard' route via St Helens and Wigan. So I sometimes book that way to save money and, when starting the journey from Moorfields it does not take too much longer.

On the tickets that I've just collected for a journey tomorrow, it only has the seat reservation for the Preston to Glasgow as you can't reserve between Liverpool and Preston. The ticket just says valid on booked train only.

So what is to stop me going via St Helens and Wigan? If I get the ticket checked on train from Liverpool to Preston would the person checking it know that the route I was given why buying the ticket was via Ormskirk? I would still be getting the same booked train from Preston.
Why is there a difference? I would have thought that the advance ticket only cares that you are getting off the Virgin train at Preston and it wouldn't matter which route you took to Liverpool.

I've not booked to come back from Glasgow yet, and since I've actually going to be coming back from Edinburgh the cheapest (and pretty interesting) route that I can see is Edinburgh - Bolton - Southport then buying a Merseytravel Saveaway from there. Am I likely to get any hassle going that route?

Thanks

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....So what is to stop me going via St Helens and Wigan?....

Nothing, provided you change trains at Preston rather than Wigan.

....If I get the ticket checked on train from Liverpool to Preston would the person checking it know that the route I was given why buying the ticket was via Ormskirk?....

Nope.

....Why is there a difference? I would have thought that the advance ticket only cares that you are getting off the Virgin train at Preston and it wouldn't matter which route you took to Liverpool....

I would have thought that going via St Helens Central would have the journey planner suggesting you change at Wigan North Western rather than Preston, this might explain a difference in fares.

....I've not booked to come back from Glasgow yet, and since I've actually going to be coming back from Edinburgh the cheapest (and pretty interesting) route that I can see is Edinburgh - Bolton - Southport then buying a Merseytravel Saveaway from there. Am I likely to get any hassle going that route?....

It might be worth you keeping a print out of the itinerary, but if the journey planner offers that route on an Advance ticket I see no reason why you couldn't use it.

 

[eastend43]

Cheers, thanks.

Ended up getting Edinburgh to Liverpool cheaper by going via Manchester. I will definitely take the booked itinerary with me for that one.

 

[SeanG]

Surely you can travel via St Helens, and then change at Wigan NW into a train which isn't your booked one (ie Preston - Glasgow).
The connections is plural after all

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Depends how you read the Advance FAQs, there would be no problem if the Wigan-Preston service is not reservable. Of course the only Wigan-Preston services that are not reservable are those which start in Liverpool.