• 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!

Manchester to Ramsgate (and then back to Ashford!) ticket headache!

Status
Not open for further replies.

evotista

Member
Joined
28 Jul 2013
Messages
69
I would like to travel from Manchester Piccadilly to Ashford International one way on Sunday May 31st. Despite that weekend in the southeastern trains area having several engineering works, there is limited availability of VTWC and Connections fares to both Ashford and Ramsgate that Sunday from Manchester.

Since I'ld like to do a bit of track bashing while down there (and i've used the HS1 line in the past), it occurred to me to buy a "VTWC and conns" ticket to Ramsgate (ie, go further than Ashford - purely to get new track), but try and use a different route than the one NRE produces an itinerary for.

I would like to do this on the £38 VTWC and conns ticket

Man Picc (MAN) 10:20 to London Euston (EUS) 12:57
transfer to London Victoria

London Victoria (VIC) 14:11 to Ramsgate 16:13 (RAM) via Tonbridge (TON) direct

and then with a separate anytime Single ticket do the line from RAM back to Ashford (AFK) via Dover priory (DVP) on the same day since I've not done the coast route before.

The £38 pound single ticket advance fare though (on the 10:20 from MAN) will not show on the journey planner the moment I put the via TON option in...it only shows with no via and then routes me on the "and conns" bit via HS1 and changing at AFK ie, not via VIC and TON which is the way I'ld like to go.

The itinerary that NRE produces is this

MAN 10:20 to EUS 12:57
transfer to London St Pancras

St Pancras 13:37 to Ashford (AFK) 14:14
AFK (14:42 to RAM (15:12)



I've checked the routing guide maps and believe LONDON terms to RAM permitted routes would allow me to go from VIC via TON to RAM, as much as go via St Pancras and HS1. So, the big question is this...if i bought the VTWC ticket would I get a mandatory reservation for the HS1 journey section?...because if i did, presumably I would have "issues" presenting my MAN to RAM "VTWC and Conns ticket" to the guard on the VIC service even though my ticket would be still on a permitted route from MAN to RAM.

I suppose basically I'm asking will I get specific mandatory reservation coupons for the "and Conns" bit of my journey?, that then prevent me using other permitted routes (but still on the same connecting TOC) from London to Ramsgate.

Having never bought an Advance VTWC and Conns ticket before I don't know how it works with the connecting service restrictions...any advice appreciated please.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

30907

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,867
Location
Airedale
On the basis that brfares.com shows only walkup fares on the route, i don't see a problem.
You should only have a reservation on VT and the ticket should have a + routing as they don't insist on you walking along Euston Rd.
 

ji459

Member
Joined
1 Mar 2011
Messages
112
I suppose basically I'm asking will I get specific mandatory reservation coupons for the "and Conns" bit of my journey?, that then prevent me using other permitted routes (but still on the same connecting TOC) from London to Ramsgate.

You may well get a reservation coupon, but you won't have any problem going from Victoria or via Tonbridge as that's a perfectly valid route.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top