This entirely out of curiosity. A relative recently had an advance ticket, 1st class Newcastle to Brighton. It was marked as “on specified LNER trains and connections” with a Maltese cross. The specified train on the ticket was 1829 Newcastle to Stevenage.
The suggested route supplied with the booking was to change to a through train at Stevenage. But this means you end up in a slow commuter train with a significantly inferior 1st class offering. Better to stay on the LNER train to Kings Cross and walk over to St Pancras low level and pick up the commuter service there. This is, in fact what the traveller did, because the LNER service was running 50 minutes late. Presumably this is allowed with the “and connections” wording? Also given the Maltese cross, I presume it is equally allowable to get the tube from Kings Cross to Victoria and pick up a faster Brighton service from there?
The suggested route supplied with the booking was to change to a through train at Stevenage. But this means you end up in a slow commuter train with a significantly inferior 1st class offering. Better to stay on the LNER train to Kings Cross and walk over to St Pancras low level and pick up the commuter service there. This is, in fact what the traveller did, because the LNER service was running 50 minutes late. Presumably this is allowed with the “and connections” wording? Also given the Maltese cross, I presume it is equally allowable to get the tube from Kings Cross to Victoria and pick up a faster Brighton service from there?