Purchasing Chiltern Tickets

[crewmeal]

Whilst the blockade looks like continuing between Leamington and Banbury for sometime, if I bought a Chiltern ticket from Brum to Marylebone can I use it anytime on Virgin or are there restrictions on that route? The last thing I want to do is spend 3 -4 hours trying to get to the capital via train bus train.

 

[Hazlehead]

Latest update is that Virgin will accept Chiltern & XC tickets until Sun 8th February only.

 

[dvboy]

Latest update is that Virgin will accept Chiltern & XC tickets until Sun 8th February only.

Where does it say that?

 

[yorkie]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx

Alternative travel options
Chiltern Railways passengers may use the following on any reasonable routes:

• CrossCountry
• First Great Western
• London Midland
• London Underground
• Virgin Trains

 

[CyrusWuff]

The Chiltern website says that their normal restrictions apply if you travel with another operator on a Chiltern ticket, so Super Off-Peaks won't be valid Northbound between 0630 and 0900, nor between 1600 and 1900. Off-Peak tickets should be accepted for Northbound travel at any time.

 

[Hazlehead]

Where does it say that?

Internal Message from yesterday

 

[Bletchleyite]

Internal Message from yesterday

It doesn't seem unreasonable, as just over a month is plenty of time for the great majority of tickets purchased in advance on a route like that to be used up, while not allowing long enough for too many Virgin Anytime purchasers to wise up, downgrade their ticket and save a fortune.

Then if you're on a budget you'll go LM, and if you need to get there fast you'll pay for VT as before.

Neil

 

[Wolfie]

It doesn't seem unreasonable, as just over a month is plenty of time for the great majority of tickets purchased in advance on a route like that to be used up, while not allowing long enough for too many Virgin Anytime purchasers to wise up, downgrade their ticket and save a fortune.

Then if you're on a budget you'll go LM, and if you need to get there fast you'll pay for VT as before.

Neil

Neil

The date given by Terrier was 8 Feb ie this Sunday! that is far from a month away! In fact if LM are expected to take the majority of the load from next Mon they will be royally screwed!

The Chiltern website says that their normal restrictions apply if you travel with another operator on a Chiltern ticket, so Super Off-Peaks won't be valid Northbound between 0630 and 0900, nor between 1600 and 1900. Off-Peak tickets should be accepted for Northbound travel at any time.

I didn't think the Chiltern Super OffPeak restrictions applied on a Saturday (certainly I don't believe they did when I've bought that ticket before) so why does NRE show none available before 0900 for say 7 Feb 15?

I assume that if Chiltern tickets have been bought with a Goldcard discount Virgin onboard staff won't have a hissy fit because they don't normally accept them - is this sensible?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I didn't think the Chiltern Super OffPeak restrictions applied on a Saturday (certainly I don't believe they did when I've bought that ticket before) so why does NRE show none available before 0900 for say 7 Feb 15?

Strange. The only TOC I knew of presently restricting tickets on a Saturday is LM.

I assume that if Chiltern tickets have been bought with a Goldcard discount Virgin onboard staff won't have a hissy fit because they don't normally accept them - is this sensible?

I would assume so, as it's a "Chiltern ticket" like any other.

Neil

 

[Wolfie]

Strange. The only TOC I knew of presently restricting tickets on a Saturday is LM.

I would assume so, as it's a "Chiltern ticket" like any other.

Neil

Weird... on 7 Feb 15 NRE doesn't impose restrictions on Chiltern tickets from London to Birmingham but does for any tickets which involve travelling on from there...

Equally weirdly NRE isn't offering the GoldCard discount if it routes you with Virgin...

NRE still hasn't been updated for the weekends of 14/15 Feb or 21/22 Feb either - still showing no WCML services and routing from either Marylebone or Paddington to the Midlands...

 

[67018]

Chiltern's timetable is showing off-peak journey times of between 2hr30 and 2hr55 Moor Street-Marylebone so not quite '3-4 hours'.

Saturday timetable has only just been published, and it looks like they are still finalising timetable (and possibly ticket acceptance) beyond Sunday.

 

[crewmeal]

Chiltern advise an extra 90 minutes on top of the normal times which seems logical. Consider everyone getting off the train finding a coach, waiting for stragglers, toilet runs, organising baggage etc. Traffic on and off the M40, seems about right to me.

Anyone done train - bus - train yet and care to share their experiences?

 

[67018]

Chiltern advise an extra 90 minutes on top of the normal times which seems logical. Consider everyone getting off the train finding a coach, waiting for stragglers, toilet runs, organising baggage etc. Traffic on and off the M40, seems about right to me.

Anyone done train - bus - train yet and care to share their experiences?

They seem to be changing their tune a bit - maybe to avoid losing all their passengers!

We are running services between London Marylebone and Banbury and between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Moor Street with a fast 'step-straight-on' replacement bus service between Banbury and Leamingham Spa.

 

[Wolfie]

Weird... on 7 Feb 15 NRE doesn't impose restrictions on Chiltern tickets from London to Birmingham but does for any tickets which involve travelling on from there...

Equally weirdly NRE isn't offering the GoldCard discount if it routes you with Virgin...

NRE still hasn't been updated for the weekends of 14/15 Feb or 21/22 Feb either - still showing no WCML services and routing from either Marylebone or Paddington to the Midlands...

Hahaha Just managed to book the Chiltern tickets... on the Virgin trains website! After NRE told me they weren't available....

 

[dvboy]

So what about my advance, dated for 18 February, purchased on 26 January?

Why should someone travelling before Sunday be allowed to travel on Virgin and someone after, not, even if their ticket was purchased before the landslip happened?

 

[CyrusWuff]

So what about my advance, dated for 18 February, purchased on 26 January?

Why should someone travelling before Sunday be allowed to travel on Virgin and someone after, not, even if their ticket was purchased before the landslip happened?

Short Answer: Ticket acceptance is only available for a finite period.

Longer Answer: Because Chiltern have to pay the other TOCs for carrying "their" passengers. The exact amount will be "commercially sensitive", no doubt, but I would suggest it's fairly substantial for people travelling on Chiltern's Off-Peak tickets during Virgin's "peak" times, for example, given the price differential involved.

 

[dvboy]

Chiltern website suggests if the ticket has already been bought, it will be accepted on Virgin:

Do your ticket restrictions still apply?
Yes, tickets will only be valid at the times they are normally valid. Advance tickets between the West Midlands and London should be used within an hour of the time booked. If you had already booked an Advance ticket, you can also use this on Virgin Trains within 30 minutes of the time booked. Advance tickets that are booked onto our new timetable should be used on the train booked.

 

[67018]

So what about my advance, dated for 18 February, purchased on 26 January?

Why should someone travelling before Sunday be allowed to travel on Virgin and someone after, not, even if their ticket was purchased before the landslip happened?

The advice on the Chiltern website http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/landslipleamington has been rewritten this morning. It strongly implies (although it doesn't say it explicitly) that tickets other than seasons won't be valiud on other operators after Sunday. So it sounds like the option is use Chiltern with the bus, or get a refund.

This seems to be on the basis that there has been an emergency timetable this week, whereas from Monday it will be much closer to the normal service.

 

[Wolfie]

The advice on the Chiltern website http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/landslipleamington has been rewritten this morning. It strongly implies (although it doesn't say it explicitly) that tickets other than seasons won't be valiud on other operators after Sunday. So it sounds like the option is use Chiltern with the bus, or get a refund.

This seems to be on the basis that there has been an emergency timetable this week, whereas from Monday it will be much closer to the normal service.

Having looked I would agree that interpretation seems correct.

 

[dvboy]

The advice on the Chiltern website http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/landslipleamington has been rewritten this morning. It strongly implies (although it doesn't say it explicitly) that tickets other than seasons won't be valiud on other operators after Sunday. So it sounds like the option is use Chiltern with the bus, or get a refund.

This seems to be on the basis that there has been an emergency timetable this week, whereas from Monday it will be much closer to the normal service.

My previous post was copied from the first FAQ on the same page.

 

[67018]

My previous post was copied from the first FAQ on the same page.

Yes, it's a bit inconsistent. The bit you quoted was part of the original FAQs, and I suspect may well be amended or deleted over the weekend.

It's noticeable that, under 'Travel on Friday 6 February' and 'Travel on Saturday 7 February and Sunday 8 February', it states vailidity on FGW, Virgin or LM, but that is *not* listed as an option under 'Travel options to London from Monday 9th February'.

 

[causton]

Wonder how this will work out over the Watford blockade weekends, where LM and Virgin will now run trains!

Do they expect everyone who presumably booked Chiltern tickets to excess/re-book on LM or Virgin? Or will the LM/VT trains be empty as everyone thought they were cancelled while everyone queues for a replacement bus at Banbury

 

[87 027]

I was due to travel on Chiltern next Friday evening. Can't face the thought of a replacement bus with luggage and kids in tow so I have now rebooked on VT.

 

[67018]

FAQs now updated and clear up the situation - Chiltern advances bought before the landslip will be valid on Virgin, those bought since won't.

 

[Paul Kelly]

FAQs now updated and clear up the situation - Chiltern advances bought before the landslip will be valid on Virgin, those bought since won't.

It's not clear to me how they can check/enforce that, for tickets bought online using "Ticket on Departure" (ToD) and not printed in advance of the landslip happening. I know that at least for some websites, the additional coupon that prints with the tickets shows the date and time of purchase - will passengers be advised to retain it and present it to the barrier staff or guard on the Virgin train?

 

[lemonic]

It's not clear to me how they can check/enforce that, for tickets bought online using "Ticket on Departure" (ToD) and not printed in advance of the landslip happening. I know that at least for some websites, the additional coupon that prints with the tickets shows the date and time of purchase - will passengers be advised to retain it and present it to the barrier staff or guard on the Virgin train?

Presumably (if travelling to Birmingham) you will have a reservation between London and Birmingham if you bought the Advance ticket in advance of the landslip, but only a reservation between London and Banbury (and/or Leamington Spa to Birmingham) if you bought the ticket later.

 

[Paul Kelly]

That's a good point. So the cut-off point then for tickets that won't be accepted on Virgin is not when the landslip actually happened, but when the timetable was updated in booking systems. That makes much more sense.

 

[Essexman]

I still can't work out whether they mean Virgin will only accept Advance (it tickets booked for a specific train) or tickets bought in advance of the landslip.
We have Chiltern offpeak tickets for 14th Feb bought prior to the landslip. We won't use the bus, so can we use these on Virgin or should we get refunds (bought from East Coast) and buy new Virgin tickets (who don't seem to be offering Advances for 14th).

 

[hassaanhc]

I still can't work out whether they mean Virgin will only accept Advance (it tickets booked for a specific train) or tickets bought in advance of the landslip.
We have Chiltern offpeak tickets for 14th Feb bought prior to the landslip. We won't use the bus, so can we use these on Virgin or should we get refunds (bought from East Coast) and buy new Virgin tickets (who don't seem to be offering Advances for 14th).

Don't know whether they'll accept them, but there is no need to get those refunded as you can pay the difference to use them on Virgin IF they are not being accepted as-is (£4.80 each if it is the Super Off Peak)

If excessed, do note the following restrictions:

Restriction Code: SN

Restrictions apply MONDAY to
SUNDAY

For travel to:
Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham
Int'l & Birmingham New St.

OUTWARD TRAVEL
You may travel on any train
that is scheduled to DEPART:

London Euston: Between 1030
and 1630 and after 1830

Watford Junction: Between 1035
and 1635 and after 1835

Milton Keynes Central: Between
1045 and 1645 and after 1845

RETURN TRAVEL
You may travel on any train
that is scheduled to ARRIVE:

London Euston: Between 1208
and 1750 and after 2005

Watford Junction: Between
1153 and 1735 and after 1950

Milton Keynes Central: Between
1142 and 1725 and after 1940

Rugby: Between 1134 and 1700
and after 1930

 

[Essexman]

WE need to leave Euston at around 9am on Saturday (14th) returning into Euston about 18.00.
What would be excess to pay at those times?