Scotrail Franchise - Abellio

[route:oxford]

You can only buy the ticket online, and if your address has a Fife postcode.

So someone from Dundee can’t buy Dundee-Leuchars, Leuchars-Edinburgh because they won’t have the correct postcode.

It's not exactly a secure test of residency. Not every payment method will check validity of postcode.

 

[mde]

It's not exactly a secure test of residency. Not every payment method will check validity of postcode.

The offer requires a My ScotRail account which is registered to an address in one of the postcode areas. Only then is it possible to buy one of those discounted tickets.

 

[route:oxford]

The offer requires a My ScotRail account which is registered to an address in one of the postcode areas. Only then is it possible to buy one of those discounted tickets.

Log in, "Manage your addresses", job done.

 

[mde]

Log in, "Manage your addresses", job done.

Oh indeed, but, unless the ticket was really going to be beneficial most people are unlikely to bother with that. To be honest, I'd be interested in seeing a breakdown of where people buy their tickets… I suspect online sales for average punters on a off peak ticket may not be as high as some anticipate, but, I could be *very* wrong on that.

Annoyingly, despite ScotRail (both in the past and the current franchise) having a "Buy before you board" policy, there's a good number of tickets which can only be bought from staff or at a booking office. Bloody useless when you are in a mainline station like Glasgow Central which tends to have more TVMs than booking office windows open…

 

[Carntyne]

Glasgow Central's got three ticket offices. Hardly difficult to speak to someone.

 

[clc]

Does anyone know if the 7-car class 380s are still running every hour on the hour between Glasgow and Edinburgh?

 

[mde]

Glasgow Central's got three ticket offices. Hardly difficult to speak to someone.

Maybe not for some.

 

[Highlandspring]

Does anyone know if the 7-car class 380s are still running every hour on the hour between Glasgow and Edinburgh?

Yes they are.

 

[route101]

Maybe not for some.

Yeah theres 3 but the Scottish Destinations one on the main concourse is inadequate when its busy , like today when i wanted to buy a roundabout . The TVMs should sell plusbus and roundabout tickets .

 

[clc]

Well I travelled through to Edinburgh on the 1300 and came back on the 1700 and it was a 4-car 380 both times.

 

[mde]

Yeah theres 3 but the Scottish Destinations one on the main concourse is inadequate when its busy , like today when i wanted to buy a roundabout . The TVMs should sell plusbus and roundabout tickets .

The TVMs also don't sell Strathclyde concessions, which is confusing since theres no reason that cards cannot be checked when presenting the ticket to staff, as is the established procedure for railcards (and sometimes actually happens…).

Given there is times of the day when only window is open on the concourse it would surely make sense to maximise the options available - and - in turn, improvements there could easily help revenue at shacks with TVMs (after all, not everyone is trying to travel for free - some do want to pay!)

 

[route101]

The TVMs also don't sell Strathclyde concessions, which is confusing since theres no reason that cards cannot be checked when presenting the ticket to staff, as is the established procedure for railcards (and sometimes actually happens…).

Given there is times of the day when only window is open on the concourse it would surely make sense to maximise the options available - and - in turn, improvements there could easily help revenue at shacks with TVMs (after all, not everyone is trying to travel for free - some do want to pay!)

Do Virgin trains staff let you buy tickets for Scottish Destinations ?

 

[Stopper]

Well I travelled through to Edinburgh on the 1300 and came back on the 1700 and it was a 4-car 380 both times.

Was this at the weekend? I’ve seen some 4-cars on those at the weekend I’m sure. The xx:15 services are often 4-car 380s also.

 

[theironroad]

Do Virgin trains staff let you buy tickets for Scottish Destinations ?

Shouldn't they be selling each others tickets as impartial retailers or whatever the RDG call it?

A few years back there was a long, slow queue at the Glasgow central Virgin counter and no queue at the Scotrail one next door. I was short of time and needed a walk up to ticket to London for the next train, no reservation and the Scotrail drive just said no. Having said that a few times I've bought a ticket to Glasgow from the then London midland ticket office at euston with no bother.

I'm not sure if it was just the clerk who didn't know or whether there is a local policy at Glasgow central, but it can be inconvenient tbh not to sell straight forward walk up tickets regardless of destination. The off peak return with a Railcard from Glasgow to London takes no longer to issue than a return to Lockerbie.

 

[route101]

Shouldn't they be selling each others tickets as impartial retailers or whatever the RDG call it?

A few years back there was a long, slow queue at the Glasgow central Virgin counter and no queue at the Scotrail one next door. I was short of time and needed a walk up to ticket to London for the next train, no reservation and the Scotrail drive just said no. Having said that a few times I've bought a ticket to Glasgow from the then London midland ticket office at euston with no bother.

I'm not sure if it was just the clerk who didn't know or whether there is a local policy at Glasgow central, but it can be inconvenient tbh not to sell straight forward walk up tickets regardless of destination. The off peak return with a Railcard from Glasgow to London takes no longer to issue than a return to Lockerbie.

I've seen someone get directed round to the virgin trains office at Glasgow Central when they asked for an English Destination . Once i asked for an Advance from Glasgow to Preston at Queen St and told to go to Glasgow Central. I was refused a ticket on the lower level ticket office , i think it was renewing a railcard !

 

[clc]

Was this at the weekend? I’ve seen some 4-cars on those at the weekend I’m sure. The xx:15 services are often 4-car 380s also.

Yes it was today.

 

[IanXC]

Shouldn't they be selling each others tickets as impartial retailers or whatever the RDG call it?

A few years back there was a long, slow queue at the Glasgow central Virgin counter and no queue at the Scotrail one next door. I was short of time and needed a walk up to ticket to London for the next train, no reservation and the Scotrail drive just said no. Having said that a few times I've bought a ticket to Glasgow from the then London midland ticket office at euston with no bother.

I'm not sure if it was just the clerk who didn't know or whether there is a local policy at Glasgow central, but it can be inconvenient tbh not to sell straight forward walk up tickets regardless of destination. The off peak return with a Railcard from Glasgow to London takes no longer to issue than a return to Lockerbie.

I have something in the back of my mind that one of them is the impartial, regulated ticket office, and the other is not. I forget which way around it would be tho.

 

[mde]

I have something in the back of my mind that one of them is the impartial, regulated ticket office, and the other is not. I forget which way around it would be tho.

I have a suspicion it’d be the Virgin ‘Travel Centre’ but that’s uneducated wibble.

 

[Kite159]

Agreed with others that it would be easier to have the Roundabout tickets put back onto the TVMs as a valid destination for TVMs within the area.

 

[route101]

Agreed with others that it would be easier to have the Roundabout tickets put back onto the TVMs as a valid destination for TVMs within the area.

So they have been on them before ?

 

[Stopper]

Yes it was today.

Monday to Friday it’s still a 7-car, always.

 

[Kite159]

So they have been on them before ?

I'm pretty sure I have a memory of buying a Roundabout from the TVMs at Glasgow Central in 2015 time

 

[Stopper]

Glasgow-Aberdeen services via Fife are running again today and one made a call at Lenzie. Found that unusual.

 

[clc]

Glasgow-Aberdeen services via Fife are running again today and one made a call at Lenzie. Found that unusual.

Do they ever call at Croy? I noticed ‘HST Stop’ signs there yesterday.

 

[Stopper]

Do they ever call at Croy? I noticed ‘HST Stop’ signs there yesterday.

All of the stops on the HST route will have them regardless of whether they stop there or not.

The diverted Queen Street to Aberdeen trains are going via the E-G and Fife, taking the Dalmeny curve. They’re calling at Linlithgow and Inverkeithing only between Queen Street and Dundee. There was a call at Lenzie this morning though which I found interesting.

 

[najaB]

I have a suspicion it’d be the Virgin ‘Travel Centre’ but that’s uneducated wibble.

I'm pretty sure that's the case.

 

[marcouk2]

I have a suspicion it’d be the Virgin ‘Travel Centre’ but that’s uneducated wibble.

Section 17 implies that neither of the Glasgow Central ticket offices are. The Scotrail office is down as 'ONLY SELLS TICKETS TO SCOTTISH DESTINATIONS (PLUS CARLISLE)' and the Virgin Travel Centre has exceptions listed as 'Only sells tickets for Anglo-Scottish journeys'.

 

[najaB]

Section 17 implies that neither of the Glasgow Central ticket offices are. The Scotrail office is down as 'ONLY SELLS TICKETS TO SCOTTISH DESTINATIONS (PLUS CARLISLE)' and the Virgin Travel Centre has exceptions listed as 'Only sells tickets for Anglo-Scottish journeys'.

So, does that mean it isn't possible to buy a ticket for a journey entirely in England and Wales?

 

[cf111]

Agreed with others that it would be easier to have the Roundabout tickets put back onto the TVMs as a valid destination for TVMs within the area.

I don't see how it can't be done, as you say it's just programmed as a "destination" so no more difficult than selling a ticket to East Kilbride in terms of the technology if there was some issue with putting other "rover" tickets on the machines.

I tend to buy them from the conductor as there is no benefit to using a ticket office for a Roundabout ticket as they cannot be railcard discounted.

 

[Kite159]

I don't see how it can't be done, as you say it's just programmed as a "destination" so no more difficult than selling a ticket to East Kilbride in terms of the technology if there was some issue with putting other "rover" tickets on the machines.

I tend to buy them from the conductor as there is no benefit to using a ticket office for a Roundabout ticket as they cannot be railcard discounted.

Especially as the Roundabout is issued on regular stock as a Single ticket, it isn't like the Daytripper which requires special stock.