Stena SailRail questions

[danm14]

Having received SailRail tickets ordered from Virgin Trains, I've noticed a few peculiar things about the tickets that dont really matter but I'd still like to know more about:

1. Tickets for Stena Line Dublin/Holyhead are issued to/from "DUBLINPORT STENA". While my seat reservation coupons say "DUBLINPORT STENA", my tickets however say "DUBLIN PORT STEN" (note the extra space and missing A). How would this have happened? Are such variations in station names common? Is it likely to cause me difficulties on the railway where a guard may assume my ticket is invalid?

2. Neither my tickets nor my seat reservation coupons say "CIV" on them anywhere, despite being for an international journey. Is CIV protection only applicable to journeys which include rail portions in both countries? Does CIV protection still apply to my tickets despite not being marked such? Is it a mistake that my tickets don't say this, or is it normal?

3. My tickets were booked for Liverpool Lime Street, but are marked "LIVERPOOL STNS" and have no reference to Lime Street anywhere. Are they still valid to other stations in the Liverpool Stations group (such as Central, one stop after Lime Street) despite being Advance tickets booked for Lime Street, or would they refuse to open the barriers and result in a fine/penalty fare etc when checked?

 

[gray1404]

1. The tickets are certainly not invalid.
3. You are free to get off the train at any station in the Liverpool route. You will not have reservations on the Merseyrail service from Chester to Liverpool so it doesn't matter.

 

[danm14]

3. You are free to get off the train at any station in the Liverpool route. You will not have reservations on the Merseyrail service from Chester to Liverpool so it doesn't matter.

As Merseyrail do not issue reservations, does this mean I could choose to travel on the next Merseyrail service to Liverpool (30 minutes later) or am I still be restricted to my booked train?

 

[185143]

As Merseyrail do not issue reservations, does this mean I could choose to travel on the next Merseyrail service to Liverpool (30 minutes later) or am I still be restricted to my booked train?

Your ticket is valid on 'appropriate connecting services' (assuming SailRail works like a normal advance). You will have no problem using a train 30 minutes later than on your itinerary.

 

[gray1404]

But you are not allowed to break your journey.

 

[danm14]

Your ticket is valid on 'appropriate connecting services' (assuming SailRail works like a normal advance). You will have no problem using a train 30 minutes later than on your itinerary.

I was under the impression that the entire premise of Advance tickets was that you were restricted to the specific trains in your itinerary, and unless you had an endorsed ticket due to a delay you are effectively travelling with no ticket if you deviate from it? I'm used to train travel in Ireland where this is absolutely the case unless you pay a small extra for validity on the two trains either side, or a little more again for all day validity.

 

[Romilly]

I was under the impression that the entire premise of Advance tickets was that you were restricted to the specific trains in your itinerary ....

That is broadly true, but the strict rule is that, while you must use any trains in the itinerary for which you are given a reserved seat or reserved place, if any of the trains in your itinerary are trains on which reservations are not possible then you are free to use the specified unreservable train for the unreserved leg or any reasonable alternative (e.g. earlier) unreservable train for the unreserved leg. A simple example would be where you have a reserved seat for a few hundred miles on a mainline train, but at the beginning or end of your journey you are going a few stops on a metro-style driver-only-operated service in a major conurbation.

 

[danm14]

That is broadly true, but the strict rule is that, while you must use any trains in the itinerary for which you are given a reserved seat or reserved place, if any of the trains in your itinerary are trains on which reservations are not possible then you are free to use the specified unreservable train for the unreserved leg or any reasonable alternative (e.g. earlier) unreservable train for the unreserved leg. A simple example would be where you have a reserved seat for a few hundred miles on a mainline train, but at the beginning or end of your journey you are going a few stops on a metro-style driver-only-operated service in a major conurbation.

So effectively, where you don't have a reservation for a specific train, you can take the train directly before or directly after that on your itinerary, as long as this doesn't result in you missing a train you have a reservation for? Is this written down anywhere, or is it a sort of "unwritten rule"?

 

[MikeWh]

So effectively, where you don't have a reservation for a specific train, you can take the train directly before or directly after that on your itinerary, as long as this doesn't result in you missing a train you have a reservation for? Is this written down anywhere, or is it a sort of "unwritten rule"?

Where an unreserved train is before a reserved train in your itinerary it is likely that it is the last valid connection into the reserved train. It would be unwise to travel later because that may invalidate your ticket in the event of delays.

Where the unreserved train is the last train on the itinerary you are free to travel earlier (if possible) or a bit later.

 

[Haywain]

1. Tickets for Stena Line Dublin/Holyhead are issued to/from "DUBLINPORT STENA". While my seat reservation coupons say "DUBLINPORT STENA", my tickets however say "DUBLIN PORT STEN" (note the extra space and missing A). How would this have happened? Are such variations in station names common? Is it likely to cause me difficulties on the railway where a guard may assume my ticket is invalid?

Such differences in the names printed are very common and are unlikely to cause even a hint of a problem.

2. Neither my tickets nor my seat reservation coupons say "CIV" on them anywhere, despite being for an international journey. Is CIV protection only applicable to journeys which include rail portions in both countries? Does CIV protection still apply to my tickets despite not being marked such? Is it a mistake that my tickets don't say this, or is it normal?

Such tickets are not afforded CIV protection as far as I am aware. This is probably because the ferries were, historically, provided by the railway companies as part of their service so there wasn't an international journey as such.

3. My tickets were booked for Liverpool Lime Street, but are marked "LIVERPOOL STNS" and have no reference to Lime Street anywhere. Are they still valid to other stations in the Liverpool Stations group (such as Central, one stop after Lime Street) despite being Advance tickets booked for Lime Street, or would they refuse to open the barriers and result in a fine/penalty fare etc when checked?

Liverpool Stations is a group of stations for ticketing purposes, which include Lime Street, Central, Moorfields and James Street. You could end your journey at any of them, but break of journey is not permitted with an Advance ticket.

 

[najaB]

But you are not allowed to break your journey.

Except to change trains - so a 30 minute delay at a station would be fine.

 

[danm14]

Thank you everyone, all my questions seem to have been answered now.

Where an unreserved train is before a reserved train in your itinerary it is likely that it is the last valid connection into the reserved train. It would be unwise to travel later because that may invalidate your ticket in the event of delays.

Where the unreserved train is the last train on the itinerary you are free to travel earlier (if possible) or a bit later.

Is there any official document that states this which you can point me in the direction of, or is this just an unwritten rule or the way a rule regarding reservations is being interpreted?