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TFW Business zone ticket

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Mr Wasilewski

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Hi

I was thinking of buying a TFW Business zone ticket from Cardiff to Chester, however part from a few short threads on here, information on this ticket is fairly difficult to come by. I was wondering does anyone have any information on this fare especially regarding how to buy it?

Thanks
 
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30907

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Hi

I was thinking of buying a TFW Business zone ticket from Cardiff to Chester, however part from a few short threads on here, information on this ticket is fairly difficult to come by. I was wondering does anyone have any information on this fare especially regarding how to buy it?

Thanks
Do you mean just the upgrade? If so, buy at the station on the day, after checking that the restaurant car is running!
BTW Cardiff-Shrewsbury is cheaper, and dinner will be over by then...
 

ForTheLoveOf

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There is quota control inasmuch as if you're upgrading on board, you won't be able to upgrade if there aren't any more seats left! That's not a trivial remark either, because there aren't all that many seats in the Business Zone. If you want to guarantee yourself a seat, buy the upgrade and reserve a seat in advance (at a ticket office).
 

Hadders

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I purchased one of these just last week. It doesn’t come with a reservation but the clerk game me one when I asked for it.

They’re not the easiest tickets in the world to get a clerk to issue and you might need to shop around.
 

Mr Wasilewski

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How does a clerk issue one? as at my local station they couldn't. Thats half the problem, so I came to the conclusion they could only be bought on the day is that correct?
 

ForTheLoveOf

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How does a clerk issue one? as at my local station they couldn't. Thats half the problem, so I came to the conclusion they could only be bought on the day is that correct?
The issue is, not all clerks have been properly trained on how to issue lesser used tickets such as these, and neither do most of them have the inclination to learn it. Some companies' machines genuinely won't sell the ticket, too.

You'll need to shop around until you get a ticket office that will sell you what you want, I'm afraid.
 

Hadders

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You’ll need to shop around. Took me 3 attempts to get mine earlier this week.
 

Gareth Marston

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We can sell it ( being a TFW station agent). It's on our anywhere to anywhere screen in STAR and on Journey Planner.

Wonder if people saying there having trouble are not going to TFW outlets?
 

Hadders

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King's Cross sorted it for me but I had to go back twice as the first clerk said it couldn't be done.

We can sell it ( being a TFW station agent). It's on our anywhere to anywhere screen in STAR and on Journey Planner.

Wonder if people saying there having trouble are not going to TFW outlets?

Sometimes it's not practical to visit a TfW outlet if you live in another part of the country.
 

Mr Wasilewski

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I have been to a SWR booking office but the clerk could not issue it, is this something which blocked by the SWR? Do you happen to know if this is true? If not I will visit kings cross this week.

Thanks in advance
 

ForTheLoveOf

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I have been to a SWR booking office but the clerk could not issue it, is this something which blocked by the SWR? Do you happen to know if this is true? If not I will visit kings cross this week.

Thanks in advance
It could be that their booking office software doesn't have that fare in it. But I'd have thought it's more likely the clerk simply had never heard of it and didn't know how to find it.
 

Hadders

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Don't expect Kings Cross to be able to issue it first time round. The first clerk I encountered couldn't do it, I returned a couple of days later and an excellent clerk managed to do it but they had to do a fair bit of keying around to get it to work.
 

Gareth Marston

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King's Cross sorted it for me but I had to go back twice as the first clerk said it couldn't be done.



Sometimes it's not practical to visit a TfW outlet if you live in another part of the country.

Yes but I'm aware of certain other non TfW TOC specific products we can't sell. It might have been an explanation.
 

Gareth Marston

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Don't expect Kings Cross to be able to issue it first time round. The first clerk I encountered couldn't do it, I returned a couple of days later and an excellent clerk managed to do it but they had to do a fair bit of keying around to get it to work.

Ask them to look it up in journey planner but do tell them the time of the service don't expect someone in London to know the times of the once a day service from Cardiff to North Wales that his the Business zone.
 

Paul Kelly

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Ask them to look it up in journey planner but do tell them the time of the service don't expect someone in London to know the times of the once a day service from Cardiff to North Wales that his the Business zone.
Have you tried recently? I only ask because I recall the electronically readable restriction data (shown on BR Fares here: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=CDF&dest=SHR&rte=44&tkt=PCU ) used to explicitly list the morning and evening services that had the Business Zone, but at the minute it just says "Not valid to depart any location at any time on any TOC". I'm wondering if someone at TfW has forgotten to update the trains in the restriction code since the timetable change in December.
 

Hadders

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Ask them to look it up in journey planner but do tell them the time of the service don't expect someone in London to know the times of the once a day service from Cardiff to North Wales that his the Business zone.

This is good advice and that's exactly what I is. The first occasion at my local station the clerk was new and seemed incapable of dealing with anything other than a Day Return to Peterborough. Later the same day I was at King's Cross so asked at the ticket office there. The clerk did try but was unable to issue the ticket. A couple of days later I was again at King's Cross so asked again and this time (after much pressing of keys) the clerk was able to do it.

This is one of those tickets that a clerk will probably never be asked for during the whole career! They should be able to sell it but it takes a bit of coaxing and shopping around.
 

ThomasI

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I know this is an old thread however I thought I'd add info for people curious if they happen to stumble upon it.
I've been on the service many times now and cannot fault it in any way.
My personal findings:
It's generally much cheaper to upgrade on the day than the difference in standard & first fares - however bare in mind this doesn't guarantee you a seat unless you can reserve a seat through other means (PM me if you're interested how and I can share).
First class is rarely full unless you're travelling in a school holiday or similar holiday.
The dinner service is much better value than the breakfast service.
Generally the 1st class carriage is at the Cardiff end (South of Chester) and the Holyhead end (north/west of Chester) (as it reverses at Chester)
 

island

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Have you tried recently? I only ask because I recall the electronically readable restriction data (shown on BR Fares here: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=CDF&dest=SHR&rte=44&tkt=PCU ) used to explicitly list the morning and evening services that had the Business Zone, but at the minute it just says "Not valid to depart any location at any time on any TOC". I'm wondering if someone at TfW has forgotten to update the trains in the restriction code since the timetable change in December.
If you scroll down a little further it says also unconditionally valid on 0534 Holyhead to Cardiff Central and 1716 Cardiff Central to Holyhead.

...though seeing now that this thread was reanimated, it has probably been fixed in the interim.
 

Phil from Mon

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Quick question re upgrades. When I upgrade on the train I just get an additional ticket so get to keep my original one. Is it the same with an upgrade at a station, or do they swap your standard for a business class one? I can claim back the cost of the standard, but they will not pay me a business class fare. Thanks in advance.
 

_toommm_

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Quick question re upgrades. When I upgrade on the train I just get an additional ticket so get to keep my original one. Is it the same with an upgrade at a station, or do they swap your standard for a business class one? I can claim back the cost of the standard, but they will not pay me a business class fare. Thanks in advance.

You get a separate ticket like this one:

20190516_083315.jpg
 
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