St Albans to Chichester ticket query

[jon0844]

I, along with three others, will be going to Chichester on Friday afternoon (between morning and evening peak times, most likely around 1.30-2pm) and returning Sunday afternoon (2-3pm onwards). The departing station is St Albans.

On this occasion, we would like to travel first class (and, yes, I know first class isn't that special on FCC or Southern) so I know Groupsave is out. I have a Gold Card, but don't know if you can use this on first class tickets? Are there any clever split ticket options?

What are the options, and what will happen given that there seems to be engineering work on Sunday - prompting a rather odd route back. Staying on a train is preferable to rail replacement buses, and I suspect we'll have to come in to Victoria because the TL core will be closed all day Sunday?

Also, how many of the Brighton services are now served by 377s on FCC? Do they run at all on weekends? It would be preferable to be on one of those than a clapped out 319!

 

[clagmonster]

The only first class return tickets are first day returns, so you would each have to buy first day singles at a cost of £46.30 each way. However, from St Albans Abbey, there is a first saver return available, priced at £53.40. I believe this is valid down the MML from St Albans City as West Hampsted is a routeing point for St Albans Abbey and passes the fare check rule.

 

[jon0844]

What about getting 4 tickets with GroupSave and then buying first class supplements on my gold card? Is that possible on GroupSave?

I know most ticket offices don't know about the first class upgrade (even I don't know the T&Cs as I've never bought one), but isn't it £5 per person (per day)? We might only get to do this on the way back though, as we're going out on Friday.

 

[class377man]

The only way to get around the RR blockade is to go via Havant and Guildford which will require an excess of some sort I think.

 

[jon0844]

That was the route given by National Rail enquiries, so I did wonder if it would require an excess or it would have been permitted on account of the lack of service (I guess buses count though!).

May end up just taking the car in the end!! Sundays are never good days to use the train are they!

 

[paul1609]

The cheapest way to do it if you adamant that you want first class is to buy 4 off peak returns with your gold card total £81.80 and then 4 x £5 first class supplements for each direction at a grand total of £121.80.
The Gold card supplements are only valid with tickets purchased with a gold card so that would preclude their use with a Groupsave ticket.
As you are aware both direct Southern routes to London are closed on Sunday to allow maintenance on the River Arun Bridge at Ford and Nearby Arundel Junction.
This means that the best route is via Havant in to Waterloo. You dont need a supplement for this as any permitted tickets to/from Chichester are valid via Havant to London and beyond.

 

[class377man]

This means that the best route is via Havant in to Waterloo. You dont need a supplement for this as any permitted tickets to/from Chichester are valid via Havant to London and beyond.

Interesting, I didn't know this and apologise for giving the wrong impression. Are they valid from further east or only from Chichester and further west?

At least first class on SWT is a bit better than Southern or FCC!

 

[paul1609]

Interesting, I didn't know this and apologise for giving the wrong impression. Are they valid from further east or only from Chichester and further west?

At least first class on SWT is a bit better than Southern or FCC!

No, Stations Chichester to Warblington have 2 fares to London. The cheaper one is " Southern Trains only" (until last year this was route Hassocks or horsham) the other is route "any permitted" which is more expensive but valid via Havant. Trains to North of London Stations are "any permitted" so are valid via Havant

 

[class377man]

Thanks for explaining Paul.

 

[jon0844]

Okay, so I need to basically get four (standard class) open return tickets to Chichester that is marked any permitted - allowing the detour via Havant and SWT on the return journey on Sunday without any excess. We can also do a break of journey too? On that basis, we might as well stop off at Havant for a wander.

I am not sure you can get the FC supplement on a weekday, but we could on Sunday if we fancy a nicer return journey - given the increased journey time (pretty much doubled to almost four hours). Going down is dead easy; FCC to Gatwick or East Croydon and then onto Southern!

Thanks for all of the advice! Seems the car can stay home and the planet can exist a little longer.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Don't expect much from Havant unless you like run down towns attatched to large council estates.

I'll keep an eye out for you at Havant but you will probably not arrive until after I book off!

 

[jon0844]

Fair enough, probably won't stop off then!

Living in Hatfield, I've seen quite enough run down towns attached to council estates!

 

[paul1609]

Okay, so I need to basically get four (standard class) open return tickets to Chichester that is marked any permitted - allowing the detour via Havant and SWT on the return journey on Sunday without any excess. We can also do a break of journey too? On that basis, we might as well stop off at Havant for a wander.

I am not sure you can get the FC supplement on a weekday, but we could on Sunday if we fancy a nicer return journey - given the increased journey time (pretty much doubled to almost four hours). Going down is dead easy; FCC to Gatwick or East Croydon and then onto Southern!

Thanks for all of the advice! Seems the car can stay home and the planet can exist a little longer.

To be specific you need 4 off peak returns discounted with the gold card. According to the National Rail site the first class upgrades are available mon to fri after 10 am but are not available southbound from London 16 to 19.00.

Southbound its best to change at East croydon since both trains will be using the same Platform there (3). To travel onward to Chichester (known as Chi to locals) you need to be in the front 4 coaches (of 8 or 12) as most trains will devide at Horsham the front portion travelling non stop to Barnham on the coast. Coaches 1 and 4 have the 2 +2 seating configuration in both first and standard with loads of tables.

Break of Journey I agree with Matt (I must work out who he is one day) give Havant a wide berth the only thing of interest there is the Hayling Billy Cycleway along the old Hayling Island Branch.

A much better bet along the coast is Bosham (pronounced Bozam) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosham but this suffers from the disadvantage of only having 1 train per hour on Sunday and the village/church waterfront being about a mile walk from the station.
Emsworth has 2 tph and is closer but isnt as picturesque as Bosham.

Have a good trip.

 

[jon0844]

Got down to Chichester a little late, after a one under further along the line prompted the train to be diverted to Bognor (we got off the stop before for a shuttle to Chichester, which became a bus thereafter - so not good for those going further).

I did mess up the tickets a bit. Got 3 returns for everyone, but then asked for two ticket extensions for me (as I have a Z1-6 travelcard). As I would be coming back a different way, he couldn't do a boundary zone 6 ticket so said I'd need to get a London Terminals to Chichester, plus my St Albans to boundary 6 (Elstree & Borehamwood).

Anyway, paid up, got on train then realised by two ticket extensions added up to almost two quid more than the straight through ticket!! Whoops.

I guess that's the railway for you, given that I have a ticket covering a fair chunk of the journey and pay more than someone who has nothing (ignoring the fact we all got Gold Card discounts).

All three trains were 377s, so I'm glad we didn't pay for first class!

One thing; my goodness, the track is bad coming from East Croydon to Chichester! Don't think I've ever had such a bumpy ride, which was awful even on the straight sections. A total contrast to the MML with the exact same rolling stock.

 

[royaloak]

One thing; my goodness, the track is bad coming from East Croydon to Chichester! Don't think I've ever had such a bumpy ride, which was awful even on the straight sections. A total contrast to the MML with the exact same rolling stock.

Try the Farnham to Alton bit, that is truly shocking.

 

[jon0844]

Back home now, and realised I'd paid more than £2 more than I should.. as it was TWO £2.80 ticket extensions from St Albans to Elstree & Borehamwood - not a return. So, I paid about £5 more than everyone else.

Guess I'll have to write in on that one and try to get a refund. Stupid me for thinking the extensions would be cheaper, and silly on the ticket seller for not noticing it was more expensive. Silly both of us for not realising when it came to paying!

Went for the FC upgrades on the way back, which was very nice on SWT. Buffet trolley did very well from us too, and we were gripped twice between Havant and Guildford (different guard).

From there to Waterloo, the guard never left the back of the train. In fact, he spent the whole journey (about an hour) chatting up the girl with the trolley and got a couple of cups of tea.

Then, as I noticed we had some 15 minutes of padding, he came on - twice - to say that we were being held as we were 6 minutes early. On both occasions he apologised for an inconvenience this might cause! Erm, a train early can't surely cause much inconvenience unless normal circumstances mean the train gets a platform earlier and people expect it to be early!! I really didn't understand what he was on about with that - and he didn't seem to be saying it in a jokey fashion to highlight how the train was ahead of time, so good on SWT.

It was a much nicer ride than Southern, but the train went so slow! Are they always like this?

 

[paul1609]

Back home now, and realised I'd paid more than £2 more than I should.. as it was TWO £2.80 ticket extensions from St Albans to Elstree & Borehamwood - not a return. So, I paid about £5 more than everyone else.

Guess I'll have to write in on that one and try to get a refund. Stupid me for thinking the extensions would be cheaper, and silly on the ticket seller for not noticing it was more expensive. Silly both of us for not realising when it came to paying!

Went for the FC upgrades on the way back, which was very nice on SWT. Buffet trolley did very well from us too, and we were gripped twice between Havant and Guildford (different guard).

From there to Waterloo, the guard never left the back of the train. In fact, he spent the whole journey (about an hour) chatting up the girl with the trolley and got a couple of cups of tea.

Then, as I noticed we had some 15 minutes of padding, he came on - twice - to say that we were being held as we were 6 minutes early. On both occasions he apologised for an inconvenience this might cause! Erm, a train early can't surely cause much inconvenience unless normal circumstances mean the train gets a platform earlier and people expect it to be early!! I really didn't understand what he was on about with that - and he didn't seem to be saying it in a jokey fashion to highlight how the train was ahead of time, so good on SWT.

It was a much nicer ride than Southern, but the train went so slow! Are they always like this?

With regard to the ride I'd guess that you were in a 377/4 that is coming up to a bogie overhaul. For reasons that I've never been able to fully understand the ride in 377/4s is much worse than in a the other 377 or 375 classes and when it is coming up to overhaul its very bad especially if youre sitting over the bogies which hunt all over the place.

I think that when you get a 444 the SWT service is slightly better but the 450s with their standard class 3 +2 seating is pretty poor and I'd prefer a 377 with tables over that but the SWT service is now very slow so much so that the London Victoria service is actually quicker than the via Eastleigh service. When the Desir- slows were introduced many speed limits on the Pompey service were drastically reduced to accomodate them. Buriton Tunnel went from 70 to 40 for instance.

The service is now up to 20 mins slower than when the Greyhound CIGs and BEPs were used. The peak services with slam door used to be like a trip with a teenager in a Focus RS now its more like an OAP in a Vauxhaul Insignia.

 

[jon0844]

The train from Chichester to Havant didn't have the Southern colours inside (purple-ish seats and orange grab rails) and it looked SO much nicer than the green.

I presume these are the older trains, but it looked almost brand new. What a contrast to a FCC 377/5 that looks years old!

As the SWT service - can't remember if it was a 444 or 450 (it was white outside, 5-car, FC at country end) well everything was great besides the speed. Absolutely shocking! The battered 319 to St Albans for the final stretch from St Pancras was flying, and arrived 2 minutes early!

 

[A60K]

5-car white = 444

 

[yorkie]

From there to Waterloo, the guard never left the back of the train. In fact, he spent the whole journey (about an hour) chatting up the girl with the trolley and got a couple of cups of tea.

You're not suggesting it would be better to have ticket examiners who are constantly patrolling the trains like on SPT are you? Don't you realise how "dangerous" that is! It is far, far, safer for a guard to be sat at the back drinking tea and doing doors occasionally, apparently. And any attempt to deny them the right to do this will result in threats of industrial action

 

[Dolive22]

Yorkie, there is actually a safety benefit to having the guard at the back. If the train hits something (train, bridge parapet etc.) the guard should survive and tell the signaller, protect the train, stop passengers running in front of high speed trains.....

Before we have another 'guard' thread, remember I agree with you, and that we were heading for the longest thread on here last time.

 

[jon0844]

I should have added that the guard chatting up the 'trolley dolly' was a THIRD guard! Is it normal to change over so much on a single service?

 

[yorkie]

Yorkie, there is actually a safety benefit to having the guard at the back. If the train hits something (train, bridge parapet etc.) the guard should survive and tell the signaller, protect the train, stop passengers running in front of high speed trains.....

The counter arguments to that have been done to death in previous topics so I won't go into them here!