Alr and seated night trains

[HORNIMANS]

Can anyone help me here, Iwill be having an ALR in the summer, and Iknow you can only buy the ALR 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE. How does one reserve the seat on a night train in advance without a valid ticket? Can any one help?

 

[MCR247]

You ought to be able to book them without a ticket if you explain you are do an ALR

 

[ChrisTheRef]

The 3 days in advance rule no longer exists.

I did one on Feb 14th and bought the ticket in late December

 

[MCR247]

Does that mean the ALR is no longer classed as a season ticket?

 

[yorkie]

Does that mean the ALR is no longer classed as a season ticket?

For what purpose?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

How does one reserve the seat on a night train in advance without a valid ticket? Can any one help?

I've never been asked to show a ticket when I've booked by 'phone!

 

[transportphoto]

I think 'HORNIMANS' means that often for reservations you are asked for your ticket number etc...

My personal view only

 

[MCR247]

For what purpose?

Because it was classed as a season, if you had an ALR from Monday - Sunday, you could get the sleeper on the sunday night from London- Inverness say by paying for a berth and getting a London - Winsford ticket even though it didn't stop there

Sorry if it doesn't make sense

 

[yorkie]

For what purpose? [/quore]

Because it was classed as a season, if you had an ALR from Monday - Sunday, you could get the sleeper on the sunday night from London- Inverness say by paying for a berth and getting a London - Winsford ticket even though it didn't stop there

Sorry if it doesn't make sense

If a ticket is valid on the Sunday night then you can take the sleeper, there is no need to buy berths or additional tickets after midnight.

 

[MCR247]

Sorry to sound stupid, but I don't understand what you mean. Basically if the ALR was valid for the Monday, you could split ticket, even if the you didn't stop at that station.

By the way, anyone know how much 2 single berths are on the sleepers?

 

[Mojo]

For the purpose of split ticketing, the NRCoC mentions season tickets and leisure travel passes. An ALR would come under the last category.

 

[MCR247]

Oh, ok

 

[yorkie]

A berth supplement is about £36 each. If you can plan far ahead, a bargain berth is a much better deal as they are £29 or £49 (once in a blue moon you'll get one for £19) and include travel.

As for the ALR, I realise you meant the Sunday before it starts, I am unsure, I thought it was allowed without buying an additional ticket, but if not then yes a ticket to Winsford would work, although in some cases a sleeper seated ticket will be cheaper.

 

[EltonRoad]

I'm not following this. Why buy a ticket from London to Winsford? Why Winsford?

 

[Mojo]

I'm not following this. Why buy a ticket from London to Winsford? Why Winsford?

I should imagine because MCR247 guessed it would the first point the train passes after midnight. It varies all the time due to engineering works, tonight the first place the Highland passes after midnight is Warrington Bank Quay, and the Lowland is somewhere between Watford Junction and Tring (Tring being the first timetabled location).

 

[EltonRoad]

I see, but if the ALR is valid on Sunday night then surely the ticket should be from Winsford to Inverness, starting Monday morning.

 

[yorkie]

I see, but if the ALR is valid on Sunday night then surely the ticket should be from Winsford to Inverness, starting Monday morning.

Correct. But I thought tickets for the next day were accepted on the sleeper. If not then just board the Lowland sleeper at Watford.

 

[Mojo]

He was talking about if you have a ticket valid from Monday, and wanted to board the sleeper on a Sunday (or any two days).

 

[MCR247]

He was talking about if you have a ticket valid from Monday, and wanted to board the sleeper on a Sunday (or any two days).

Yeah, thats it

 

[A60K]

Correct. But I thought tickets for the next day were accepted on the sleeper. If not then just board the Lowland sleeper at Watford.

On the continent they are - if you've got a rail pass and are using an overnight train departing after 7pm, you only need validity or to date a box for the following day (the day of arrival).

 

[rail-britain]

Can anyone help me here, Iwill be having an ALR in the summer, and Iknow you can only buy the ALR 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE

The minimum period is six weeks
I tried the same last year trying to purchase it in April, eventually purchased on 23 May so that I could start making the bookings (they wouldn't let me make any reservations until I had the ticket) for 27 June onwards

I started mine on the 00:23 from Falkirk Grahamston to Euston
I did enquire about starting on the Glasgow Central sleeper, but it was declined

 

[A60K]

On the continent they are - if you've got a rail pass and are using an overnight train departing after 7pm, you only need validity or to date a box for the following day (the day of arrival).

Bad form to reply to my own post, but looking at this it seems to be a Europe-wide concession to Interrail and Eurail holders - so if you had one of these and were travelling to the UK to use it as described you could. It just seems to be national pass holders that aren't allowed to do so.

 

[Railjet]

On the continent they are - if you've got a rail pass and are using an overnight train departing after 7pm, you only need validity or to date a box for the following day (the day of arrival).

This works for flexi-pass holders (for example, 10 days in 22), but only within the overall validity of the pass.

So, for example, if the 22 days of your pass starts on 15 May, you cannot use it on a night train starting on 14 May after 7pm, and mark 15 May as your first travel day. You can use it for a night train starting after 7pm on 15 May, and therefore only mark 16 May as your first travel day.

 

[yorkie]

I started mine on the 00:23 from Falkirk Grahamston to Euston
I did enquire about starting on the Glasgow Central sleeper, but it was declined

Book from Carstairs and add a Glasgow Stns - Carstairs Anytime Single at £5.50. No need for the train to call at Carstairs with the ALR (the train calls to pick up only so no problem - if you were using point-to-point tickets then that would not be valid as the train doesn't set down)