Trains sold out - how to get to destination?

[helana77]

Hello,

I need to get to Market Harborough from London on Saturday 8th October, arriving by ~11am. All the trains are sold out. I unfortunately didn't know I was going to have to go to Market Harborough before now. Is there any way of me getting there (i.e., via other routes and changing? Or using a bus service)?

Thanks

 

[skyhigh]

All the trains are sold out.

Looks to me as if it's a case of the trains not being open for booking yet, rather than sold out. There is RMT strike action taking place on Saturday, so modified timetables will be in place. I suspect ticket sales will be suspended until the timetable is confirmed.

If nothing else, if you turn up at a ticket office on the day you will be able to buy an Off-Peak ticket and travel on whatever train suits you that is running.

 

[High Dyke]

Hello,

I need to get to Market Harborough from London on Saturday 8th October, arriving by ~11am. All the trains are sold out. I unfortunately didn't know I was going to have to go to Market Harborough before now. Is there any way of me getting there (i.e., via other routes and changing? Or using a bus service)?

Thanks

As per the previous postings.

EMR information here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/rail-strike

Ticket Q&A advises.

 

[helana77]

I would want a same day return with my husband using two together railcard.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2022 ==

So might they release some tickets once the strike timetable is confirmed?

 

[alholmes]

The strike day timetable has been set - first train from St Pancras at 08:05, then hourly at 05 past the hour. The 10:05 should arrive Market Harborough at 11:03.

Trains south from Market Harborough at 56 or 57 past the hour, last train south at 16:56.

 

[helana77]

So is my only option to just turn up at the train station on the day and request a ticket? What if they say it's sold out as per the website?

 

[pdeaves]

For the avoidance of doubt, "sold out" (if that is indeed the case) only means no advance purchase fares are left. You can still use the train with a non-advance fare (off peak, open, etc.).

 

[Getbacktowork]

As others have pointed out, walk up fares are not restricted by volume of sale, hence will never sell out.

 

[Adam Williams]

As others have pointed out, walk up fares are not restricted by volume of sale, hence will never sell out.

Eh, this is semi-true and semi-false.

If you use a TOC who claim that reservations aren't mandatory but actually then mark them as mandatory in the timetable data, then it is possible that walk up tickets in conjunction with a selected service "can sell out", when you're using a TIS which actually properly complies with these requirements. This can sometimes be "bypassed" by selecting another service on the day which produces a ticket of the same type with the correct date validity, if it is not also sold-out. Note that some TVMs and ticket office staff will sell tickets without reservations, which means they will then sell tickets for these "sold out" services, which TPRs and other online retailers are not supposed to retail tickets for.

TOC, train operating company
TIS, ticket issuing system
TVM, ticket vending machine
TPR, third party retailer

 

[Getbacktowork]

Eh, this is semi-true and semi-false.

If you use a TOC who claim that reservations aren't mandatory but actually then mark them as mandatory in the timetable data, then it is possible that walk up tickets in conjunction with a selected service "can sell out", when you're using a TIS which actually properly complies with these requirements. This can sometimes be "bypassed" by selecting another service on the day which produces a ticket of the same type with the correct date validity, if it is not also sold-out. Note that some TVMs and ticket office staff will sell tickets without reservations, which means they will then sell tickets for these "sold out" services, which TPRs and other online retailers are not supposed to retail tickets for.

TOC, train operating company
TIS, ticket issuing system
TVM, ticket vending machine
TPR, third party retailer

True, although East Midlands Trains do not appear to operate such a policy

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Oct 2022 ==

As others have pointed out, walk up fares are not restricted by volume of sale, hence will never sell out.

TOCs are surely in agreement, hence would not be publishing warnings not to travel.

 

[Kilopylae]

Eh, this is semi-true and semi-false.

If you use a TOC who claim that reservations aren't mandatory but actually then mark them as mandatory in the timetable data, then it is possible that walk up tickets in conjunction with a selected service "can sell out", when you're using a TIS which actually properly complies with these requirements. This can sometimes be "bypassed" by selecting another service on the day which produces a ticket of the same type with the correct date validity, if it is not also sold-out. Note that some TVMs and ticket office staff will sell tickets without reservations, which means they will then sell tickets for these "sold out" services, which TPRs and other online retailers are not supposed to retail tickets for.

TOC, train operating company
TIS, ticket issuing system
TVM, ticket vending machine
TPR, third party retailer

I think you can get around this by using a Mixing Deck site which doesn't require you to select an itinerary before booking.

 

[Bertie the bus]

So is my only option to just turn up at the train station on the day and request a ticket? What if they say it's sold out as per the website?

nationalrail.co.uk now shows tickets are available for all morning services on the 8th, whereas yesterday it said no tickets were available for any services, so you should be able to purchase one.

 

[PeterC]

I think you can get around this by using a Mixing Deck site which doesn't require you to select an itinerary before booking.

Helpful advice for a member of the public who only knows of a mixing desk as the thing a DJ sits behind

 

[Taunton]

So is my only option to just turn up at the train station on the day and request a ticket?

That's sort of what everybody did for the first 150 years of railways ...

 

[Bertie the bus]

That's sort of what everybody did for the first 150 years of railways ...

Perhaps they did but Advance tickets hadn't been invented then. They now have and if the OP just turned up at the station they would be paying a lot more than necessary.

 

[Sleepy]

Perhaps they did but Advance tickets hadn't been invented then. They now have and if the OP just turned up at the station they would be paying a lot more than necessary.

Normally yes but EMR have withdrawn all Advance tickets for the date OP requires.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Not according to NRES they haven't. There are Advance tickets available on all Sat AM services for £22.50.