Beginners questions

[Traintripper]

Hi.
I am new to the forum, throughout the last year I’ve started travelling more on the railways, with a couple of trips to Scotland and South Wales under my belt.

I am travelling to Penzance soon, and will be having a 40 min wait in Newport to wait for a connecting train. My question is, am I able to cross the ticket barriers during this time or does that constitute a break in journey? The last thing I’d want is for a machine to ‘eat’ my ticket. I don’t actually understand what a ‘break in journey’ is?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[ash39]

I would suggest in that situation that you have a word with the gateline staff and ask if they can buzz you through. If you enter your ticket it may retain it as you say.

I'm not sure what the official line on this is, but I did it at Darlington to use the Costa which is the 'wrong' side of the barriers for connections, and had no issues.

 

[Traintripper]

Thank you

 

[cactustwirly]

Hi.
I am new to the forum, throughout the last year I’ve started travelling more on the railways, with a couple of trips to Scotland and South Wales under my belt.

I am travelling to Penzance soon, and will be having a 40 min wait in Newport to wait for a connecting train. My question is, am I able to cross the ticket barriers during this time or does that constitute a break in journey? The last thing I’d want is for a machine to ‘eat’ my ticket. I don’t actually understand what a ‘break in journey’ is?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

I think to break your journey you have to physically exit the station, so crossing the barriers to get a coffee etc, isn't a BoJ.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum.

A few things here.

- Technically whether or not you can break your journey depends on what type of ticket you hold. If you have an Advance ticket then you can't break your journey. Almost all 'walk on' tickets (eg. Anytime, Off Peak, Super Off Peak etc.) permit break of journey.
- Break of journey isn't actually defined anywhere but is essence occurs when you leave railway premises part way through a journey then return later to complete it. So as mentioned above asking to go through the barrier to get a coffee from a shop within the station isn't a break of journey, but going to a shop across the road is.
- As ever there are some exceptions. Some journeys require you to make your way between different stations (eg. crossing London or walking between Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington Central). This isn't a break of journey, even though you leave railway premises.
- If you're making a break of journey at an intermediate station that has ticket barriers the ticket is unlikely to work the barriers. This is because the barriers are not 'smart' and cannot usually cope with tickets printed with different destinations to the station you're at. This doesn't mean break of journey isn't allowed. Simply ask the staff to let you through manually. If ticket barriers are in operation they have to be manned (or at least have an intercom and CCTV facility).

In my experience I've never had a problem being let out of a station to make a break of journey, even when using an Advance ticket. You do have to follow your booked itinerary with an Advance ticket but I can think of many occasions where I've had an hour (or sometimes more) to wait for a connection and I've never been refused exit and re-entry at a station in these circumstances.