Birmingham-Belfast SailRail

[Flying Snail]

Just realised the Holyhead-Dublin at 1200 is the £47 Swift service so now I'm weighing up whether £5 is worth the extra time in Dublin and the free bus,... I think so. Booking this isn't a problem.

For the return leg, I need to book the ferry reservation and the sleeper reservation. I tried to book the whole journey on online but as the return train journey isn't recognized because of the shorter than recommended connection at GLC.

Assuming I can't buy the return journey ticket this side of the Irish Sea in person as has been suggested above, do I need to have a ticket to book a seat reservation on the sleeper before I go or can I get this without a ticket?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Yep but as above, not with the shorter than recommended connection time.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It doesn't matter that the booking engine doesn't recognise the exact journey you need as the tickets are unrestricted.

The ferry reservation (if you even get one) is largely irrelevant. You will need a reservation for the sleeper though as without one you could be refused travel if the seated coach is fully booked.

Buy the ticket without the reservation and bring it to any manned ticket office and they will issue the reservation on the spot free of charge.

I imagine there are various ways to get a res without having the travel ticket but it is not supposed to be done so best to get them in the correct order.

 

[dvboy]

Thanks but raileasy is the only website I can get it to work on, if I deliberately select to show slower journeys an then choose the 17:00-8:55 journey rather. But I don't really want to give them £1 booking fee and 75p card charge either, plus they won't do pick up from a ticket machine (don't trust the post).

Unless anyone can suggest another website that can sell me this ticket, I will have to try BHM's booking office.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So I went to the Booking office at BHM and the person behind the counter decided to tackle the outward and return seperately. Took her a little while to get the 1200 ferry and connecting trains but got there in the end. First half sorted and I have an Economy Single from Birmingham Stns to Belfast NI Route Hlyhd Swift Civ, with reservations on the three trains from here to Holyhead.

The second half wasn't so successful. The booking system wouldn't allow the journey in the same way the online booking wouldn't. It first threw up the Watford Junction option off the sleeper but she discounted that as not being a vaild route (I agreed). The second option it threw up involved a 4 hour wait at Glasgow. When I suggested she sell me this and then book me a seperate reservation on the sleeper, because I would get that instead despite it not showing because of the short connection, and after going away then coming back, she told me that she couldn't sell me it because a) the Economy Saver isn't valid on a sleeper - because this ticket being £42 is much cheaper than the £97 that is a single from Stranraer or Glasgow (I don't remember) to Birmingham, and then b) she couldn't sell me a ticket for a journey that would leave me in Glasgow for four hours in the middle of the night (despite me saying I would happily sit there and wait).

She suggested I try again online (as the she can't be held responsible if I complain about the long wait at Glasgow) and if that fails, to return before 1800 tomorrow when perhaps more experience staff may be able to help.

Is she right about:
a) the Economy Single from Belfast-Birmingham via the Belfast-Stranraer not being valid on the Westerton-Crewe sleeper?
b) not being able to sell a ticket with a 4 hour wait in the middle of the night in Glasgow?

 

[wintonian]

There is no Economy Single from Belfast via Stranraer these are Standard Open Singles (SDS) or these days now known as Anytime Singles.

Economy Single and returns are for routes via Holyhead.

Either way they are valid on the sleeper when a permitted route.

The relevent restriction for the SDS/ SOR via Stranraer is 1X and can be found here and as you can see it clearly states "Also valid on all First ScotRail Caledonian sleepers (with supplement)"

I would just buy the ticket for any old trains on the day you wish to travel and then ring up Scotrail telesales who I expect will more than happily book you on to the sleeper.

 

[dvboy]

Sorry I'm obviously getting my ticket types mixed up.

That restriction code isn't right as I'm not going to London, I am going to Birmingham.

The point is she won't sell me a ticket for even "any old trains" that include that ferry, because she won't let me have a 4 hour middle-of-the-night connection at Glasgow Central (even though I'm not going to do that, I'm going to head to Westerton to get the Sleeper).

 

[Flying Snail]

Thanks but raileasy is the only website I can get it to work on, if I deliberately select to show slower journeys an then choose the 17:00-8:55 journey rather. But I don't really want to give them £1 booking fee and 75p card charge either, plus they won't do pick up from a ticket machine (don't trust the post).

Unless anyone can suggest another website that can sell me this ticket, I will have to try BHM's booking office.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So I went to the Booking office at BHM and the person behind the counter decided to tackle the outward and return seperately. Took her a little while to get the 1200 ferry and connecting trains but got there in the end. First half sorted and I have an Economy Single from Birmingham Stns to Belfast NI Route Hlyhd Swift Civ, with reservations on the three trains from here to Holyhead.

The second half wasn't so successful. The booking system wouldn't allow the journey in the same way the online booking wouldn't. It first threw up the Watford Junction option off the sleeper but she discounted that as not being a vaild route (I agreed). The second option it threw up involved a 4 hour wait at Glasgow. When I suggested she sell me this and then book me a seperate reservation on the sleeper, because I would get that instead despite it not showing because of the short connection, and after going away then coming back, she told me that she couldn't sell me it because a) the Economy Saver isn't valid on a sleeper - because this ticket being £42 is much cheaper than the £97 that is a single from Stranraer or Glasgow (I don't remember) to Birmingham, and then b) she couldn't sell me a ticket for a journey that would leave me in Glasgow for four hours in the middle of the night (despite me saying I would happily sit there and wait).

She suggested I try again online (as the she can't be held responsible if I complain about the long wait at Glasgow) and if that fails, to return before 1800 tomorrow when perhaps more experience staff may be able to help.

Is she right about:
a) the Economy Single from Belfast-Birmingham via the Belfast-Stranraer not being valid on the Westerton-Crewe sleeper?
b) not being able to sell a ticket with a 4 hour wait in the middle of the night in Glasgow?

a. use of this ticket via Westerton is unusual to say the least but I would say it is a valid route and even if not the reasons stated were nonsense. The price of the sailrail ticket in relation to a different ticket is of no relevance to it's validity, if this were the case most would be invalid as they are cheaper than a lot of rail only tickets.

In the normal course of events travelling south via Westerton would be invalid but because of the unusual routing of the sleeper it is given extra validity for routes needed to connect with it. Westerton is the station used by the Fort William sleeper instead of serving a central Glasgow station so in this case it is a valid journey.

B. That is complete nonsense. The fare is most certainly valid to use via Glasgow and with a late start time allowing an overnight break of journey (or no BoJ if you intend to fester on the station overnight) is a basic part of the NCOC and is a given that it is valid for all ticket types that are not "Booked Train Only".

Unfortunately encountering badly trained and uncoperative retail staff is a common complaint on these boards and when they point blank refuse to sell a valid ticket there is little that can be done then and there to get around it. That is why it is important to approach the purchase of unusual tickets with this in mind and make it as simple as possible for them to give you what you want, going into the details of a complex journey plan is not the way to go about this. Maybe I did not make it clear enough before but the tickets you are trying to buy do not require you to commit yourself to any particular journey plan except for the booked ferry journey and you do not need to book ANY rail reservations at the time of purchase. By trying to force the issue of some unusual and borderline journey plans on a ticket clerk that is not well informed about the ticket you want in the first place you are only making life harder for yourself.

For whatever reason it seems to be problematic to purchase inbound sail-rail tickets in GB so it is wise to provide the bare minimum information needed to complete the purchase and if necessary go back at a later time to get any reservations that you might want.

The same goes for online purchases. It doesn't matter what itinerary you use to get them to issue the ticket for, it does not change the validity of the ticket. It will still be perfectly acceptable to use it on an entirely different route as long as that route is a valid one. You can always go to a ticket office and get your seat reservations once you have your travel tickets.

From a recent thread on the topic it seems Raileasy are the only online retailer currently able to sell sail-rail tickets so if you want to buy online you will have to use them.

 

[wintonian]

Sorry I'm obviously getting my ticket types mixed up.

That restriction code isn't right as I'm not going to London, I am going to Birmingham.

The point is she won't sell me a ticket for even "any old trains" that include that ferry, because she won't let me have a 4 hour middle-of-the-night connection at Glasgow Central (even though I'm not going to do that, I'm going to head to Westerton to get the Sleeper).

Nope that is the correct code, however I admit that the person who wrote it obviously doesn’t realise that singles are available, I would assume the return part would apply to you in this case i.e. "Return travel SOUTHBOUND – by any train scheduled to ARRIVE: At or after 1005. Also valid on all First ScotRail Caledonian sleepers (with supplement)”

Or from Avantix:

Restriction : 1X
Code used to stations in
Scotland and Berwick on Tweed.

OFF PEAK JOURNEYS FROM/VIA
LONDON (including Stevenage,
Watford Junction, Milton
Keynes, Bedford & Luton).

Available as listed below
Mondays-Fridays. (By any train
on Bank Holidays and other
days).

Outward Travel NORTHBOUND - by
any train scheduled to DEPART:

London Terminals
At any time. Break of journey
not permitted, except to
change trains.

Return Travel SOUTHBOUND -
by any train scheduled to
ARRIVE:

London Terminals
At any time. Break of journey
not permitted, except to
change trains.


Applies to ticket type
GVR: Anglo - Scot Off-Peak
BVS/BVR/SVS/SVR OFF-PEAK
FSR/FSS/SFR/BFR/BFS
OFF-PEAK (First Class)

Outward/Single/Return Travel:
_____________AVAILABLE ANY DAY

Ticket Code: BVS/SVS
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: OFF-PEAK
Single/Return: SINGLE
Out Validity:-
Day - DATE ON TICKET
Time - SEE BELOW
Break of Jrny: (OUT) YES
Pre-Booking Requirement: NONE
Reservations Compulsory: NO
Child Discount: YES
Railcard Discount: YES
Group Discount: YES
Refunds: SEE 'REFUNDS' SECTION

Ticket Code: FSS/BFS
Ticket Class: FIRST
Ticket Name: OFF-PEAK
Single/Return: SINGLE
Out Validity:-
Day - DATE ON TICKET
Time - SEE BELOW
Break of Jrny: (OUT) YES
Pre-Booking Requirement: NONE
Reservations Compulsory: NO
Child Discount: YES
Railcard Discount: YES
Group Discount: YES
Refunds: SEE 'REFUNDS' SECTION

Ticket Code: BVR/SVR
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: OFF-PEAK
Single/Return: RETURN
Out Validity:-
Day - DATE ON TICKET
Time - SEE BELOW
Return Validity:-
Day - ONE CALENDAR MONTH
Time - SEE BELOW
Break of Jrny: (OUT) YES
(RTN) YES (SEE NOTES BELOW)
Pre-Booking Requirement: NONE
Reservations Compulsory: NO
Child Discount: YES
Railcard Discount: YES
Group Discount: YES
Refunds: SEE 'REFUNDS' SECTION

Ticket Code: FSR/SFR/BFR
Ticket Class: FIRST
Ticket Name: OFF-PEAK
Single/Return: RETURN
Out Validity:-
Day - DATE ON TICKET
Time - SEE BELOW
Return Validity:-
Day - ONE CALENDAR MONTH
Time - SEE BELOW
Break of Jrny: (OUT) YES
(RTN) YES (SEE NOTES BELOW)
Pre-Booking Requirement: NONE
Reservations Compulsory: NO
Child Discount: YES
Railcard Discount: YES
Group Discount: YES
Refunds: SEE 'REFUNDS' SECTION

NOTES:
1) Time restrictions are
indicated by a restriction
shown against the ticket's
validity code.
2) Holders of Off-Peak ticket
types SVS/SVR, which are
discounted using 16-25, Senior
, Disabled Persons, HM Forces
and Family & Friends Railcards
, New Deal Photocards and
Inter-Rail (Code 70) Cards,
may use ANY Virgin_train
service, provided that the
route on the ticket is not
"Virgin Trains Only" and the
journey being made is priced
by Virgin Trains. If the
journey is not priced by
Virgin Trains then the stated
Off-Peak restictions apply.
3) Only Senior, Disabled
persons and HM Forces
Railcards discounts are
offered with First Class
Off-Peak Tickets.

BREAK OF JOURNEY

Break of journey is allowed on
the outward portion of
Off-Peak tickets UNLESS
OTHERWISE INDICATED BY A
RESTRICTION SHOWN AGAINST THE
TICKET'S VALIDITY CODE, and in
all cases on the return
portion of Off-Peak return
tickets.

Off-Peak Singles and the
outward portion of Off-Peak
Returns are valid for travel
on the date shown on the
ticket. Where a passenger
wishes to stop overnight or
the journey cannot be
completed within one day,
break of journey for an
overnight stay is allowed.
Where a journey does continue
into the next day, travel must
resume before 1200 and any
relevant time restrictions
apply. No further break of
journey is allowed except for
the purpose of changing
trains. Please note that break
of_journey is not permitted on
some journeys, as detailed_in
the ticket restrictions.

Return portions of Off-Peak
Return tickets are valid for
travel until 0230 on the day
following the last day of
validity (i.e. one calendar
month from outward journey).
If a passenger is_still
travelling at 0230, they
may stay on the train to
complete that part of the
journey but no further break
of journey is allowed and all
travel must be completed by
1200.

Note: Cross London transfers
will only be accepted by
London Underground on the
date shown on the ticket (or
last day of validity for
Off-Peak Returns) and until
0429 the following day.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Off-Peak tickets are not valid
when the journey is affected
by a restriction shown against
the ticket's validity code.

Tickets with a 'Maltese Cross'
shown in the route description
allow transfer across London
on London Underground,
Docklands Light Railway or
First Capital Connect
(Thameslink route) services
appropriate to the route of
the through journey being made

Any local validity easements
can be found in the Easements
section- Easements
introduction to view.

Travel restrictions do not
apply on Public Holidays.

NETWORK AREA:
The London & South East
Network Area is shown in the
London Area Fares section E0

Off-Peak tickets for journeys
starting within the Network
Area to destinations outside
the Network Area with travel
via London are valid by any
train to London, to connect
with trains from London.

Off-Peak tickets for journeys
starting outside the Network
Area for travel via London use
restrictions from the origin
station to London and return.
Unless shown otherwise, they
are unrestricted between
London and the destination
station, and return.

SELLING AN OFF-PEAK TICKET
Customers should be told of
any restrictions which may
affect any part of their
journey.

Where available, an
information card giving ticket
validity details should be
given out with each Off-Peak
ticket.

It dosn't mention sleeper in Avantix so by definition as a SDS it will valid for travel on them.

 

[dvboy]

a. use of this ticket via Westerton is unusual to say the least but I would say it is a valid route and even if not the reasons stated were nonsense. The price of the sailrail ticket in relation to a different ticket is of no relevance to it's validity, if this were the case most would be invalid as they are cheaper than a lot of rail only tickets.

In the normal course of events travelling south via Westerton would be invalid but because of the unusual routing of the sleeper it is given extra validity for routes needed to connect with it. Westerton is the station used by the Fort William sleeper instead of serving a central Glasgow station so in this case it is a valid journey.

This is what I thought. Although I can't find an easement for it, the First Scotrail website and timetable does state passengers from Glasgow can travel to Westerton to pick up the sleeper from there if they want to arrive later or alight at Crewe.

B. That is complete nonsense. The fare is most certainly valid to use via Glasgow and with a late start time allowing an overnight break of journey (or no BoJ if you intend to fester on the station overnight) is a basic part of the NCOC and is a given that it is valid for all ticket types that are not "Booked Train Only".

Exactly what I thought, and I did try to make this point, that the fare she quoted me from Glasgow to Birmingham is the same in the daytime, not just on the Sleeper, and therefore that was irrelevant, but she and her colleague next to her both believed it was not valid on a Sleeper. The colleague said "only trains that connect off the ferry" (whatever that means).

Maybe I did not make it clear enough before but the tickets you are trying to buy do not require you to commit yourself to any particular journey plan except for the booked ferry journey and you do not need to book ANY rail reservations at the time of purchase. By trying to force the issue of some unusual and borderline journey plans on a ticket clerk that is not well informed about the ticket you want in the first place you are only making life harder for yourself.

For whatever reason it seems to be problematic to purchase inbound sail-rail tickets in GB so it is wise to provide the bare minimum information needed to complete the purchase and if necessary go back at a later time to get any reservations that you might want.

The same goes for online purchases. It doesn't matter what itinerary you use to get them to issue the ticket for, it does not change the validity of the ticket. It will still be perfectly acceptable to use it on an entirely different route as long as that route is a valid one. You can always go to a ticket office and get your seat reservations once you have your travel tickets.

From a recent thread on the topic it seems Raileasy are the only online retailer currently able to sell sail-rail tickets so if you want to buy online you will have to use them.

I understand this, and Raileasy will sell me the ticket with the 4-hour wait at Glasgow, and I know I can get the sleeper reservation after, but out of principle I didn't want to pay Raileasy £1.75 more for a ticket I should be able to get at the booking office.

 

[Flying Snail]

This is what I thought. Although I can't find an easement for it, the First Scotrail website and timetable does state passengers from Glasgow can travel to Westerton to pick up the sleeper from there if they want to arrive later or alight at Crewe.

No, the routing guide is not 100% on it but as you say it is an advertised deviation for Glasgow passengers and by extention Stranraer as it is valid to Birmingham/London via Paisley (it's routing point) and Glasgow.

The note on map ZZ of the guide also points in that direction although it references Ashfield and Springbank (wherever the hell that is) rather than Westerton where the FW sleeper has stopped at ever since it had it's Glasgow QS stop removed.

Exactly what I thought, and I did try to make this point, that the fare she quoted me from Glasgow to Birmingham is the same in the daytime, not just on the Sleeper, and therefore that was irrelevant, but she and her colleague next to her both believed it was not valid on a Sleeper. The colleague said "only trains that connect off the ferry" (whatever that means).

By the time you get into those sorts of stupid discussions you are already sunk.

I understand this, and Raileasy will sell me the ticket with the 4-hour wait at Glasgow, and I know I can get the sleeper reservation after, but out of principle I didn't want to pay Raileasy £1.75 more for a ticket I should be able to get at the booking office.

I agree in principle but I find it is always worth considering how much you value your time, is £1.75 really worth spending another hour messing about organising yourself to go to the station and having stupid discussions with annoying ticket office staff? If the raileasy gits would post tickets outside the UK I would probably use them myself to buy rail-sail rather than have to use the pathetic hadwritten yokes that are issued over here and are guaranteed to cause hassle away from major routes.

 

[dvboy]

I agree in principle but I find it is always worth considering how much you value your time, is £1.75 really worth spending another hour messing about organising yourself to go to the station and having stupid discussions with annoying ticket office staff? If the raileasy gits would post tickets outside the UK I would probably use them myself to buy rail-sail rather than have to use the pathetic hadwritten yokes that are issued over here and are guaranteed to cause hassle away from major routes.

Very good point, what I'm going to do is print out the raileasy website showing the journey and hope that someone with a bit of sense at Birmingham serves me tomorrow - I might try Snow Hill instead - then get the sleeper reservation from Scotrail telesales (will they post it out to me for free?)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Meant to reply specifically to this part earlier...

the tickets you are trying to buy do not require you to commit yourself to any particular journey plan except for the booked ferry journey and you do not need to book ANY rail reservations at the time of purchase.

Try booking this ticket without being specific about any journey plan. You can't.

Whatever computer system they use at Birmingham booking office demanded a journey start time. Therefore she would not sell me a ticket that would mean a 4-hour wait in Glasgow despite me pointing out to her that I wouldn't be doing that, that I would be making a shorter than recommended connection that her system wouldn't show, and therefore required a reservation on the sleeper.

A case of "computer says no".

 

[wintonian]

Very good point, what I'm going to do is print out the raileasy website showing the journey and hope that someone with a bit of sense at Birmingham serves me tomorrow - I might try Snow Hill instead - then get the sleeper reservation from Scotrail telesales (will they post it out to me for free?)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Meant to reply specifically to this part earlier...



Try booking this ticket without being specific about any journey plan. You can't.

Whatever computer system they use at Birmingham booking office demanded a journey start time. Therefore she would not sell me a ticket that would mean a 4-hour wait in Glasgow despite me pointing out to her that I wouldn't be doing that, that I would be making a shorter than recommended connection that her system wouldn't show, and therefore required a reservation on the sleeper.

A case of "computer says no".

Yes but you do not have to use those trains. for example if you had booked from Southampton going via London at the ticket office and on the day you fancied going via Oxford and Birmingham instead you can, you can be booked onto a train at 08:00 and decide on the day that you fancy an extra hour in bed and get the 09:00 instead - in other words you are not tied to the trains set down in the itinerary given at the ticket office.

 

[dvboy]

Yes but you do not have to use those trains. for example if you had booked from Southampton going via London at the ticket office and on the day you fancied going via Oxford and Birmingham instead you can, you can be booked onto a train at 08:00 and decide on the day that you fancy an extra hour in bed and get the 09:00 instead - in other words you are not tied to the trains set down in the itinerary given at the ticket office.

Again, I know this, but she wouldn't sell it me anyway. :roll:

The only way to get the ferry booking was to book those trains.

 

[wintonian]

Again, I know this, but she wouldn't sell it me anyway. :roll:

Well find some connections that work that she/ they will sell to you and then ring up Scotrail and use the trains you wish to use instead.

 

[dvboy]

Well find some connections that work that she/ they will sell to you and then ring up Scotrail and use the trains you wish to use instead.

There aren't any.

 

[wintonian]

Belfast port dep 07:30 arr Stranrear 10:20

dep Stranrear 14:18 arr Ayr 15:50

dep Ayr 15:59 arr Glasgow Central 16:49

dep Glasgow Central 17:36 arr Crew 20:46

dep Crew 21:17 arr Birmingham New Street 22:15

Use something like that for booking and just get the later ferry and the trains you want to.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Or ring Scotrail tele sales and see if you can book the whole Belfast to Birmingham trip ferry and all over the phone.

 

[dvboy]

Don't I need a reservation for the ferry?

 

[wintonian]

Don't I need a reservation for the ferry?

No you don't get one anymore and in the past when I have tried showing it to them they have only been interested in the bit that says Birmingham Stns/ Bournemouth/ Brighton etc. to Belfast N.I. I.e. the outward or return part of the ticket.

In any case it has been widely reported on here that they have had no problems letting you on a different sailing.

 

[dvboy]

Oh right, only I got one for the outward Holyhead-Dublin ferry.

 

[wintonian]

Oh right, only I got one for the outward Holyhead-Dublin ferry.

Eh? When I went in may I gave up after trying 3 or 4 different ticket offices, eventually the people at Reading said there was a notice up saying that were no longer required, however the manual still thinks you need a control ticket (couldn't get one of these either) but I can almost guarantee you that you not be asked to produce it.

Have a search and look at previous threads on the subject there have been a few over the last couple of years.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
thread #1
thread #2
thread #3
thread #4

These may help answer some of your questions.

 

[John @ home]

use of this ticket via Westerton is unusual to say the least but I would say it is a valid route

I agree. It is permitted by the notice on map ZZ.

The Fort William sleeper runs from Edinburgh through Springbank and Ashfield to Fort William. It does not go into Glasgow Queen Street. Springbank and Ashfield are members of the Glasgow Group Routeing Point.
Doubling back because of the train running pattern is permitted. Published easements describe these extended permissions.

that is the correct code, however I admit that the person who wrote it obviously doesn’t realise that singles are available

And the person who allocated this code to Anytime Day Single (SDS) and Anytime Return (SOR) fares doesn’t realise the definition of these products on the definitive source of information.

I would assume the return part would apply to you in this case i.e. "Return travel SOUTHBOUND – by any train scheduled to ARRIVE: At or after 1005. Also valid on all First ScotRail Caledonian sleepers (with supplement)”

I don't agree. By definition, Anytime and Anytime Day tickets can carry no time restrictions. Any such restrictions allocated to these types of ticket is an error and cannot be enforced.

The note on map ZZ of the guide also points in that direction although it references Ashfield and Springbank (wherever the hell that is) rather than Westerton where the FW sleeper has stopped at ever since it had it's Glasgow QS stop removed.

Springbank North Jn and Springbank South Jn are on a freight only line from Hessle to Hull Docks. The Fort William sleeper does not go there! The most likely explanation is that Springbank is a typo for Springburn. This would allow these Westerton - Edinburgh routes:

• Westerton - Hyndland - Glasgow Queen St LL - Springburn - Bishopbriggs - Falkirk - Edinburgh
• Westerton - Ashfield - Bishopbriggs - Falkirk - Edinburgh
• Westerton - Ashfield - Springburn - Cumbernauld - Falkirk - Edinburgh

 

[embers25]

The return restrictions into London have been removed in the latest version of Avantix

 

[wintonian]

I agree. It is permitted by the notice on map ZZ.



And the person who allocated this code to Anytime Day Single (SDS) and Anytime Return (SOR) fares doesn’t realise the definition of these products on the definitive source of information.

I don't agree. By definition, Anytime and Anytime Day tickets can carry no time restrictions. Any such restrictions allocated to these types of ticket is an error and cannot be enforced.

It was late and I had been awake since the early hours.

A mistake probably, but if the passenger was informed of the restrictions at the time of booking could they then be enforced?

The return restrictions into London have been removed in the latest version of Avantix

Indeed they have.

 

[dvboy]

Well I thought I'd give Snow Hill a try. They told me they couldn't do it at all on Tribute. Looks like I'm going to have to buy it on RailEasy.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Booked it on RailEasy in the end with no problems and was given the following T&C:

Ticket Terms & Conditions
Outbound FareAnytime Day Single

Description
Standard single for travel on the date shown on the ticket

Break of journey
Yes

Pre-booking requirement
None

Reservations
No

Cancellation and refund charges
Full refund if submitted within 28 days of the expiry date of the ticket less a £10 admin fee.

Changes to travel plans
Valid any time on date shown on ticket. If date to be changed, cancel tickets and re-book

Availability
Valid any time on date shown on ticket. If date to be changed, cancel tickets and re-book