Booked train on a connection

[Andyh82]

A ticketing query that I hope you guys can advise on.

I'm travelling from Leeds to Edinburgh in a few weeks, changing at York.

It's a advance ticket route EC & Connections.

As the Leeds to York part is a First TPE service I've got a booked train and seat reservation. Do I have to use that part or could I travel earlier to avoid cutting it fine when changing at York onto the service that will form the majority of the journey.

 

[yorkie]

Welcome to the forum

You can take that train, or an earlier "appropriate" train.

Although there is no official publicly-accessible rule stating you cannot take a XC service, I would strongly advise you take a Northern or TPE service.

This is because Northern trains are non-reservable, and TPE policy is to allow reasonable trains for connecting purposes.

 

[LexyBoy]

If you miss your booked train at York due to a delay on the TPE service, you may use the next available EC service (which will usually be half an hour behind).

 

[swt_passenger]

The Advance FAQs say otherwise:

Q25 - Can a passenger with an Advance ticket travel on an earlier connecting train?
A: Yes if it is non-reservable, no if it is reservable.

The OP says he has a reservation for his connecting train...

 

[bb21]

Yes, but TPE policy is that an earlier train can be caught if it were the "Connections" part.

That said, if I were the OP, I would still stick to the reserved service. There is always one guard who never receives the message.

 

[Andyh82]

If you miss your booked train at York due to a delay on the TPE service, you may use the next available EC service (which will usually be half an hour behind).

Indeed but then have no seat reservation for 3 hours for the fault of 20 mins at the start, which is why I'd rather catch an earlier train.

I may just catch an earlier Northern service, as they aren't reservable as you say (and on the return I've been scheduled to catch a Northern service anyway as that happened to be the next available train at York)

 

[yorkie]

Without knowing the scheduled departure times of any of the trains (or if it's a weekday or weekend) it's difficult to advise.

The information regarding TPEs common sense appropriate train policy in this area comes from a Guard who I know (and is also a member of this forum) and who is considered to be one of the 'keener' guards when it comes to revenue collection, so if he says it's OK, you can be pretty sure it is OK

 

[Andyh82]

Without knowing the scheduled departure times of any of the trains (or if it's a weekday or weekend) it's difficult to advise.

The information regarding TPEs common sense appropriate train policy in this area comes from a Guard who I know (and is also a member of this forum) and who is considered to be one of the 'keener' guards when it comes to revenue collection, so if he says it's OK, you can be pretty sure it is OK

It's 0917 from Leeds connecting into 0953 from York to Edinburgh.

All it takes is for the 0912 to be a minute or two late and also with a call at Garforth, the 0917 gets stuck behind riding on yellow signals, and then gets held waiting for a platform at York and the scheduled 13 minute connection could slip away.

 

[yorkie]

Taking a Northern train requires you to depart Leeds at 0825!

If you can get the 0912, I'd simply get that rather than the 1917. It's an appropriate connecting service, and TPE's policy is to allow appropriate connecting services on such tickets, so I really wouldn't worry.

The 0912 is cross-platform; the 0917 requires either the subway or the footbridge.

The 0917 departed 5 late and arrived York 4 late, but still arrived 10 minutes before the 0953 departed.

 

[34D]

The Advance FAQs say otherwise:



The OP says he has a reservation for his connecting train...

Yes, but the earlier train needs to be unreservable, not the one he's booked on....

 

[Harpers Tate]

I suggest - head for an earlier train, and talk to the Guard on the platform at Leeds before you board it. In fact - head for two trains earlier and if you are denied the first, try again on the next, and then, if you are again denied, go as booked. And if you are denied twice AND delayed then I'd write it off as "not my day".