Booked Train Only?

[hairyhandedfool]

SWT services do sometimes get a coupon where the coach and seat are replaced by ****

 

[EltonRoad]

The ticket simply says "Validity: booked train only". Anyone reading that would interpret it as saying you have to use it on the reserved train that you have been given, which is fine. However in my opinion it doesn't imply you have to have a reservation for every leg, if it did imply that then you would have been given a reservation for every leg, so the fact you haven't been is enough to allow you to use it without one, ie on any reasonable connection.

I agree that it could be better-worded, and is bound to lead to queries like the OP's.

And regarding its use on SWT, I travelled only yesterday on a First Advance from Norwich to Portsmouth and return, and only had a reservation coupon for Norwich to Liverpool St in each direction. This ticket also stated "Validity: booked train only" and the SWT guards did not ask to see any reservations or itineraries.

 

[elpasi]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. And sorry, I didn't realise this was such a debated topic. I just have one more thing to throw in. I just looked at individual KGX-CBG tickets and the only ones you can buy are Anytime Day Singles for Standard or First. Does this mean that the KGX-CBG and CBG-KGX components of my ticket must also act as such, considering this would imply the operator does not recognise the ability to pay for a specific train between the two stations?

 

[EltonRoad]

I think the reality is that once you're on the Cambridge train, no-one is going to ask to see your Exeter - Paddington reservation, which effectively means you can use any train. But you must understand there is a tiny, but appreciable risk that someone will ask to see it, and if there's an unfeasibly large gap between arrival at Paddington and departure from King's Cross, may ask whether you'd broken your journey, but it's very unlikely to happen and it doesn't sound like you're planning on doing that anyway. Returning a bit earlier than the route planner suggests would, in my opinion, not only be fine but actually quite sensible (if you're worried about connections etc).

 

[swt_passenger]

And regarding its use on SWT, I travelled only yesterday on a First Advance from Norwich to Portsmouth and return, and only had a reservation coupon for Norwich to Liverpool St in each direction. This ticket also stated "Validity: booked train only" and the SWT guards did not ask to see any reservations or itineraries.

That's correct because SWT do not have any Advance ticket quotas on the Portsmouth direct route.

However in another forum a few weeks ago, someone had found that due to engineering works he'd been booked through to Portsmouth on the Sunday splitting service via Eastleigh, and beause the train had an Advance quota for the Poole route he DID get a particular booked time for his SWT train.

Southern also issue 'train only' bookings without seat reservations.

 

[jopsuk]

I think the reality is that once you're on the Cambridge train, no-one is going to ask to see your Exeter - Paddington reservation, which effectively means you can use any train. But you must understand there is a tiny, but appreciable risk that someone will ask to see it, and if there's an unfeasibly large gap between arrival at Paddington and departure from King's Cross, may ask whether you'd broken your journey, but it's very unlikely to happen and it doesn't sound like you're planning on doing that anyway.

I'd bet money that the ticket would the barrier at Liverpool Street.

 

[yorkie]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. And sorry, I didn't realise this was such a debated topic. I just have one more thing to throw in. I just looked at individual KGX-CBG tickets and the only ones you can buy are Anytime Day Singles for Standard or First.

For Cambridge to London, you can get a range of walk-on fares, including (Super) Off Peak (Day), and Anytime.

Does this mean that the KGX-CBG and CBG-KGX components of my ticket must also act as such,

Your ticket is an Advance ticket, and the terms of Advance tickets (not any other ticket) apply.

considering this would imply

The availability (or lack of) any particular ticket on any particular part of the journey does not imply anything with respect to the overall journey.

the operator does not recognise the ability to pay for a specific train between the two stations?

Advance fares are not available for journeys between the two stations (Cambridge and London). Advance fares are available for many other journeys that extend beyond that.

For your journey, the terms of your ticket apply (ie, you can't break your journey. If you held an Anytime or Off Peak ticket, you could exit an intermediate station (or more) e.g. you could go to watch Spurs or Arsenal by breaking your journey at White Hart Lane or Finsbury Park, or you could visit a relative in Stevenage, etc etc, but as your ticket is an Advance ticket you are not allowed to exit any station en route, other than for the purposes of changing trains.)