Commonwealth Games: Ticket splitting not permitted.

[Albion91]

The commonwealth games tickets include free travel in the Birmingham nNetwork area but - "ticket splitting is not permitted"

https://helpcentre.birmingham2022.com/hc/en-gb/articles/6746910693265-Where-can-I-travel-to-and-from-

Spectators with event tickets can travel on bus, rail and tram services that originate and terminate within the ‘nNetwork’ boundary, which is the local area covered by the West Midlands public transport network (shown on the map below).

Ticket splitting is not permitted.

There are three Games venues which are located outside the ‘nNetwork’ area. Travel on the below services is also covered if you have a ticket to one of these venues:

• Cannock Chase – CrossCountry and London Northwestern Railway services between Wolverhampton and Stafford (one day only)
• Nicholas Park, Warwick – Chiltern Railways and West Midlands Railway services between Dorridge, Coventry and Warwick, and Stagecoach bus services (X17 and X18)
• Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa – West Midlands Railway, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways services between Dorridge, Coventry and Leamington Spa, National Express (service 11) and Stagecoach bus services (X17 and X18)

Travel to Lee Valley Velodrome, London, is not included.

I'm a bit confused about this - presumably it's not possible to prevent people undertaking two separate journeys where the second one begins when the first one ends.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think what it means is that you can't combine this special offering with another ticket on a non-stop train as you normally can a zonal ticket like a Rover (if I recall the rules allow specific tickets to be excepted from this), but they don't seem to make that very clear.

 

[duncanp]

The only thing I can think of when they say that ticket splitting is not permitted is that, when travelling from outside the West Midlands area, you can't use another ticket in conjunction with your games ticket in order to make a single journey.

eg. if travelling from Shrewsbury to Bimingham New Street, you can't use a ticket from Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton and your games ticket to make that single journey on the same train.

Not sure how they can enforce this though, as you would have a valid ticket for your complete journey. A games ticket is a valid ticket for the National Rail network and should be subject to the normal split ticketing rules.

It would be rather like saying you can't use Advance tickets as part of a split ticketing journey, you can only use off peak or anytime singles or returns.

 

[Albion91]

I think what it means is that you can't combine this special offering with another ticket on a non-stop train as you normally can a zonal ticket like a Rover (if I recall the rules allow specific tickets to be excepted from this), but they don't seem to make that very clear.

Ah this makes sense. Definitely could have been much clearer!

 

[Mike395]

It's poorly worded but yes, the intention is to be clear that people can't buy tickets on a long-distance service to the first TfWM station the train passes through (only really affects CrossCountry to any great extent as most Avanti/TfW services will call at either Coventry or Wolverhampton which are both boundaries anyway). There is, however, absolutely nothing to stop you buying to Coventry/Wolverhampton and using your Games ticket for the last leg into Birmingham as well as transfer to your venue.

 

[greatkingrat]

It says you can only travel on services that originate and terminate in the West Midlands area, so I don't think it is valid at all on long distance services, even just from Coventry to Birmingham.

 

[Segedunum]

It says you can only travel on services that originate and terminate in the West Midlands area, so I don't think it is valid at all on long distance services, even just from Coventry to Birmingham.

If that makes it only valid on trains that both start and terminate in the West Midlands you'd be rather hard pressed to escape Coventry at all, seeing as even LNWR services usually run to/from Northampton and Euston.

 

[Mike395]

I agree it's not particularly well worded, but this page confirms e.g. Avanti West Coast services are included within the TfWM area: https://helpcentre.birmingham2022.c...729-What-transport-operators-can-I-travel-on-

 

[Dave91131]

I agree it's not particularly well worded, but this page confirms e.g. Avanti West Coast services are included within the TfWM area: https://helpcentre.birmingham2022.c...729-What-transport-operators-can-I-travel-on-

An Avanti West Coast service? Good luck finding one of those..

 

[duncanp]

If that makes it only valid on trains that both start and terminate in the West Midlands you'd be rather hard pressed to escape Coventry at all, seeing as even LNWR services usually run to/from Northampton and Euston.

That will cause a lot of problems because as you say it would exclude LNWR and Avanti services between Coventry and Birmingham.

Maybe they mean journeys that start and originate in the West Midlands, but then how do you stop someone using a ticket from London to Coventry in combination with a games ticket to travel to Birmingham. It would be rather absurd to make that person get off at Coventry.

 

[GodAtum]

I've bought a ticket from Euston to Coventry. I'll get off at Coventry and get on the next service to Birmingham just to be safe.

 

[gc4946]

There'll be a lot of long distance travellers who'll have multiple valid tickets travelling into and out of the West Midlands.
E.g. a friend travelling on direct Cross Country service from Bournemouth to Birmingham New Street for an event on 5th August at Alexander Stadium would also have his games ticket validity for the day from Coventry on the same train

 

[Deafdoggie]

I've bought a ticket from Euston to Coventry. I'll get off at Coventry and get on the next service to Birmingham just to be safe.

That is just making unnecessary work for yourself! There's no way it's enforceable if you stay on the same train. Are you going the whole hog and exiting the barriers with one ticket and re-entering with the other one?If not, then simply changing trains is pointless as you'll be unable to prove it if the guard on second train thought you'd come from London anyway! And are you going through this whole rigmarole again on the return? It's going to make an easy fast journey into a slow complex one.

 

[maniacmartin]

If split ticketing is explicitly forbidden then this could affect your rights if you are connecting with an Advance and the first train is delayed