Are the Kings Cross platforms to the GC / East Coast trains now gated ? If so will I have to buy my GC ticket from the ticket office and hence spend time waiting in a queue or can I ask the staff to let me through the gates and onto the GC train where I will be offered a choice of tickets for my journey ?
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If the company operating the train advertises that they sell on board, no-one can stop you doing that. This applies to both railtours and open access TOCs. For example, there are barriers at Marylebone but if you say you are going for the WSMR they let you through.
I once had someone at Southampton try to deny me entry to a Pathfinder tour. He wasn't going to let me through so I just walked past him as the train was pulling in, and invited him to ask the people who ran that train if he had any concerns. He seemed quite shocked at the arrival of the Class 37s and Mk1/2s and was desperately seen trying to get Pathfinder's authorisation to apprehend me. He was sooo disappointed
Also had arguments at London Bridge and various other places with people who don't seem to understand the concept that another operator may be using the station. They have no right to deny you entry to another operators' trains unless the other operator has given them permission.
I don't think East Coast would try to stop you though. Those days are over, but I heard reports of them trying in the early days and people just walked past them and challenged them to try to stop them, and of course they couldn't. I believe complaints were made to GNER and the malpractice stopped, presumably the jobsworths were given a warning.
Another thing that has stopped as far as I know, is GNER tried to do counts of GC passenger numbers. Although they were not allowed to do this on board, they tried to get round that by peering through the windows at York station.
Some employees of franchised TOCs just need to be told to accept open access operators and railtours, perhaps they see their little empire under threat. Well, tough! And it gets them nowhere. GNERs reputation was badly tarnished by the major wobblers some of their staff threw due to Grand Central being given track access rights.
Grand Central are doing well, and the numbers on board the trains seem healthy. Sadly I still book AP tickets on East Coast due to the fact they're a lot cheaper if you book far enough in advance, £10 on EC vs £30* on GC and without the guarantee of a Valenta... but once you get nearer the time of travel the East Coast advance fares become daft and you may as well get a walk-on ticket with GC! I'm happy to pay extra to use GC, but not three times extra when I know my travel plans well in advance.
I wish GC well, but I think their fare policies are in need of improvement, e.g. advance purchase, and it is still cheaper to buy an inter-available ticket York-Hartlepool than the GC only if returning the same day.
(* Advance fares aren't really available on GC, but £30.50 is what is quoted when you go to
http://www.mobitix.thetrainline.com/GC/advancepurchase.aspx - this price is half the walk-on return price without any discounts available and is rather pointless)
