How lenient would a FGW guard see this?

[evotista]

I need to connect onto the Night Riveria Sleeper at PAD at 23:45 dep coming into London Marylebone (originating from BMO) at 23:13....32 mins connection time....(journey planners would see this as "officially" 37 mins required).

Given i can book a Sleeper Adv Solo berth ticket from PAD-PNZ, but due to delays i miss the train connection at BMO which therefore means i can't pick up the Riveria at PAD...I could catch a train from BHM to RDG to pick up the sleeper service instead at RDG at 00:37, rather than going by MYB to PAD.

Would most guards look favourably on presenting a Sleeper Adv solo from PAD to PNZ at RDG due to previous delays on connecting services? (even if those connecting services were not within "official" min connection timescales). Basically starting short...but with mitigating circumstances!!

Complex ...and strange the above question I know, but I'm interested in any views on the likelihood of leniency if the FGW guard is approached directly at boarding time at RDG.

 

[yorkie]

Not sure how FGW works, but on Scotrail it is the berth attendants who check tickets for customers holding berth reservations, not the Guards, and they wouldn't mind... except on busy nights they may have sold your berth already by the time you get on!

 

[Sleepy]

Yorkie is correct - on FGW Night Riveria it is the sleeping car attendants that check your tickets - would assume the guard + Advantix would be summoned if required ?

 

[yorkie]

....but due to delays i miss the train connection at BMO .....

You said you are "originating at BMO" so something doesn't add up. Perhaps you're arriving by bus, so BMO is your origin station, and that is what you mean by a "train connection"?

It would be much easier if you stated your originally intended itinerary, and your proposed replacement itinerary, along with details of any tickets you already hold.

(It's advisable to ask for advice before buying tickets but it sounds like it's too late in this case)

 

[LexyBoy]

I have been allowed to travel (and found a berth) with a Sleeper Adv Duo ticket dated for the previous day, so I'm inclined to say that you'll be fine if you explain why. There is a real risk that you would lose your berth though.

Is it not possible to leave Brum a little earlier though?

 

[evotista]

Yorkie,

Here's the itinerary...tickets haven't been bought yet!

20:16 STA to BHM 20:50
21:18 BMO to MYB 23:13
23:45 PAD to PNZ 07:52

The above is what I'ld like to do....however if the the STA train is late and the connection fails for me from BHM - BMO...then I could do (having pre bought a separate Advance ticket) this....

22:04 BHM to RDG 23:48 which then allows me to catch the PAD to PNZ train at RDG at 00:37

and purchase this as a "reserve" ticket in case the initial connection fails in Birmingham.

If the connection fails , I wonder if I could ring FGW from Brum and tell them to hold my berth for joining at RDG...even though my ticket of preference for PAD to PNZ is the Advance Solo ticket and therefore I'm breaking the rule of starting short.

Any more views on the sleeper attendants leniency likelihood...or in fact how I would contact FGW at PAD whilst in Brum to tell them I would be joining the sleeper at RDG?...therefore hopefully they would "hold" the berth for me until RDG.

 

[maniacmartin]

Please introduce the stations by their names before diving into the codes.

STA = Stafford, to save people looking it up.

 

[yorkie]

Can you leave Stafford at 1939? If not I would abandon the plan to travel via Marylebone; it's not a valid connection and is too risky.

 

[plastictaffy]

Yorkie,

Here's the itinerary...tickets haven't been bought yet!

20:16 STA to BHM 20:50
21:18 BMO to MYB 23:13
23:45 PAD to PNZ 07:52

The above is what I'ld like to do....however if the the STA train is late and the connection fails for me from BHM - BMO...then I could do (having pre bought a separate Advance ticket) this....

22:04 BHM to RDG 23:48 which then allows me to catch the PAD to PNZ train at RDG at 00:37

and purchase this as a "reserve" ticket in case the initial connection fails in Birmingham.

If the connection fails , I wonder if I could ring FGW from Brum and tell them to hold my berth for joining at RDG...even though my ticket of preference for PAD to PNZ is the Advance Solo ticket and therefore I'm breaking the rule of starting short.

Any more views on the sleeper attendants leniency likelihood...or in fact how I would contact FGW at PAD whilst in Brum to tell them I would be joining the sleeper at RDG?...therefore hopefully they would "hold" the berth for me until RDG.

Why do you have to go into Brum at all?? Would it not make more sense and be easier to go direct to EUS from STA??

 

[ainsworth74]

Agreed unless you can leave Stafford earlier and can't go via Euston I'd advise against travelling via MYB and instead catch the Sleeper from Reading. It isn't a valid connection and you could easily be left stranded in London.

 

[221129]

Also if the Birmingham - Marylebone train is delayed then you are stuffed as the sleeper will leave without you and you'll have to find your own way from London and your own overnight accommodation.

 

[LexyBoy]

Easy option would be leave STA 2026 direct to RDG (arr. 2241) or 2110 (arr. 2349 with a change at BHM). Couple of hours in the Oakford and your train awaits

If you wanted to go from Paddington, a safe option would be:
STA 1939 -> BHM 2018
BHM 2033 -> RDG 2217
RDG 2244 -> PAD 2324 (there's also a 2217 departure if you're quick).
...if you do get delayed, you can just bail at Reading, and it does make the official connection time at Paddington.

 

[evotista]

Thanks all for the advice...I understand the questions regards the strange routing but for various non-railway related reasons this is the way I will have to go i.e via a connection at Birmingham New Street to Birmingham Moor Street and the timescales that I have available....routing and timescales are not flexible due to other constraints!

I fully understand the inherent risks in this strategy i.e. It could all go horribly wrong coming into Birmingham New Street and equally all go horribly wrong into Marylebone and with it being an unofficial connection at Marylebone, there would be no recovery option...I understand all that quite plainly from your advice.

However.... the subsiduary question remains....how would I potentially contact the staff on the FGW Sleeper service when I know I've failed the Birmingham connection to tell them to hold the berth for me at Reading?...is there a FGW helpdesk at Paddington?...or would I just have to contact the general FGW customer service line? - I believe based in Plymouth..since I'll know by 21:15ish if I've failed the connection in Birmingham, but still have the alternate Reading service to get me out of "jail".

 

[LexyBoy]

I suspect it would be more trouble than it's worth TBH. Phone numbers for individual stations are not made public, but you might be passed through from customer services. For me the risk of the Chiltern service being delayed after leaving would be a real concern.

 

[bb21]

Are FGW twitter manned 24/7? That may be your best bet if so.

I don't think there is much you can do if arriving late at Marylebone, but if you miss the connection at Birmingham, you could go to the Network Rail helpdesk in the concourse and see if they would be happy to ring Paddington for you.

 

[plastictaffy]

Sounds risky as - best of luck evotista. As I see it, the more trains you have to get on, the more chance there is of it going tits-up. Same for going into Brum.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

you could go to the Network Rail helpdesk in the concourse and see if they would be happy to ring Paddington for you.

Are you talking about the same surly, unhappy-to-help-everything-is-just-a-bit-too-much-trouble people that work for Network Rail in New Street? Happy? Them?? I think not.