How many tickets???

[coupwotcoup]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but stick with it.

Ordered two return tickets from London to the South coast for
a four-day period over the Christmas holidays.

Went to my local station today and decided to pick them up.

.....18 tickets later - is this usual?

 

[MrJeeves]

To me, it looks like you bought a bunch of split tickets from Trainline.

So yes, that seems expected.

 

[coupwotcoup]

Purchased two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham.

 

[alastair]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but stick with it.

Ordered two return tickets from London to the South coast for
a four-day period over the Christmas holidays.

Went to my local station today and decided to pick them up.

.....18 tickets later - is this usual?

That kind of thing is not unusual for many longer journeys on Cross Country due to the prevalence of split ticketing. Another good reason for opting for E-tickets (provided you have a smart phone).

 

[bcarmicle]

Is it necessary to have that many collection receipts for split tickets though? I thought you could have just one collection code for multiple journeys, and surely it would be sufficient to have one collection receipt for the order overall.

 

[coupwotcoup]

Good call but to be honest it's not the end of the world.

Didn't go into Climate Doom Goblin mode but just found the totally somewhat OTT.

Happy bloody Christmas...

 

[MrJeeves]

Purchased two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham.

You might have searched for a return from East Croydon to Shoreham, but you were sold split tickets.

I mean we can easily see your whole booking is made up of multiple single tickets, and the one right at the top even says Shoreham to Preston Park, and Preston Park isn't Croydon!

Is it necessary to have that many collection receipts for split tickets though? I thought you could have just one collection code for multiple journeys, and surely it would be sufficient to have one collection receipt for the order overall.

The way collection tickets are put into the industry system means that each split is considered a "journey", I believe. Some TVMs will decide to give you a collection receipt per journey under the one code, but most will just give you one receipt for the whole collection.

 

[JBuchananGB]

You should scrutinise those split tickets very carefully. I can see a mixture of Advance and Off-Peak Singles, some Super Off-Peak Singles, and some Seat Reservations. In the past Trainline have been known to issue Advances (valid on specific train only) mixed in with Anytime & Off-Peak Singles when the passenger thought they were getting ticket(s) valid on any train (or any Off-Peak train). The unsuspecting customer only discovers this when the journey they make involves leg which doesn't match the Advance ticket, and that is when the ticket check happens.

 

[AlterEgo]

Purchased two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham.

You haven't.

You have split tickets.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

An Off Peak Return from Croydon Stns to/from Shoreham-by-Sea is £26.20 per person, if travelling together, after applying the railcard discount. So, potentially what was the ££ saving yielded by opting for the plethora of Off Peak Day Singles, Anytime Day Singles, Advance Singles and Super Off Peak Singles? Trying to work out whether the saving was worth the loss of flexibility.

 

[alistairlees]

The Off-Peak Single from Preston Park to Shoreham by Sea is issued on TfL stock. Is that expected?

 

[MrJeeves]

The Off-Peak Single from Preston Park to Shoreham by Sea is issued on TfL stock. Is that expected?

That ticket stock is used in a variety of Overground and Elizabeth Line machines, but is slowly being phased out in favour of normal RSP CCST stock.

It's just a variant of the RSP stock.

 

[styles]

You haven't.

You have split tickets.

Still two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham as the man on the Clapham omnibus would describe it. Two return journeys, multiple tickets.

Even moving past that, it does seem a bit short-sighted not to have, for example, one or more of:

• One collection receipt for the lot (as some operators do)
• The seat reservations to be either
  • Consolidated onto one print or
  • On the ticket they relate to (as some operators do)
• Multiple travellers to be accounted for on a single ticket when travelling together
• The abolition of the ridiculous system which leads to this number of splits for a marginal fare saving

18 printed tickets for 2 people making a 1h each way return trip is, I think most people would agree, a bit overkill.

 

[Hophead]

Well, the "Seat Reservation" tickets presumably say "sit where you like", as no GTR operation offers them, so those ones are completely superfluous for starters.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Looks like 8 tickets to me.

 

[JBuchananGB]

those ones are completely superfluous for starters.

The seat reservations will stipulate exactly which train the passenger must be on. If they thought the were buying, let's say, an off-peak return from East Croydon to Shoreham valid on any off peak train, then this places a severe restriction on their travel arrangements.

 

[Horizon22]

There's a few advances there, so hopefully the OP is careful about their itenary.

 

[DelW]

Still two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham as the man on the Clapham omnibus would describe it. Two return journeys, multiple tickets.
.....
18 printed tickets for 2 people making a 1h each way return trip is, I think most people would agree, a bit overkill.

I can count:
8 tickets
7 collection receipts
2 seat reservations
1 hidden by the one above (presumably another receipt)

So while there are several fairly unnecessary pieces of cardboard, if the actual tickets are for two passengers each making a return journey, it only makes one split (= two tickets) per journey, which doesn't seem excessive.

 

[yorkie]

Not sure if this is the correct forum but stick with it.

Ordered two return tickets from London to the South coast for
a four-day period over the Christmas holidays.

Went to my local station today and decided to pick them up.

.....18 tickets later - is this usual?

In future, consider e-tickets, where this is an option (you don't need to print e-tickets, but if you want a backup, you can do! Also, if there are two of you travelling, you can each have a copy of both tickets, which serves as a backup).

Also, it seems you are confused about what you bought:

Purchased two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham.

Therefore, you may want to consider using the forum's ticketing site in future. Before you commit, there is the option to view alternative ticket options, so you can see how much extra it would be for semi-flexible return tickets, rather than the Advance* Single tickets you actually bought.

We also offer an "open return" option, if you want to ensure you get returns.

(* Yes, I know not all were Advance tickets, but just having one in the itinerary means your travel times are heavily restricted).

Also, the forum's ticketing site doesn't charge a booking fee, so the most you'll be charged is the same as the TOCs charge. But if you use Trainline, it is possible that their booking fee will result in you paying more than a TOC would charge.

 

[AlterEgo]

Still two returns from East Croydon to Shoreham as the man on the Clapham omnibus would describe it.

And there's the rub - it isn't actually what they have, and not what they've been sold. That can have a material difference down the line.

 

[RJ]

And there's the rub - it isn't actually what they have, and not what they've been sold. That can have a material difference down the line.

Working in a ticket office, this is how it works with virtually everyone. They ask for a return ticket between two stations, and quite rightly expect to get exactly that without scrutinising what they’re actually given.

This is why printing split tickets or tickets from a different station or any other wizardry can cause more problems than it solves. It can impose unnecessary extra restrictions, or people will just remember the price then it will cause arguments when they expect the same price the next time without being able to recall the exact products they were given in the past.

 

[Skie]

Well, the "Seat Reservation" tickets presumably say "sit where you like", as no GTR operation offers them, so those ones are completely superfluous for starters.

I’ve often been issued a reservation for carriage XX/seat XX when the system feels like it must print the reservation despite that service not having reserved seats.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I’ve often been issued a reservation for carriage XX/seat XX when the system feels like it must print the reservation despite that service not having reserved seats.

Doesn't it still specify which train you have to travel on, though?

 

[styles]

And there's the rub - it isn't actually what they have, and not what they've been sold. That can have a material difference down the line.

It is though isn't it.

Most rail passengers don't ask for a return from A to B and an advance from B to C and an advance from C back to B and two singles from C to D and back again. They ask for a return from A to D, which is the journey they do indeed have tickets.

It isn't a capital R Off Peak Return, but it is, as normal people would call it, a return journey from East Croydon to Shoreham.

It's pretty anti passenger to start saying they don't if you ask me, just because the system has decided this is best fulfilled with a bunch of tickets which aren't capital R returns.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Right at the back there seem to be two singles from Croydon to Shoreham. So it looks as though it is the return journey on 27 December that has been split into multiple tickets. That is the one that OP needs to focus on to be on exactly the right train.