LNER Advance Fare oddity

[scottish rider]

I was looking at fares to Kirkcaldy on the northbound LNER service that leaves London Kings Cross at 14:00.

There are generally standard class advances available for most journey origin points, but no first class advances to Kirkcaldy on this train showing. I wondered if there wasn't any availability on journeys north of Edinburgh but on checking there are however first class advances to Inverkeithing and Leuchars (the stop before and after Kirkcaldy).

Could anyone shed any light of the reasons for this, I'm aware there are LNER staff on the forum, is it maybe something to do with the short platform (although this applies at Inverkeithing too which is even shorter) reastricting door access - on the 16:00 from London carriage M isn't available to book to Kirkcaldy.

Many thanks for any thoughts

 

[Haywain]

is it maybe something to do with the short platform (although this applies at Inverkeithing too which is even shorter) reastricting door access - on the 16:00 from London carriage M isn't available to book to Kirkcaldy.

You’ve hit the nail firmly on the head for the reason. The short platform is to blame. I don’t know all the ins and outs behind it but it is about restricting operational problems that were experienced.

 

[Starmill]

Does it cost less than you expected to pay to book a First Class advance to Edinburgh and then a standard one from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy? If so I'd just do that.

 

[scottish rider]

You’ve hit the nail firmly on the head for the reason. The short platform is to blame. I don’t know all the ins and outs behind it but it is about restricting operational problems that were experienced.

Interesting, thanks for confirming. I understand that L & K fitted on the platform ok, is it the lack of M though that is enough to prevent first advance fares being available?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Oct 2022 ==

Does it cost less than you expected to pay to book a First Class advance to Edinburgh and then a standard one from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy? If so I'd just do that.

It's an option but tends to be a bit more, it just seemed strange when the same short platform issue occurs at Inverkething but there are fares to there

 

[Haywain]

I understand that L & K fitted on the platform ok, is it the lack of M though that is enough to prevent first advance fares being available?

I believe that’s the case.

 

[scottish rider]

I believe that’s the case.

Thanks for the info, it just seemed a strange thing so I thought someone on here would know

 

[kkong]

Strange - I have boarded northbound at Inverkeithing a few months ago and first class was bookable in coach K only.

Not sure why a similar arrangement cannot be put in place at Kirkcadly?

It seems a bit extreme to make first class unavailable on the basis of one or two coaches not being platformed at a station.

Not a big deal to walk through from whatever the closest platformed coach is.

 

[Haywain]

Not a big deal to walk through from whatever the closest platformed coach is.

I’ve heard that a lot, but that’s not the case for everybody, and if you get someone sat in coach M with large luggage or a pushchair, or who isn’t very mobile then there’s a problem.

 

[kkong]

I can understand that, but it seems a bit extreme to stop the sale of all first class tickets (or is it advance only?) to certain stations on the basis of that.

 

[Wallsendmag]

It's the same with some of the stations between Hull and Doncaster

 

[ASharpe]

Is it just reservations restricted in this way?

The LNER 0719 at Shipley has the quiet coach (B) locked out of use and you can't get reservations on it - often the first thing a guard will do on departure is go unlock it ready for arrival at Leeds.

Why is it that coaches are locked sometimes but not in this case?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Is it just reservations restricted in this way?

The LNER 0719 at Shipley has the quiet coach (B) locked out of use and you can't get reservations on it - often the first thing a guard will do on departure is go unlock it ready for arrival at Leeds.

Why is it that coaches are locked sometimes but not in this case?

Selective Door Opening?

 

[Haywain]

Is it just reservations restricted in this way?

The LNER 0719 at Shipley has the quiet coach (B) locked out of use and you can't get reservations on it - often the first thing a guard will do on departure is go unlock it ready for arrival at Leeds.

Why is it that coaches are locked sometimes but not in this case?

I’m guessing that in that case it’s locked out from the start of the journey at Skipton and has little impact on loadings. On other trains it’s not feasible to lock a coach out from King’s Cross.

 

[kkong]

Northbound at Inverkeithing, the front door of coach L is on the platform by around 15m, but both doors of coach L are kept locked.

Does the SDO only work on a full coach basis?

 

[Haywain]

Northbound at Inverkeithing, the front door of coach L is on the platform by around 15m, but both doors of coach L are kept locked.

Does the SDO only work on a full coach basis?

I haven’t the faintest.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Northbound at Inverkeithing, the front door of coach L is on the platform by around 15m, but both doors of coach L are kept locked.

Does the SDO only work on a full coach basis?

No , at least I don't believe so as one of the announcements is "At the next station the rear doors in this coach will not open"

 

[paul1609]

Down south doors only open on coaches wholly on the platform. I believe it is to reduce the complexity of the release, interlock and cctv arrangements.

 

[Starmill]

Down south doors only open on coaches wholly on the platform. I believe it is to reduce the complexity of the release, interlock and cctv arrangements.

Depends what you mean by down south. London Overground can and SWR definitely will be able to release only the leading doors of a coach on some units.

I would imagine that there are other examples e.g. 345s, which can also lock their middle doors.