Luton to Cambridge

[MrCub]

Validity advice please.

Luton to Cambridge, weekday (post 10am) off-peak day return at £15.20 with NSE railcard.

If I want to come back at a time which means I just happen to change trains and pass through London St Pancras during the 'evening peak', the ticket is valid isn't it?

I'm assuming it is because although the second leg of the journey starts at STP, the actual journey (and ticket) commences at Cambridge which is outside of the FCC 'zone'.

Thanks

Mr Cub

 

[clagmonster]

The £15.20 ticket is routed via the Hatfield to St Albans bus, and is hence not valid via London. To make this journey via London you need a cheap day return, route + any permitted, priced at £23.75. The outward journey is valid leaving Luton at or after 09:34 (subject to any morning restrictions on Network Railcards) and is valid to return by any train.

 

[philjo]

Is it quicker to use the 100/101 bus from Luton to Hitchin & get a CDR to Cambridge from there?

http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/serviceInformation.aspx?id=2704

N.B. the Luton buses do not serve Hitchin station, so you need to walk from Hermitage road (approx 15 minutes walk - or catch another bus to the station)

 

[MrCub]

The £15.20 ticket is routed via the Hatfield to St Albans bus, and is hence not valid via London. To make this journey via London you need a cheap day return, route + any permitted, priced at £23.75. The outward journey is valid leaving Luton at or after 09:34 (subject to any morning restrictions on Network Railcards) and is valid to return by any train.

While I'm not really questioning this, National Rail Enq very clearly suggests that this ticket (£23 without railcard) is perfectly valid via London and it specifically connects it to a journey of Luton - St P - King X - Cambridge.

Therefore, had I not asked on here and bought this ticket in all good faith, what could they do? There is no mention made AT ALL of this being NOT LONDON or via that bus service.

If I was to print it out and take it with me, what could happen?

 

[yorkie]

Print the itinerary and then if they try to excess you (which is the worst they can do; they cannot charge a new ticket or charge a PF) then argue against it. If they won't budge ask to speak to a manager. If all this fails I think you can claim not to have any more money and then get an unpaid fares notice which you can then refuse to pay on the basis you were told it was valid, and they'd never take it to court to recover the debt as no court in the land would side with them IMO (IANAL).

 

[gingerheid]

I come up with this oddity recently too - you get the same if you say you want to go from Cambridge to St Albans. That also gives you a bus Hatfield - St Albans only fare, but tells you to go via London.

 

[MrCub]

I come up with this oddity recently too - you get the same if you say you want to go from Cambridge to St Albans. That also gives you a bus Hatfield - St Albans only fare, but tells you to go via London.

Oh well bu**er it; I'm going to get the advertised cheapo fare, print out the details from the FCC website and see what happens. As Yorkie states, the worst that will happen is that I'll be asked to pay the difference but I'm not sure how they'll enforce it.

I 'phoned FCC about it and they said 'if it lists the ticket as being available on the National Enq website or on our website, then its available' - that's good enough for me. Also, no doubt the training they've received is probably the same as many of the ill-formed gateline staff.

 

[dan_atki]

Interesting point arose here (on NRE) which didn't with thetrainline in the previous thread (http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25713).

The off-peak prices come up as £23.00 and £36.00 despite having the exact same route (LUT-STP-KGX-CBG). On further inspection, the £23.00 fare only comes up for journeys between LUT and STP on FCC. If the operator is EMT or Southeastern the price is £36.00. :?

Why is this odd? Well, NRE is noting something and I suspect that part of it has been programmed correctly for the flow. EMT is fast through St Albans so the £23.00 fare can never be valid on their services, but Southeastern? Strictly speaking it is an FCC service once it leaves Blackfriars (but journey planners and departure boards use the TOC of the service at the origin) so I have no thoughts why the £23.00 fare is not showing as 'valid'* on the Kent to Luton/Bedford services which stop at SAC, but is on FCC.

*Of course, strictly speaking it is valid on no service to/from London and interchange should be made at St Albans and Hatfield.

 

[jdtaylor]

Hi,

I know there is a very good coach service, may be hourly or every 2 hours, but could cost you far less and take signficantly less time, I think the direct coach operated by National Express takes around 50 minutes door to door, going by train 50 mins plus another 50+ or more and this isn't as fast I believe as jhust hoping on ther 757 or whatever it is, and if booked in advance could cost as little as £1.00

 

[Class377]

Interesting point arose here (on NRE) which didn't with thetrainline in the previous thread (http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25713).

The off-peak prices come up as £23.00 and £36.00 despite having the exact same route (LUT-STP-KGX-CBG). On further inspection, the £23.00 fare only comes up for journeys between LUT and STP on FCC. If the operator is EMT or Southeastern the price is £36.00. :?

Why is this odd? Well, NRE is noting something and I suspect that part of it has been programmed correctly for the flow. EMT is fast through St Albans so the £23.00 fare can never be valid on their services, but Southeastern? Strictly speaking it is an FCC service once it leaves Blackfriars (but journey planners and departure boards use the TOC of the service at the origin) so I have no thoughts why the £23.00 fare is not showing as 'valid'* on the Kent to Luton/Bedford services which stop at SAC, but is on FCC.

*Of course, strictly speaking it is valid on no service to/from London and interchange should be made at St Albans and Hatfield.

I was under the impression that it's Southeastern northbound and FCC Southbound?

 

[dan_atki]

I was under the impression that it's Southeastern northbound and FCC Southbound?

No, on through FCC/Southeastern services the operator changes over at Blackfriars in both directions.

 

[Class377]

OK, it's just on Wiki whenever you look at a station on that route it has different operators north and southbound. Probably easier for them to put it like that.

 

[jopsuk]

OK, it's just on Wiki whenever you look at a station on that route it has different operators north and southbound. Probably easier for them to put it like that.

Um, having had a quick look, that's only the case on the Blackfriars article

 

[dan_atki]

Um, having had a quick look, that's only the case on the Blackfriars article

Indeed, where it is indicating that the Bedford to Sevenoaks service is operated by FCC north of there and SE south of there. This is further confirmed by going onto City Thameslink's page where the service is solely mentioned as being FCC, and on Elephant & Castles as solely SE.