No information for booked train

[Lddex]

Mod please move if in wrong place.

Hello all.

I'm travelling to barrow from Manchester in a couple of weeks and managed to get some cheap advanced tickets. My concern is while on the outbound it clearly states the time and date of the train that is valid. On the return ticket it just displays the date. I need to catch a northern service to Lancaster to meet the TPE at 14:27 to Oxford road. However how does the northern conductor know that it's their train which is valid as all the ticket says is route - ap TPE & connect / validity - booked train. I also have a seat reservation for the second part of the journey but nothing for the first half as it non bookable.

I'm just a bit concerned the northern guard may argue the ticket is not valid for their service as the only evidence I have is a seat reservation for my connecting train. Is this normal? Or should my ticket have the time of the first train printed on it like my outward journey.

 

[30907]

No that's normal. The connection must be a Northern train because only they and TPE operate from Barrow. The time should be on the bookIng confirmation e-mail.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Broadly speaking, trains can be set in retail systems as either reservable or non-reservable. In this case, the Northern service between Barrow and Lancaster falls into the latter category, so you don't get a reservation coupon for it.

Providing you allow at least the minimum connection time at Lancaster (6 minutes), you are free to catch any "appropriate" service from Barrow. It is a matter of (repeated) debate as to whether TPE services are "appropriate" in this case, given they're marked as reservable.

 

[John @ home]

I'm just a bit concerned the northern guard may argue the ticket is not valid for their service as the only evidence I have is a seat reservation for my connecting train.

The evidence that you have a valid ticket for the Barrow to Lancaster leg is actually present on the ticket and reservation voucher, but it's not immediately obvious. The ticket (number 22927) states that it's valid only with appropriate reservation or reservations. The reservation voucher (number 22928) shows that you have a seat reservation for the Lancaster to Manchester leg, but also states "Mandatory Reservation Coupon 1 of 1". It is this statement which tells the guard of the Barrow to Lancaster train that no reservation has been made for that leg of the journey.

Is this normal?

Yes.

should my ticket have the time of the first train printed on it like my outward journey.

No, as CyrusWuff states above, the Advance ticket terms & conditions state that If the ‘Route’ [shown on the ticket] also states ‘and Connections’, travel is allowed on appropriate connecting trains where shown on the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary.