No Standard Class fares showing for LNER this weekend

[Teapot42]

My sister is travelling Durham to Sheffield on Saturday. Cross Country have a reduced service and LNER were going to be on strike but are now also running a reduced service.

CC will sell a ticket but can't reserve a seat. When I look at options using LNER to Doncaster and changing it says there are no fares available. Is this just due to the uncertain nature of the service, or would even an off-peak return not be valid on these services? (10:10 departure from Durham so normally off-peak at the weekend)

For going back, would I be correct that a Durham to Chesterfield return would be valid starting at either Meadowhall or Doncaster?
(She is actually coming to Chesterfield, but as CC seem to think three trains a day is an acceptable service we are planning on meeting her and dropping her off in Sheffield. To think, pre-covid we had two an hour...)

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

The trains are set up as compulsory reservation required in the data. Although flexible tickets will generally be accepted without a mandatory reservation, it is quite likely that a combination of disruptive factors means the trains you're looking at, probably are full with no reservations left, and you may want to look at alternatives.

 

[Teapot42]

The trains are set up as compulsory reservation required in the data. Although flexible tickets will generally be accepted without a mandatory reservation, it is quite likely that a combination of disruptive factors means the trains you're looking at, probably are full with no reservations left, and you may want to look at alternatives.

My sister was told the Cross Country services weren't offering reservations, not sure if that is correct but either way I suspect you are correct they will be busy.

This seems to be the case for all services on Saturday so other than not travelling there doesn't seem to be a choice.

 

[Hadders]

The forum's ticketing site will sell tickets with seat reservations for the 10:10 departure, changing at Doncaster onto Transpennine (so avoiding CrossCountry).

It will also probably be cheaper then booking direct with LNER!

 

[Teapot42]

The forum's ticketing site will sell tickets with seat reservations for the 10:10 departure, changing at Doncaster.

It will also probably be cheaper then booking direct with LNER!

Ah, unfortunately she's already bought the tickets. I would assume no way she can refund and rebook.

Is there any way to book just seats these days, or would you need to go to a station? (Can you even do that these days?)

 

[Hadders]

Exactly what ticket has she booked.

 

[Teapot42]

Exactly what ticket has she booked.

I'll check and get back to you tomorrow. AFAIK it's an off-peak return DHM-CHD but I don't know what channel it was booked via.

 

[Hadders]

If it's an Off Peak Return that allows travel on any train then I'd use these trains, and forget CrossCountry. In theory a ticket office can issue you with seat reservations or alternatively you can book seat reservations through these trains through GWR's website.

I've shown an itinerary to Chesterfield, as that appears to be where the actual journey is to but there's nothing preventing you finishing short at Sheffield if using an Off Peak Return.

 

[Teapot42]

Yes, that's why I'm trying to persuade her to use. Even if the LNER is full she's only standing for an hour from Durham to Doncaster rather than about 2h30 from Durham to Sheffield on the Cross Country.

Tickets are to Chesterfield as that's where we live, however due to the poor service at the moment I'm not sure actually using Chesterfield station is going to be worth while.

Do the tickets need to have been booked through GWR to add seat reservations? I can't spot anything on their website with a quick look, but I'm not registered with them.

 

[andythebrave]

Just reserve a seat on the 1010 on lner's site, they are available to book

 

[Vexed]

Do the tickets need to have been booked through GWR to add seat reservations?

For future reference you can book seats on their website regardless of where you booked the tickets. But for LNER trains I'd use their own website as then you get a seat picker.

 

[Teapot42]

Thanks all, I've found it on LNER but there don't appear to be seats on that particular train.

Useful for future however.