open access

[YorkshireBear]

Do standard tickets get accepted on open acces operators or do you have to buy special tickets as im slightly confused as to what's going on with them, sorry that this seems a bit dim.

 

[ainsworth74]

Yep they accept standard tickets so for GC for example if I were to buy an anytime York to Kings Cross I could use it on their service or an East Coast service. They also provide tickets which are only valid on their trains and are generally cheaper, so a GC anytime York to Kings cross will be cheaper than a ticket which is valid on all trains to Kings Cross.

 

[atomicdanny]

They should be fine considering they are still mainline services, I believe the standard tickets state any permitted route so basically any mainline train between those points, you should be able to use any off peak or standard fare on those trains (as long as they are valid - off peak / peak restrictions etc...)

For example if you are travelling between London and York, you would be able to use the tickets on East Coast or Grand Central, same if you were travelling between London and Doncaster (although it would be East Coast or Hull Trains).

Although obviously you can't use an advance fare for East Coast on Grand Central or a Grand Central Advance fare on East Coast.

Although in theory you could even catch a First Capital Connect train to Peterborough and then East Coast to York (not that you would want to) or even a East Coast to Doncaster and then a Cross Country to York?

 

[YorkshireBear]

thank you i was just checking im doing grantham doncaster in two weeks and was considering first hull trains as ive never riden a 180 before

going to sheffield so will connect at doncaster, i get free travel in SY so i would rather pay exta 60p to doncaster rather tahn sheffield than sit an crowded 158.

 

[yorkie]

Non-franchised operators can either choose to run charter trains, which do not receive ORCATS revenue and are not part of the National Rail ticketing, and shouldn't appear in timetables, etc or they can be part of the National Rail ticketing which allows them to receive ORCATS revenue, appear in timetables, etc, but they must accept all valid tickets in accordance with the National Rail Conditions of Carriage.

Unfortunately we have been aware of reports of certain open access TOCs refusing to accept valid tickets in accordance with the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, however most of these issues have been resolved (such as WSMR initially not accepting Route Birmingham tickets).

I'm not aware of anyone experiencing a problem on board any Hull Trains services.

10. Tickets valid only in trains of particular Train Companies
The validity of a ticket may:
a) be restricted to; or
b) prohibit
travel in the trains of a particular Train Company or Train Companies. Any such restriction or prohibition will be shown on the ticket. If you travel in a train with a ticket that is not valid, the relevant parts of Condition 2 or 4 will apply. If you are unable to use a ticket or any part of it, you may be able to claim a refund under Condition 26 or Condition 36.

(my emphasis)

Hull Trains, WSMR and Grand Central would not be viable without ORCATS revenue, so it is certainly in their interest to participate in National Rail ticketing. Furthermore, in order to boost their income (all tickets are subject to commission of around 9% for the TOC selling the ticket, some TOCs pass some of this commission on to the guard) they all have a policy of selling the full range of tickets on-board their services