"Reasonable route" on Advance tickets

[elucidate]

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of buying an Greater Anglia Advance ticket for travel from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge at 21:40 tomorrow. Due to work being carried out on the line, the route given is:

21:40 Replacement bus from LST to Stansted Airport, arrives 22:40
22:45 Train from Stansted Airport to Bishops Stortford, arrive 22:57
23:12 Train from Bishops Stortford to Cambridge, arrives 23:41
(when I usually go via this route, only this last leg tends to be specified with a fixed time for travel)

I have noticed that, at http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/trav...lanning/service-alterations/details?ew_id=914 , it says: "Valid Greater Anglia tickets will be accepted on First Capital Connect services on any reasonable route."

So my question is: Can I thus use that same Advance ticket to travel from LST to CBG via KGX on First Capital connect? Or does that concession only apply to non-Advance tickets?

I'd be grateful for your help.

 

[yorkie]

There are no Advance tickets on Greater Anglia for this flow. I see there are now!

London King's Cross - Hitchin - Cambridge is a (very) reasonable route for a London - Cambridge ticket holder.

Additionally, As FCC have agreed to accept Greater Anglia Only tickets, I would expect the holder of such a ticket to be able to use LU between Moorgate & King's Cross (the holder of an Any Permitted ticket would, of course, be allowed to do so), but only from Liverpool St if LU have also agreed acceptance.

 

[elucidate]

 

[jopsuk]

That data is out date Yorkie, GA have been selling Advances on the Cambridge line for I think about a year? See here

As to the OP, I think the "you must travel on your booked train" restriction applies regardless- you are warned about the bus when buying.

 

[yorkie]

In that case, I am not sure! It's not within the spirit of the rules, but I believe it could well be argued to be valid on FCC.

Is the ticket issued with an origin of LONDON TERMINALS or LONDON LIVERPOOL ST?

 

[bb21]

Didn't you buy your ticket after these works have been announced?

If so, I don't think you would be entitled to use the alternative route, as the services that were advertised at the time you purchased your ticket is still running normally.

In reality, if you enquire with GA, they may allow you to travel with FCC.

 

[elucidate]

In that case, I am not sure! It's not within the spirit of the rules, but I believe it could well be argued to be valid on FCC.

Is the ticket issued with an origin of LONDON TERMINALS or LONDON LIVERPOOL ST?

I can't remember what it said when I did the same ticket last week. Can you advise me on what difference it makes?

All I can remember is that the second part of the ticket only mentions Bishops Stortford to London, and fixes a time for it.

As to the OP, I think the "you must travel on your booked train" restriction applies regardless- you are warned about the bus when buying.

Didn't you buy your ticket after these works have been announced?

If so, I don't think you would be entitled to use the alternative route, as the services that were advertised at the time you purchased your ticket is still running normally.

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well. So is there no clear-cut answer?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of buying an Greater Anglia Advance ticket for travel from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge at 21:40 tomorrow. Due to work being carried out on the line, the route given is:

21:40 Replacement bus from LST to Stansted Airport, arrives 22:40
22:45 Train from Stansted Airport to Bishops Stortford, arrive 22:57
23:12 Train from Bishops Stortford to Cambridge, arrives 23:41
(when I usually go via this route, only this last leg tends to be specified with a fixed time for travel)

I have noticed that, at http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/trav...lanning/service-alterations/details?ew_id=914 , it says: "Valid Greater Anglia tickets will be accepted on First Capital Connect services on any reasonable route."

So my question is: Can I thus use that same Advance ticket to travel from LST to CBG via KGX on First Capital connect? Or does that concession only apply to non-Advance tickets?

I'd be grateful for your help.

Personally I think you should check with Greater Anglia to be sure, but my gut feeling, based on what I can see, would be yes it is valid from Kings Cross. However, acceptance on the Underground from Liverpool Street to Kings Cross is another matter.

 

[yorkie]

I can't remember what it said when I did the same ticket last week. Can you advise me on what difference it makes?

By the way it is worded, I agree with you that I believe it makes no difference on this occasion.

But that's clearly not the intention.

If you had bought your Advance ticket for a through train, and engineering works were subsequently announced, it is reasonable to allow you to use FCC.

But if you buy your Advance ticket with no intention of taking the booked train (and connecting services), then it would certainly go against the spirit of the rules, but due to the way Greater Anglia have worded their website, I agree it's valid.

If Greater Anglia intend that all ticket holders, even people turning up immediately before travel, are to be permitted to take FCC, then they shouldn't be selling Advance tickets. That appears to be a mistake on their behalf.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Personally I think you should check with Greater Anglia to be sure, but my gut feeling, based on what I can see, would be yes it is valid from Kings Cross. However, acceptance on the Underground from Liverpool Street to Kings Cross is another matter.

Agreed.

Regarding LU specifically...

To avoid that potential problem I would:
1) Walk to Moorgate (5-10 mins)
2) Print a copy of the relevant page on the website
3) If challenged at the gateline, produce the printout.

If the ticket is issued from "LONDON TERMINALS" then I would expect the ticket to be accepted as the staff should be familiar with the inter-available ticketing rules which apply to tickets which are valid on FCC between London & Cambridge, but if it is issued from "LONDON LIVERPOOL ST" there could be a debate at the LU gateline, so allow time for this.

 

[Sleepy]

Highly unlikely FCC will accept this ticket as Advance are always booked train only. Think you would have difficult conversion with any RPI you meet ! I have known GA to refuse to allow London - Norwich Advance ticket holders to travel via Cambrige on their own services when late engineering work announced !!!

 

[elucidate]

I've just been rummaging through tweets and I saw this: https://twitter.com/fortknoxious/status/398984855020515328

Hi Khairul. That shouldn't be a problem to catch a later train - although our tickets are also valid from Cambridge to Kings Cross on @firstcc services if that helps at all? JA

 

[yorkie]

Well, they've offered it without you even having to ask them! So there no doubt; it is valid on FCC.

Print off the tweet as well as the info on the page you linked to, then.

(To answer the question about a later train if you are delayed: yes, of course you can )

Edit: the tweet is old, but it does indicate that Advance tickets are included in the FCC availability.