Selecting interchange station when booking advance tickets

[mike57]

There are a number of routes where there could be a choice of interchange stations. If you buy a normal return, then you can decide to change where you want, but if you buy an advance ticket the advance tickets define your interchange station. To take an example in my area, on a lot of journeys you could change at either York, Leeds or Huddersfield. York will likely be a long walk, and across to another platform (lifts/stairs), Leeds is a bit of a lottery, but will possibly involve lifts or stairs, whereas Huddersfield, unless there is disruption will almost certainly be same platform.

My question surrounds the booking process, I have tried every way to force the system to give the change at Huddersfield, in order to get the easiest change, this is particularly important when I travel with someone who has some mobility issues, not enough to require assistance, but the Huddersfield change would be quite easy compared with the others.

I can find no way to 'force' the interchange station when booking advances, Ive tried putting in 'via' but that makes no difference, after all you are still 'via' just not changing, you could split tickets but that leaves problems if there is disruption (which on this route happens all too frequently)

So is there any way of forcing this when booking, and why isnt there an 'easy change' option when there is a choice of interchanges, or even better just change the booking system to offer the easiest change as a default, after all the data is there, RTT has scheduled platform numbers. I am aware that in times of disruption it may change, but at least start with what looks like the easiest option, rather than the hardest.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you book with trainsplit.com it can do this.

 

[mike57]

If you book with trainsplit.com it can do this.

But with split advances, what happens in the event of the first part of your journey is late and you miss second leg?

 

[hkstudent]

But with split advances, what happens in the event of the first part of your journey is late and you miss second leg?

You don't need to be worried about it.
As long as the interchange time fulfils the minimum connection time, multiple tickets can be combined into a journey, and any missed connection from the first leg will allow you to travel on the next same TOC service on the second leg.
And, delay repay can be paid based on the whole journey with all tickets combined.

 

[Haywain]

But with split advances, what happens in the event of the first part of your journey is late and you miss second leg?

Using Trainsplit doesn't necessarily mean using split tickets but the website does give very useful options for journeys planning using the ' advanced' options.

 

[Watershed]

There are a number of routes where there could be a choice of interchange stations. If you buy a normal return, then you can decide to change where you want, but if you buy an advance ticket the advance tickets define your interchange station. To take an example in my area, on a lot of journeys you could change at either York, Leeds or Huddersfield. York will likely be a long walk, and across to another platform (lifts/stairs), Leeds is a bit of a lottery, but will possibly involve lifts or stairs, whereas Huddersfield, unless there is disruption will almost certainly be same platform.

My question surrounds the booking process, I have tried every way to force the system to give the change at Huddersfield, in order to get the easiest change, this is particularly important when I travel with someone who has some mobility issues, not enough to require assistance, but the Huddersfield change would be quite easy compared with the others.

I can find no way to 'force' the interchange station when booking advances, Ive tried putting in 'via' but that makes no difference, after all you are still 'via' just not changing, you could split tickets but that leaves problems if there is disruption (which on this route happens all too frequently)

So is there any way of forcing this when booking, and why isnt there an 'easy change' option when there is a choice of interchanges, or even better just change the booking system to offer the easiest change as a default, after all the data is there, RTT has scheduled platform numbers. I am aware that in times of disruption it may change, but at least start with what looks like the easiest option, rather than the hardest.

NRE lets you nominate stations to "change at" or "don't change at". It doesn't work very reliably but once it comes up with an itinerary, this is usually 'respected' when f you are sent off to a booking site.

If you don't want to use TrainSplit this is a reasonable alternative.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But with split advances, what happens in the event of the first part of your journey is late and you miss second leg?

Exactly the same as happens if you have a through Advance, it is one journey. It can be a bit of a faff claiming Delay Repay (but it is due on the full combination/journey), that's all. The only place where that is debatable is crossing London if you don't have a paper ticket for that.

But if you use https://new.trainsplit.com/ you can turn splitting off. Or https://trainscanbecheaper.info/ is the old UI without splitting if you prefer that.

What Trainsplit does have is quite detailed control on the itinerary, e.g. via points and length of stopovers at them, which allows you to "engineer" an itinerary with what you want. Plus as a bonus there's the all-TOCs* seat selector.

* Doesn't work on XC at the moment due to social distancing related faff, and only when booking one ticket at a time.

 

[ChrisC]

I’ve found exactly the same when travelling from Nottingham to the West Country. It should be an easy journey with one change at Derby. I found with both Advance Tickets and flexible tickets where I wanted the option of being able to reserve a seat, all the booking websites were coming up with journeys involving a change at Birmingham New Street. I now always book with Trainsplit and that will enable me to choose a change of train at Derby without any problems.

 

[mike57]

OK, @Bletchleyite and others, looks like trainsplit.com could be the answer. The next time I am booking the journey that prompted the question, (just after Xmas) Ill give it a try.

I still wonder why the TOC booking engines dont look at ease of change, the data is there.

 

[Watershed]

the data is there

Is it? Booking engines have to prioritise changes in a specific order - stations with a higher interchange priority must be selected in preference to those with a lower priority.

 

[Class800]

Is it? Booking engines have to prioritise changes in a specific order - stations with a higher interchange priority must be selected in preference to those with a lower priority.

Is this what sometimes causes the interchange to be at larger and less convenient for passenger station, e.g. Birmingham New Street rather than Derby?

 

[Watershed]

Is this what sometimes causes the interchange to be at larger and less convenient for passenger station, e.g. Birmingham New Street rather than Derby?

Yes - Derby is a "medium" station whilst New Street is a "large" station. As you say, arguably it should be the other way around!

 

[Class800]

I did once have an itinerary from Cranbrook to Nottingham on an advance ticket that had changes at Exeter St Davids and Cheltenham rather than Exeter St Davids and Birmingham New Street. A delay on the single line out of Cranbrook caused the connection at Exeter to be missed, and the station manager office had to ask me whether there was any particular reason I needed to change at Cheltenham, rather than Birmingham, as I would drop an hour using Cheltenham but only half an hour via Birmingham, due to more frequent Nottingham connections. I agreed to the Birmingham change

 

[Haywain]

Is this what sometimes causes the interchange to be at larger and less convenient for passenger station, e.g. Birmingham New Street rather than Derby?

What's most convenient may well change from one journey to another.

 

[Class800]

Without going too far off topic, why would a larger station that is more complex to navigate ever be more convenient for interchange? As opposed to break of journey if there are nearby attractions

 

[XAM2175]

But with split advances, what happens in the event of the first part of your journey is late and you miss second leg?

As long as the interchange time fulfils the minimum connection time, multiple tickets can be combined into a journey, and any missed connection from the first leg will allow you to travel on the next same TOC service on the second leg.

The only other thing to remember with splitting is that you have make sure your 'replacement' train also stops at the stations that your tickets are split at, unless you get an endorsement from staff waiving this condition.

As @Bletchleyite says though, if you're uncomfortable with splitting tickets you can switch it off if you use https://new.trainsplit.com/

 

[Haywain]

Without going too far off topic, why would a larger station that is more complex to navigate ever be more convenient for interchange? As opposed to break of journey if there are nearby attractions

Cross platform interchanges, and/or better facilities. People's requirements can vary.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cross platform interchanges, and/or better facilities. People's requirements can vary.

Also greater likelihood of availability of station staff.

 

[mike57]

Without going too far off topic, why would a larger station that is more complex to navigate ever be more convenient for interchange? As opposed to break of journey if there are nearby attractions

There should be an option in the journey planner, a bit like the via and avoid options, maybe 'easiest change', which would choose the cross platform or same platform option if that exists where there are alternatives along the same route. I heard a guard telling a man on crutches one day "Stay on this one until Huddersfield and change there, its the same platform, much easier". It could help anyone with reduced mobility or carrying heavy luggage, not just registered disabled, have an easier journey. It wouldn't cost the railways anything other than a one off cost to sort the booking engine out.

 

[Nottingham59]

why would a larger station that is more complex to navigate ever be more convenient for interchange?

Because there may well be more alternatives available in case of delay or disruption. A convenient 5-minute same-platform interchange at Little Snoring may not seem so convenient if the incoming train is 6 minutes late and you have to wait 4 hours to get on your way again.

 

[plugwash]

Cross platform interchanges, and/or better facilities. People's requirements can vary.

There is also a risk-management side to it. Given that connections are not 100% reliable it's arguablly better to change at a station where all trains stop rather than a station where only a subset of trains stop. I suspect this is why the standard planner policy is to prefer larger stations where possible.

Though you could also make an argument that it's better to change closer to your destination as there are often converging routes giving you more choices of connections as you get closer.

 

[AY1975]

As long as the interchange time fulfils the minimum connection time, multiple tickets can be combined into a journey, and any missed connection from the first leg will allow you to travel on the next same TOC service on the second leg.

Is there any way of finding out the minimum connection time at a particular station now that the National Rail Timetable is no longer available as a hard copy? The National Rail website doesn't appear to give this information.

 

[FenMan]

Is there any way of finding out the minimum connection time at a particular station now that the National Rail Timetable is no longer available as a hard copy? The National Rail website doesn't appear to give this information.

BR Times does this.
Here's the info for Waterloo: https://www.brtimes.com/!board?stn=WAT&show=info&date=20211209