Southeastern HS1 Advance paper tickets missing train details

[Mikey C]

Back in the Rail Sale in January I bought various tickets, including advance tickets from STP to Dover via Southeastern HS1. I then collected these at the same time a while ago (traditional card tickets), and have been using them.

The Dover tickets are the final ones of this batch, for some reason though they don't have the booked train printed on them. I know which services I booked, but the tickets don't confirm this.

Does this mean I can use any train, or am I still restricted to the ones I originally booked. Should I print a copy of the train services I booked to show at the gate or an inspector?

 

[JonathanH]

The Dover tickets are the final ones of this batch, for some reason though they don't have the booked train printed on them. I know which services I booked, but the tickets don't confirm this.

Do the tickets say 'valid only with mandatory reservation' and numbers or something similar, even if you don't have the reservation coupons?

 

[Mikey C]

No, there's nothing to say they are train specific

 

[duncombec]

I don't think SouthEastern do booked trains, even on advance tickets. Certainly when travelling on "through London" advances, there isn't usually a train-specific restriction on the Kent > STP section.

 

[Edvid]

Can't speak for cross-London variations but the HS1 Advance tickets I bought last weekend (StP - Ashford/Canterbury) definitely have counted place mandatory reservations.

I've never seen an Advance ticket without a mandatory reservation before.

 

[paul1609]

I don't think SouthEastern do booked trains, even on advance tickets. Certainly when travelling on "through London" advances, there isn't usually a train-specific restriction on the Kent > STP section.

I dont think this is correct I travel on cross london advances via HS1 and on SE Mainline services and they always have a counted place, specific train reservation. Maybe not on metro/Thameslink services?

 

[Mikey C]

I've previously bought advance tickets on Southeastern on HS1, and am pretty sure that they were train specific. No seat reservation of course.

 

[paul1609]

My next trip booked to Norwich from Appledore has counted place reservations for Ashford Int to London Bridge, Liverpool St to Norwich and Norwich to Stratford and Stratford Int to Ashford.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I don't think SouthEastern do booked trains, even on advance tickets. Certainly when travelling on "through London" advances, there isn't usually a train-specific restriction on the Kent > STP section.

That's incorrect - Southeastern very much do offer Advance tickets for travel entirely on their own routes. They were introduced nearly 10 years ago (see this contemporary RUKF thread for confirmation).

I dont think this is correct I travel on cross london advances via HS1 and on SE Mainline services and they always have a counted place, specific train reservation. Maybe not on metro/Thameslink services?

Agreed re 'through London' Advance tickets.

[...]
Does this mean I can use any train, or am I still restricted to the ones I originally booked. Should I print a copy of the train services I booked to show at the gate or an inspector?

The tickets being printed this way - with the booked train info being absent - appears to be an error. For an easy life, I'd say travel on the originally booked train and have the email booking confirmation (either as a print out or on a screen) ready to hand.

 

[DelW]

How would anyone checking tickets (RPI or guard) be able to tell what the original itinerary was from looking at those tickets?

I can't see any way that they could accuse you of being on the wrong train, when there's no indication of what the "correct" train is.

 

[Mikey C]

The tickets being printed this way - with the booked train info being absent - appears to be an error. For an easy life, I'd say travel on the originally booked train and have the email booking confirmation (either as a print out or on a screen) ready to hand.

I will do that just in case.

I'm finding more and more that advance tickets aren't accepted in ticket gates now, and that you have to show someone your ticket to be let through.

 

[Haywain]

How would anyone checking tickets (RPI or guard) be able to tell what the original itinerary was from looking at those tickets?

They could easily call a someone to check the CTR and see the train details.

 

[Mikey C]

As I was passing, I popped into STP yesterday and asked the SE helpdesk whether my advance ticket was tied to a booked train, and he said no, as there was nothing on the ticket.

Which was just as well, as due to the fatality on the Northern Line this morning, I missed the 10:07 I should have been on... I ended up taking the next (changing at Ashford) service out of STP, and had no problem with ticket barriers or inspectors.

 

[duncombec]

That's incorrect - Southeastern very much do offer Advance tickets for travel entirely on their own routes. They were introduced nearly 10 years ago (see this contemporary RUKF thread for confirmation).

Apologies! You learn something new every day... and certainly not intending to give bad advice! (Although it seems the OP was indeed not tied).

I had honestly never seen those, and on my own cross-London Advance journeys, I've always been advised that I can take any train on the section into London, with train specific parts only being where there is a stated reservation.