Using Season Ticket on another line??

[Fox7]

Hi all,

I currently have an annual season ticket from Leicester to London which I purchased from the East Midlands office at St Pancras - the route says "any permitted"

My question is that I want to travel from Milton Keynes for a couple of weeks, but as this is on a different line, will the "any routes" bit let me use the season ticket, or do I have to buy a different ticket from Virgin / London Midland?

Any help or advice welcomed!!

Cheers.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

It means any permitted route from Leicester to London, not any route anywhere.

 

[MikeWh]

According to the routeing guide the only permitted routes from Leicester to London are on map MM which allows direct on the MML and via Melton Mowbray and Oakham. So you would have to buy a new ticket.

 

[LexyBoy]

It means any permitted route from Leicester to London, not any route anywhere.

The OP was asking whether Milton Keynes to London is part of a valid route to London, which, given that MK is almost exactly on a line between Leicester and London, is hardly a stupid question. Any fule kno it wouldn't be valid Cardiff-Swansea.

It appears that it's not a valid route so unfortunately you'd have to buy a new weekly ticket, £103.50.

An alternative would be to take the X5 bus to Bedford, whence you can use your existing ticket - obviously this would take longer (30 mins bus + train) but would save money (1 week bus pass is £27).

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

Although it might take longer, would it be possible to use the season ticket to Bedford and then a separate ticket from there to Milton Keynes?

edit: Missed LexyBoy's post.

 

[Fox7]

Thanks for the replies folks - I did think about driving to Bedford or Luton and catching east mids line from there.

Seems to be an option for "changeover" where I can move ticket from leics to MK route and back again when I'm done, but it's unclear on national rail website exactly how that works and whether it can be for a short term only - helpline didn't know answer, so I think it's a trip to ticket office on monday to find out!

Cheers.

 

[yorkie]

Without checking, is it not valid from Bletchley to London? Or if not, at least from Watford to London? Then all that would be required is a day ticket from MKC- Bletchley/Watford on each day of travelling, and you can use non-stop trains. Or another season and then the train has to call.

 

[b0b]

Without checking, is it not valid from Bletchley to London? Or if not, at least from Watford to London?

Neither, somewhat surprisingly.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I did some searching, if he would buy a Derby to Leicester SDR, and combine it with his season ticket, does he still have to take a route via Leicester?

Derby to London is valid via Milton Keynes

 

[LexyBoy]

I did some searching, if he would buy a Derby to Leicester SDR, and combine it with his season ticket, does he still have to take a route via Leicester?

Derby to London is valid via Milton Keynes

Yes; although combining a season and non-season allows travel on trains which don't stop at the changeover point, the train must be routed through that station.

 

[b0b]

Yes; although combining a season and non-season allows travel on trains which don't stop at the changeover point, the train must be routed through that station.

of course that leaves the obvious problem that if the train does not call at the changeover point, there's no way to definitively know that it goes via the changeover point.

Though that's not relevant in this case.

 

[LexyBoy]

Without checking, is it not valid from Bletchley to London? Or if not, at least from Watford to London? Then all that would be required is a day ticket from MKC- Bletchley/Watford on each day of travelling, and you can use non-stop trains. Or another season and then the train has to call.

This may be irrelevant as the OP does not mention it, but if OP holds a Travelcard rather than a London Terminals ticket then I've thought of a couple more points...

a) Does the Travelcard count as a "Zonal" ticket within London? If so then can OP combine a weekly Season MK - Harrow & Wealdstone (£80.10) without the need for the train to stop?

b) Is routeing for Travelcards the same as for London Terminals or (as I think was mentioned on a recent thread) can it be to any station within Z1-6? If it is the latter then a Travelcard from Leicester would be valid for MK - Euston since Leicester - Harrow & Wealdstone is valid via Milton Keynes (indeed it's cheaper than a Not London route).

of course that leaves the obvious problem that if the train does not call at the changeover point, there's no way to definitively know that it goes via the changeover point.

Indeed. I'm not sure what happens in this case. I guess the official answer is to ask station staff or ring up NRE, but I fear that the answer would default to "no, you have to travel on a train which stops at station X"*

* with optional bonus "you must get off at X and board the next train"

 

[b0b]

b) Is routeing for Travelcards the same as for London Terminals or (as I think was mentioned on a recent thread) can it be to any station within Z1-6?

I think the only reasonable answer is the routing to London Group.

Consider a Birmingham Group to Z1-6, if its any station in Z1-6, then I can pick Croydon Group (all in Z5-6). That allows me to go via Reading and Redhill. That is not allowed on a London Terminals ticket.

 

[Fox7]

Hi Guys,

Just picking up on Lexboy's post ... it is a travelcard & it says Between Leicester * and London Zones 1-6 (Routes - Any Permitted) - not sure what the * after Leicester is for!


Not sure how this works in reality, but if I query Leicester to Euston on the National Rail site, it goes Leics to Nuneaton and then Nuneaton to Euston (passing through MK!) and the cost is nearly half that of the journey from Leicester to St Pancras for a day ticket!

Going to pop into MK station tomorrow and see what they say about the changeover as this may be an easy option.

Cheers for all the advice.

 

[Terrafire]

The * is just an anti-fraud measure, like marking the blank space on cheques with a line. It's more relevant for stations like Cambridge, which could be fraudulently changed to 'Cambridge Heath' for nefarious purposes.

 

[b0b]

A Milton Keynes Central to Boundary Zone 6 is 27 quid for anytime return.

I'm not sure you would be able to combine the existing ticket with a weekly Season MK - Harrow & Wealdstone (£80.10) without the need for the train to stop - you would have 2 seasons.

However, if you wanted to try something like this

7DS Milton Keynes Central to Bushey is 74.70
Then buy a Bushey to Harrow & Wealdstone SDR for 8.00
so a weekly total of 114.70, but now you have a combination of a season and at least one ticket that is not a season, so no longer has the requirement to call
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


hey Fox7, when did you buy the annual season?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


edit: Should Fox7 look into doing a changeover, either for the 2 weeks and swap his ticket to be origin MK and back again, or to somewhere like Derby that would be valid from both?

 

[Fox7]

hey Fox7, when did you buy the annual season?

October --- before the price hike!

Should Fox7 look into doing a changeover, either for the 2 weeks and swap his ticket to be origin MK and back again, or to somewhere like Derby that would be valid from both?

Yep - I think this may be the way forwards. According to season ticket T&Cs, the changeover is pro rated at the prices when original ticket was purchased ... just need to see if that still holds for the swap back! :roll:

 

[b0b]

Yep - I think this may be the way forwards. According to season ticket T&Cs, the changeover is pro rated at the prices when original ticket was purchased ... just need to see if that still holds for the swap back! :roll:

I don't think they're going to turn down taking extra money from you when you swap back

oh wait, i see what you're saying.

 

[OwlMan]

A Narborough to Zone 1-6 season ticket is the same price as a Leicester Ticket but is valid via Leicester or Nuneaton. Just change your ticket to a Narborough one.
(FYI via Nuneaton is valid from Nuneaton either direct via Rugby or via Birmingham [direct or via Tamworth, Lichfield, Rugeley or Stafford] & then Rugby.)

Peter