When I Went To Collect My Advance Tickets.

[SJF.7]

I went to collect my advance tickets which l purchased online. The origin station was Knockholt (last station in boundary 6) and the final destination was Folkestone Central with a change at Sevenoaks. I thought l should double checked with the station office clerk to see if l could catch the Folkestone train at London Bridge using my freedom pass to Knockholt. As this train is fast to Sevenoaks from London Bridge, the clerk told me this was not allowed as the ticket stated l should board at Knockholt.

I told him that l had once gone that way before on the same type of advance ticket. He became very aggressive and told me l should be reported for misuse of an advance ticket. However l didn't have the chance to inform him it was a staff member at Charing Cross who gave me the go ahead to travel after I showed him my ticket(s).

I can't remember the reason why l went from London Bridge that time but l only ask now because of any possible cancellation of the Knockholt train because it's just a 30 minutes walk/train ride to London Bridge, just slightly longer than walking to Grove Park where I'm going to catch the Sevenoaks train, stopping at Knockholt of course!

Does anyone think l was in the right to ask about going from London Bridge and do you think that the clerk should have been less hostile towards me?

 

[Kite159]

If it was a flexible ticket then a Knockholt to Folkestone ticket in conjunction with a freedom pass would be valid on a fast train, but as it's an advance ticket you technically would be without a valid ticket between Knockholt & Sevenoaks due to the advance being booked train only.

 

[Haywain]

If you had Advance tickets, you should generally be following the itinerary provided at the time of purchase, and that wouldn't be possible on a train not calling at Knockholt. Walk-up tickets, such as Off Peak Returns, are a different matter.

So, we really need to know exactly what tickets you booked.

 

[SJF.7]

These are two advance singles:

Knockholt to Folkestone Central
Folkestone Central to Knockholt

I'm going to get the same train printed on the ticket from Grove Park to Sevenoaks which stops at Knockholt (using my freedom pass to Knockholt).

The point l'm making is should the Knockholt to Sevenoaks train be cancelled, l could get the Sevenoaks to Folkestone Central train at London Bridge if there is enough time to travel up to London. Surely this is a better option than waiting an extra hour?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If your booked train runs you MUST use it from the origin station on the ticket. What you do before that is a bit moot.

If it's cancelled you could ask permission to miss out Knockholt as you are travelling on a combination of tickets for one journey, but I'd want that in writing with a booking office stamp because RPIs are very likely to query it. Otherwise you can use the two trains before or the two trains after from Knockholt - again what you do before that is irrelevant.

The clerk is wrong in suggesting you can't use a combination of tickets in this context but you do have to be on the booked train when it departs Knockholt, whether you get on there or use another ticket to already be on it at that point.

 

[Haywain]

I thought l should double checked with the station office clerk to see if l could catch the Folkestone train at London Bridge using my freedom pass to Knockholt. As this train is fast to Sevenoaks from London Bridge, the clerk told me this was not allowed as the ticket stated l should board at Knockholt.

So, the staff member was absolutely correct in that you can't use a train not stopping at Knockholt in normal circumstances.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So, the staff member was absolutely correct in that you can't use a train not stopping at Knockholt in normal circumstances.

The original post is a bit confusing, but they seem to be suggesting that the poster isn't allowed to already be on the train stopping at Knockholt with another ticket but has to actually board it there. That isn't true and would render all split Advances (except split at change points) invalid!

 

[CarrotPie]

The point l'm making is should the Knockholt to Sevenoaks train be cancelled, l could get the Sevenoaks to Folkestone Central train at London Bridge if there is enough time to travel up to London. Surely this is a better option than waiting an extra hour?

If your booked train is cancelled, you can also ask Southeastern's WhatsApp team. I've used their help before during disruption when my planned trains have been cancelled (albeit on flexible tickets) and they've been most helpful in rerouting me. Showing a screenshot of that conversation to an RPI would probably (hopefully) convince them.

That isn't true and would render all split Advances invalid!

Don't give them ideas!

 

[Haywain]

The original post is a bit confusing, but they seem to be suggesting that the poster isn't allowed to already be on the train stopping at Knockholt with another ticket but has to actually board it there. That isn't true and would render all split Advances (except split at change points) invalid!

I reead that the OP asked if he could use a non-stopping train and was told no, which is the aspect I commented on - note the specific wording of my comment.

 

[SJF.7]

The original post is a bit confusing, but they seem to be suggesting that the poster isn't allowed to already be on the train stopping at Knockholt with another ticket but has to actually board it there. That isn't true and would render all split Advances (except split at change points) invalid!

That was the point l was trying to make to the clerk after being told that l couldn't get the Folkestone train at London Bridge but he went on one long rant!

He did say if my ticket stated boundary 6 to Folkestone Central, l could start my journey from London Bridge. However there is no option online for this type of origin 'station' as far as l know?

Also, he did mention ticket offices should state boundary 6 on tickets instead of the last station in that zone when a freedom pass is involved.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I reead that the OP asked if he could use a non-stopping train and was told no, which is the aspect I commented on - note the specific wording of my comment.

It could be either.

In summary:

1. The poster must be on the train when it departs Knockholt if they use the ticket at all. How it comes about that they are on the train there (i.e. whether they are already on it by way of another ticket or whether they board it there) is not relevant.

2. If the train is cancelled then they can use the two trains before or the two trains after the booked train, as per (1).

3. You can always ask an authorised member of staff for permission to deviate from (1) or (2). They may or may not give such permission, but these days it is highly advisable to get such permission in writing with some sort of proof (e.g. a booking office stamp) if they do.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Mar 2026 ==

That was the point l was trying to make to the clerk after being told that l couldn't get the Folkestone train at London Bridge but he went on one long rant!

He did say if my ticket stated boundary 6 to Folkestone Central, l could start my journey from London Bridge. However there is no option online for this type of origin 'station' as far as l know?

Also, he did mention ticket offices should state boundary 6 on tickets instead of the last station in that zone when a freedom pass is involved.

This is only really relevant to walk up tickets, not Advances. With Advances it's simple - you must be on the booked train when it departs the booked origin if you use the ticket at all, though there is a non-public policy in most TOCs not to enforce starting/ending short on Advances where it wouldn't save money some TOCs do enforce strictly, e.g. Northern has form for doing so. I don't know about GTR (though they do have other easement policies not relevant to your case).

Can you even get Advances to/from Boundary Zone 6? There doesn't seem to be one for your case. I doubt it as I can't see how the quotas would work?

 

[Haywain]

It could be either.

No, it couldn't. My comment referred to a non-stopping train in normal circumstances. If you want to expand on that, then carry on, but there's no need to pick holes in something that I didn't say.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No, it couldn't.

The original post is a bit unclear - I read it one way, you read it the other.

My comment referred to a non-stopping train in normal circumstances. If you want to expand on that, then carry on, but there's no need to pick holes in something that I didn't say.

To be clear I'm not picking holes in what you said, it is correct for your reading of the original post, I'm just making a very clear statement of the rules which covers both possible readings of the post for the original poster's benefit.

 

[SJF.7]

It could be either.

In summary:

1. The poster must be on the train when it departs Knockholt if they use the ticket at all. How it comes about that they are on the train there (i.e. whether they are already on it by way of another ticket or whether they board it there) is not relevant.

2. If the train is cancelled then they can use the two trains before or the two trains after the booked train, as per (1).

3. You can always ask an authorised member of staff for permission to deviate from (1) or (2). They may or may not give such permission, but these days it is highly advisable to get such permission in writing with some sort of proof (e.g. a booking office stamp) if they do.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Mar 2026 ==



This is only really relevant to walk up tickets, not Advances. With Advances it's simple - you must be on the booked train when it departs the booked origin if you use the ticket at all, though there is a non-public policy in most TOCs not to enforce starting/ending short on Advances where it wouldn't save money some TOCs do enforce strictly, e.g. Northern has form for doing so. I don't know about GTR (though they do have other easement policies not relevant to your case).

Can you even get Advances to/from Boundary Zone 6? There doesn't seem to be one for your case. I doubt it as I can't see how the quotas would work?

I'm only relaying what he had said to me.

In relation to purchasing Advances to/from Boundary Zone 6, l can't remember having one before!

 

[BazingaTribe]

The original post is a bit unclear - I read it one way, you read it the other.



To be clear I'm not picking holes in what you said, it is correct for your reading of the original post, I'm just making a very clear statement of the rules which covers both possible readings of the post for the original poster's benefit.

Not really. If the train is fast from London Bridge to Sevenoaks (per the opening post) it presumably doesn't stop at Knockholt. Therefore not only can't it be used with split tickets but it won't be the train the Advance is valid on.

 

[Haywain]

In relation to purchasing Advances to/from Boundary Zone 6, l can't remember having one before!

You can't buy such tickets because it wouldn't be possible to generate an itinerary.

 

[SJF.7]

You can't buy such tickets because it wouldn't be possible to generate an itinerary.

Then the clerk must be talking about non Advance tickets but he didn't make this clear!