[Help] Train ticket query

[Gwylan]

Mrs Gwylan has to travel to Essex next week for a funeral and is hoping to use her Senior Railcard but the first train past 9.00 won't get her to it on time. Is there anything stopping her buying a normal ticket to Haywards Heath and then using her railcard from Haywards Heath onwards, doing it online, so she's on the same train.

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't be possible but I know there are some real train buffs on here who would know for sure.

 

[the larks]

Senior railcards can be used anytime

 

[Gwylan]

Senior railcards can be used anytime

No, "Your Senior Railcard is NOT valid when travelling between two stations in the Network Railcard area of validity during morning peak time." I've tried it when going to London in the morning and the machine won't allow it

 

[BNthree]

Mrs Gwylan has to travel to Essex next week for a funeral and is hoping to use her Senior Railcard but the first train past 9.00 won't get her to it on time. Is there anything stopping her buying a normal ticket to Haywards Heath and then using her railcard from Haywards Heath onwards, doing it online, so she's on the same train.

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't be possible but I know there are some real train buffs on here who would know for sure.

No there’s nothing stopping her doing that. As long as the tickets are valid while she’s using them it’s fine.

 

[Madafwo]

For context I used to be a conductor on the railway, assuming the train stopped at Haywards Heath then I wouldn't challenge it.

There are many sneaky work arounds to get cheaper travel, one used to be an Aldershot special where people from Lewes way used to buy a return to Aldershot and then a Clapham Junction to London Terminals ticket, worked out about £10 cheaper than a ticket direct to London, all the trains down that way stopped at Clapham so it was perfectly valid.

Every time I sold one I used to ask if they've ever been to Aldershot and the answer was always no.

 

[Gwylan]

Brilliant. Thanks all

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Mrs Gwylan has to travel to Essex next week for a funeral and is hoping to use her Senior Railcard but the first train past 9.00 won't get her to it on time. Is there anything stopping her buying a normal ticket to Haywards Heath and then using her railcard from Haywards Heath onwards, doing it online, so she's on the same train.

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't be possible but I know there are some real train buffs on here who would know for sure.

I often buy a single to London and a super off peak return with a senior railcard, as it is cheaper than an ordinary single (the only thing available before 9.00).

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Senior railcards can be used anytime

No they absolutely cannot.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

Brilliant. Thanks all

I do this all the time with my Network Railcard - but be aware that the cutoff time is 10am, not 9am. Whether this is also true for the senior Railcard I do not know.

 

[Goldstone1976]

For context I used to be a conductor on the railway, assuming the train stopped at Haywards Heath then I wouldn't challenge it.

There are many sneaky work arounds to get cheaper travel, one used to be an Aldershot special where people from Lewes way used to buy a return to Aldershot and then a Clapham Junction to London Terminals ticket, worked out about £10 cheaper than a ticket direct to London, all the trains down that way stopped at Clapham so it was perfectly valid.

Every time I sold one I used to ask if they've ever been to Aldershot and the answer was always no.

I know I must be missing something here…but how did they get between Aldershot and CJ on those tix?

 

[Gazwag]

I know I must be missing something here…but how did they get between Aldershot and CJ on those tix?

They didn't they used the ticket to CJ and stayed on the train and user the CJ to Vic when they got to Vic

 

[Gazwag]

No they absolutely cannot.

Well they should be imo, I mean how many who have one actually travel in those times, very few I would imagine so no major loss in revenue

 

[Bodian]

There are many sneaky work arounds to get cheaper travel,

The easiest one used to be simply buying a ticket when you got off at Brighton, and saying you'd caught the train at Aldrington. The number of people travelling from Aldrington to Brighton on a Friday night was astonishing!

Thanks to the Aldrington Rude Boys.

 

[mile oak]

Bought ticket from machine (cardboard) after ticket office man had no idea what happens if i break my journey at a stn that cannot handle paper tickets.

 

[trueblue]

Cardboard ticket machines? No-one makes anything properly any more.

 

[Goldstone1976]

They didn't they used the ticket to CJ and stayed on the train and user the CJ to Vic when they got to Vic

Thanks. Of course! I knew I was missing something.

 

[happypig]

The easiest one used to be simply buying a ticket when you got off at Brighton, and saying you'd caught the train at Aldrington. The number of people travelling from Aldrington to Brighton on a Friday night was astonishing!

Thanks to the Aldrington Rude Boys.

A bloke I know buys a railcard ticket whenever he uses the train despite never having had one. I have a disabled railcard and have never been asked to show it so he'll probably be ok.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

"Don't you have anything better to be doing?"
"Not really, no."

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Well they should be imo, I mean how many who have one actually travel in those times, very few I would imagine so no major loss in revenue

I agree of course.

I have rearranged half my teaching so it's 2-4 instead of 10-12, saving me £40 a day.

The argument, I think, is the trains are half empty off peak, so concession fairs are designed to fill empty seats.
During peak times, on the other hand, you can't get a seat.
So making travel cheaper then for people like me would be, frankly, very wrong.
Public transport is a business after all, not a public service.

Apparently.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

I know I must be missing something here…but how did they get between Aldershot and CJ on those tix?

Errr, they didn’t because they didn’t want to.

I do something similar when going to London because SWR are robbing bastards. I buy a super off peak ticket to Brighton via Clapham Junction and a Travelcard from Clapham J. Only annoyance if I have to be on a train that calls at CJ, but it saves up to £20, so it’s a minor inconvenience.