Christmas Tickets - Is this valid?

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

I will be travelling into London on the 27th of December. I intend to take a train from Westbury.

I checked the price of the tickets on Southern's Mixing Desk and a First Anytime Single at ^39.80 (Route Warminster Salisbury) was available on a train at a suitable time. Then I noticed that it was a diverted FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Service as part of the Reading Engineering Works.

So my question is: If I purchased that ^39.80 FDS for use on a diverted First Great Western service, is this actually valid? or do I need to buy the Any Permitted ticket?

I rather suspect that someone at FGW Towers made a boo boo there, as that makes First Class travel into London much better value for money

[JayMac]

Well I'm planning on using a Route: Warminster/Salisbury ticket on the 28th and if the booking engines allow you to purchase the fare then it has to be valid.

I don't think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) made a boo boo. If the routeing is a location as opposed to operator specific then it has to be valid on any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) running trains over that route. I think it would've been nigh on impossible for FGW to bar travel to those holding Route: Warminster/Salisbury tickets. That would've required major re-programming of the ticketing system.

As to the potential loss to FGW, I think they'll pick up a fair bit of revenue from bashers like me, travelling merely for the novelty of a HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) on an unusual route. 

Slightly OT, but does anyone out there know if there were ever scheduled HSTs to/from Waterloo apart from the previous engineering diversions in 2005 and the short-lived regional Eurostars in 1995-97.

[devon_metro]

Well I'm planning on using a Route: Warminster/Salisbury ticket on the 28th and if the booking engines allow you to purchase the fare then it has to be valid.

I don't think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) made a boo boo. If the routeing is a location as opposed to operator specific then it has to be valid on any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) running trains over that route. I think it would've been nigh on impossible for FGW to bar travel to those holding Route: Warminster/Salisbury tickets. That would've required major re-programming of the ticketing system.

As to the potential loss to FGW, I think they'll pick up a fair bit of revenue from bashers like me, travelling merely for the novelty of a HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) on an unusual route. 

Slightly OT, but does anyone out there know if there were ever scheduled HSTs to/from Waterloo apart from the previous engineering diversions in 2005 and the short-lived regional Eurostars in 1995-97.

Back in the days of Intercity, HSTs used to run to Waterloo from oop north somewhere. Can't remember exactly why...!

[super tm]

I can do better than that.  Super off peak single Westbury to London Terminals with disabled railcard 18.15. Weekend 1st 15.00.  Total 33.15

Weekend first is valid all day between Christmas until the New Years bank holiday. (As it always is)  and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) gets its revenue.  Everybody is happy !


Edited to fix total. bignosemac

[JayMac]

Thanks for that reminder about Weekend 1st, Super TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context). Totally forgot about that being valid between Xmas and New Year. Bravo!

Which now means I can further beat your price. Shirehampton to Waterloo (Route WMN^» (Warminster - next trains)/SAL) CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) ^17.80 with railcard, plus ^15 Weekend 1st. Total ^32.80.

CDS also valid at any time between Xmas and New Year. Admittedly FGW^▸ (First Great Western) only get their ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) share of the CDS, but hey, I'm sure they won't mind!

[eightf48544]

Thanks for that reminder about Weekend 1st, Super TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context). Totally forgot about that being valid between Xmas and New Year. Bravo!

Which now means I can further beat your price. Shirehampton to Waterloo (Route WMN^» (Warminster - next trains)/SAL) CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) ^17.80 with railcard, plus ^15 Weekend 1st. Total ^32.80.

CDS also valid at any time between Xmas and New Year. Admittedly FGW^▸ (First Great Western) only get their ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) share of the CDS, but hey, I'm sure they won't mind!

Is that English you've written or gobbledy gook!

[inspector_blakey]

BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) used all of those abbreviations (with the possible exception of ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services)) too you know

[Brucey]

BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) used all of those abbreviations (with the possible exception of ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services)) too you know

I think BR actually developed ORCATS, so they probably came up with the word

Makes me feel like a right geek by actually understanding every acronym in BNM's post

As to the potential loss to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

Can't see many people actually buying the WMN^» (Warminster - next trains)-SAL tickets as a. they probably won't even realise the train is diverted through WMN and SAL and b. won't know the fare actually exists (unless they are informed of this by a ticket office).

[Tim]

Back in the days of Intercity, HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) used to run to Waterloo from oop north somewhere. Can't remember exactly why...!

They ran from Manchester to connect with Eurostar as a sop to Mancs who had missed out on "regional Eurostar". 

[eightf48544]

I seem to remember seeing one in York I think bound for Newcastle.

Empty HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) nobody allowed to board for Durham and Newcastle had to wait for next heaving East Coast or CC serivice.

[JayMac]

Is that English you've written or gobbledy gook!

Yep. Sorry. It does appear that I was on a bit of an acronym/abbreviation bent there.

So.....

Thanks for that reminder about Weekend First, Super Train Manager. Totally forgot about that being valid between Christmas and New Year. Bravo!

Which now means I can further beat your price. Shirehampton to Waterloo (Route Warminster/Salsbury) Off Peak Day Single ^17.80 with railcard, plus ^15 Weekend First. Total ^32.80.

Off Peak Day Single also valid at any time between Christmas and New Year. Admittedly First Great Western only get their Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services share of the Off Peak Day Single, but hey, I'm sure they won't mind!

 

[SDS]

Most FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff are getting a nice 300 ish page booklet (delivered on friday) about the reading blockade and xmas timetables.
It has a lot of stuff in it including ticket easements (a few) and restrictions (i.e. not many), catering provisions (haha good luck), diversion timetables, telephone numbers. etc etc

_{If your on the First Intranet its on the front page of FGW.}