Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

Hi folks,

A couple of questions if I may. I was planning to travel on the Cross
Country services from Reading to East Croydon/Redhill sometime soon,
to say farewell (I need one of the curves at Acton Wells Jct).

Am I right in thinking that the only bits of track that these services
use that could be considered rare are Acton-Mitre Bridge, and
Latchmere-Factory Jcts, as per PSUL http://www.avoe05.dsl.pipex.com/2008.htm

I was thinking of doing both ways from East Croydon/Redhill to Gatwick
(i.e. via Kensington Olympia, and via Guildford), can anyone suggest
the best ticket to get?

I see there are two Gatwick-Reading fares, one routes Guildford and
the other London.... does Kensington Olympia still count as a London
Terminal please?

I was going to look at a zone R1256 travelcard, then a boundary zone 6
to Reading ticket, but I see this is only available as either route
Slough or route Ascot, so perhaps doesn't help me that much.

Anyone care to say whether East Croydon to Reading via Guildford would
be considered a valid route?

Thanks in anticipation

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On May 23, 10:40*am, wrote:
Hi folks,

A couple of questions if I may. *I was planning to travel on the Cross
Country services from Reading to East Croydon/Redhill sometime soon,
to say farewell (I need one of the curves at Acton Wells Jct).

Am I right in thinking that the only bits of track that these services
use that could be considered rare are Acton-Mitre Bridge, and
Latchmere-Factory Jcts, as per PSULhttp://www.avoe05.dsl.pipex.com/2008.htm

I was thinking of doing both ways from East Croydon/Redhill to Gatwick
(i.e. via Kensington Olympia, and via Guildford), can anyone suggest
the best ticket to get?

I see there are two Gatwick-Reading fares, one routes Guildford and
the other London.... does Kensington Olympia still count as a London
Terminal please?

I was going to look at a zone R1256 travelcard, then a boundary zone 6
to Reading ticket, but I see this is only available as either route
Slough or route Ascot, so perhaps doesn't help me that much.

Anyone care to say whether East Croydon to Reading via Guildford would
be considered a valid route?

Thanks in anticipation

The fares I can see are £18 CDR 'via Gomshall' and £24.10 'any
permitted' which presumably includes KO (not a London terminal) or
Ascot but not London. I couldn't get it to show me a via London fare

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On 23 May, 11:48, wrote:
On May 23, 10:40*am, wrote:





Hi folks,

A couple of questions if I may. *I was planning to travel on the Cross
Country services from Reading to East Croydon/Redhill sometime soon,
to say farewell (I need one of the curves at Acton Wells Jct).

Am I right in thinking that the only bits of track that these services
use that could be considered rare are Acton-Mitre Bridge, and
Latchmere-Factory Jcts, as per PSULhttp://www.avoe05.dsl.pipex.com/2008.htm

I was thinking of doing both ways from East Croydon/Redhill to Gatwick
(i.e. via Kensington Olympia, and via Guildford), can anyone suggest
the best ticket to get?

I see there are two Gatwick-Reading fares, one routes Guildford and
the other London.... does Kensington Olympia still count as a London
Terminal please?

I was going to look at a zone R1256 travelcard, then a boundary zone 6
to Reading ticket, but I see this is only available as either route
Slough or route Ascot, so perhaps doesn't help me that much.

Anyone care to say whether East Croydon to Reading via Guildford would
be considered a valid route?

Thanks in anticipation

The fares I can see are £18 CDR 'via Gomshall' and £24.10 'any
permitted' which presumably includes KO (not a London terminal) or
Ascot but not London. I couldn't get it to show me a via London fare- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Reading to East Croydon via Redhill is a permitted route (map CS) so a
"Not London" ticket is fine - there is a lower priced "via Redhill"
ticket as well so some FGW conductors don't like "not London" tickets
via Redhill. One day travelcards are definitely not valid via
Guildford.

Kensington Olympia is "not London".

Gatwick to Reading is *not* currently valid via London according to
the routing guide even though there is an appropriate fare with cross
London connection.

The various services have different routes between Kensington Olympia
and East Croydon - I have been via Norbury, Streatham Hill and Herne
Hill - Tulse Hill at various occasions in the last few years.

You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1] by FGW are available at quieter times of the
day.

Hope this helps


Jonathan

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On 23 May, 13:12, wrote:
You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1] by FGW are available at quieter times of the
day.

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.- Hide quoted text -

Which is quite difficult at Reading as the barriers would refuse your
ticket & the grippers, quite rightly, would tell you that the ticket
is invalid to Reading & charge you again, plus Penalty Fare. Silly
idea, really.

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On 23 May, 13:30, Chris wrote:
On 23 May, 13:12, wrote:

You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1] by FGW are available at quieter times of the
day.

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.- Hide quoted text -

Which is quite difficult at Reading as the barriers would refuse your
ticket & the grippers, quite rightly, would tell you that the ticket
is invalid to Reading & charge you again, plus Penalty Fare. Silly
idea, really.

Barriers at Reading are turned off at 9pm Sunday to Thursday - also
I'm not sure that the barriers are necessarily set to reject AP
tickets ending short and besides the barrier staff let people through
the manual gates on being shown a ticket with only a glance.

I'd personally far rather see the barriers turned on at all times when
trains run and keep use of the manual gate for very exceptional
circumstances only but that's not the way things are.

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In article
,
writes
Gatwick to Reading is *not* currently valid via London according to
the routing guide even though there is an appropriate fare with cross
London connection.

On an Any Permitted ticket, you can go via London provided that you get
to Reading via Staines (e.g. Gatwick to London Bridge, W&C line,
Waterloo to Reading).

On a "route London" ticket you can go via Paddington as well.

You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1]

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.

Can you please cite the rule that says you can't end short on these AP
tickets?

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

"Clive D. W. Feather" wrote in message
...
In article
,
writes
Gatwick to Reading is *not* currently valid via London according to
the routing guide even though there is an appropriate fare with cross
London connection.

On an Any Permitted ticket, you can go via London provided that you get to
Reading via Staines (e.g. Gatwick to London Bridge, W&C line, Waterloo to
Reading).

On a "route London" ticket you can go via Paddington as well.

You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1]

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.

Can you please cite the rule that says you can't end short on these AP
tickets?


If the previous poster means the new 'Advance' tickets they do indeed have
new standard T&C which prevent BOJ, ending short and starting 'long'.
I pointed this out a few weeks ago - and wonder if the NCOC para 16 should
be amended to match?

http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fare...onditions.html

"You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any
intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on
the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

Paul

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In article , Paul Scott
writes
Can you please cite the rule that says you can't end short on these AP
tickets?

If the previous poster means the new 'Advance' tickets they do indeed have
new standard T&C which prevent BOJ, ending short and starting 'long'.
I pointed this out a few weeks ago - and wonder if the NCOC para 16 should
be amended to match?

http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fare...onditions.html

Thanks.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On 24 May, 23:07, "Paul Scott" wrote:
"Clive D. W. Feather" wrote in ...





In article
,
writes
Gatwick to Reading is *not* currently valid via London according to
the routing guide even though there is an appropriate fare with cross
London connection.

On an Any Permitted ticket, you can go via London provided that you get to
Reading via Staines (e.g. Gatwick to London Bridge, W&C line, Waterloo to
Reading).

On a "route London" ticket you can go via Paddington as well.

You may find that cheap AP tickets e.g. Reading to Gatwick by AXC and
Gatwick to *Swindon* [1]

[1] Breaking the rules on ending short.

Can you please cite the rule that says you can't end short on these AP
tickets?

If the previous poster means the new 'Advance' tickets they do indeed have
new standard T&C which prevent BOJ, ending short and starting 'long'.
I pointed this out a few weeks ago - and wonder if the NCOC para 16 should
be amended to match?

http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fare...onditions.html

"You may not start, break and resume, or end your journey at any
intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on
the ticket(s) or other valid travel itinerary."

Paul- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

One thing I don't quite know is about the "valid travel itinerary".
Am I obliged to take my booking confirmation with me when I travel so
that a conductor could check I am on the right trains (the &
connections part where those trains don't have reservations)? AP
tickets issued on normal credit-card sized ticket stock only show the
part of the journey where there is a reservation. Alternatively, is
the "valid travel itinerary" simply a way of describing mobile tickets
or paper tickets that aren't in widespread use yet?

Jonathan

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In message
, at
05:05:50 on Sun, 25 May 2008, remarked:
One thing I don't quite know is about the "valid travel itinerary".
Am I obliged to take my booking confirmation with me when I travel so
that a conductor could check I am on the right trains (the &
connections part where those trains don't have reservations)? AP
tickets issued on normal credit-card sized ticket stock only show the
part of the journey where there is a reservation. Alternatively, is
the "valid travel itinerary" simply a way of describing mobile tickets
or paper tickets that aren't in widespread use yet?

When you get a ticket issued on credit-card sized coupons, it says quite
clearly how many coupons are involved. It also says that you must use
reservations, where they appear on one of those coupons (and obviously
not where they don't).

So all the conductor needs to do is examine your full set of coupons to
see if one of them has a compulsory reservation on the leg you are
currently undertaking. In turn, you should be prepared to show all the
coupons on demand.
--
Roland Perry

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On May 25, 1:52 pm, Roland Perry wrote:
When you get a ticket issued on credit-card sized coupons, it says quite
clearly how many coupons are involved. It also says that you must use
reservations, where they appear on one of those coupons (and obviously
not where they don't).

So all the conductor needs to do is examine your full set of coupons to
see if one of them has a compulsory reservation on the leg you are
currently undertaking. In turn, you should be prepared to show all the
coupons on demand.

It's not quite as simple as that.

For example, I have a ticket issued on credit card coupons for a date
in June. It's for a 1st Advance single from Durham to Leeds. The
ticket says "Vaild only with reservation(s)" but does not say how many
reservations. The seat reservation from Durham to York says "Valid
only with travel ticket" and "Valid at 1608 hours". But neither
indicates whether a seat has been reserved from Leeds to York. No seat
has actually been reserved, because the 1608 is due to arrive York at
1654 and the next train which meets the 8-minute York connection
requirement is the non-reservable 1707 to Blackpool North. But if
everything ran to time I would prefer to join the 1658 to Manchester
Airport, which is reservable (and also has 1st class accommodation,
which the 1707 doesn't).

The Collection Receipt, which states the number of coupons issued, is
no help because it was for a single booking for more than one ticket,
and in any case there is no requirement fo it to be carried on the
journey. The instruction is "Please retain for your records".

In these circumstances, I'm not aware of anything in the rule that
states that I must use a non-reservable train(s) from York to Leeds.
Any thoughts?

John

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In message
, at
07:40:46 on Sun, 25 May 2008, remarked:
On May 25, 1:52 pm, Roland Perry wrote:
When you get a ticket issued on credit-card sized coupons, it says quite
clearly how many coupons are involved. It also says that you must use
reservations, where they appear on one of those coupons (and obviously
not where they don't).

So all the conductor needs to do is examine your full set of coupons to
see if one of them has a compulsory reservation on the leg you are
currently undertaking. In turn, you should be prepared to show all the
coupons on demand.

It's not quite as simple as that.

For example, I have a ticket issued on credit card coupons for a date
in June. It's for a 1st Advance single from Durham to Leeds. The
ticket says "Vaild only with reservation(s)" but does not say how many
reservations.

Look at the top right hand side of the ticket, inside the orange stripe.

It will say "Issued as
N coupons"

Which are 1 ticket, and (N-1) mandatory Reservation Coupons.

If your trip has more than (N-1) legs, then the remaining ones clearly
cannot have compulsory reservations, and cannot therefore restrict your
choice of train.

The seat reservation from Durham to York says "Valid
only with travel ticket" and "Valid at 1608 hours".

So that's one of the coupons.

But neither indicates whether a seat has been reserved from Leeds to
York.

The indication would be an additional coupon like the one from Durham to
York.

The Collection Receipt, which states the number of coupons issued, is
no help because it was for a single booking for more than one ticket,
and in any case there is no requirement fo it to be carried on the
journey. The instruction is "Please retain for your records".

The collection receipt is as you describe, but what you need to be
looking at is the *ticket* for each person/journey.

In these circumstances, I'm not aware of anything in the rule that
states that I must use a non-reservable train(s) from York to Leeds.
Any thoughts?

It's not about whether the train is reservable or not, but *have they*
reserved you a seat?

[The tickets I have here are Advance for a three-leg trip, of which the
first and second have reservations, but the third leg is on a reservable
train and there's no reservation. I confidently predict that I could use
any train. Indeed, the only evidence of even a 'suggested' train for
that third leg is on my itinerary that the ticket sale site gave me.
--
Roland Perry

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On an Any Permitted ticket, you can go via London provided that you get
to Reading via Staines (e.g. Gatwick to London Bridge, W&C line,
Waterloo to Reading).

I'm sure a Not London ticket would also let you go Gatwick, Clapham
Junction (change), Reading (via Staines). But if it's an Any Permitted
ticket, I'm confident there's nothing stopping you going via
Paddington...

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

On May 25, 4:17 pm, Roland Perry wrote:
Look at the top right hand side of the ticket, inside the orange stripe.

It will say "Issued as
N coupons"

Not on this occasion. My tickets used to say this.

Your comment prompted me to look at tickets for recent journeys.
The last ticket which contained this information correctly was for a
journey on 16 April 2008 from Newcastle to Leeds. The ticket was
marked "Issued as 2 coupons" and the reservation "Retain for
inspection" and "Valid only with ticket 87223".

But things began to go wrong with a journey from Leeds to London on 22
April 2008, which was marked "Issued as 01 coupons", which is silly.
The associated reservation was marked "Retain for inspection" and
"Valid only with ticket 57558".

All advance tickets issued to me since that date are printed "Valid
only with reservation(s) and the reference to the number of coupons
has disappeared. Similarly, "Valid only with ticket xxxxx" has been
replaced by "Valid only with travel ticket".

Unless unable to book there, I use the NXEC site and a station
FastTicket machine. But even a ScotRail sleeper ticket issued on 19
May 2008 is in the new format.

This brings me back to my question whether there is any rule that I
must use a non-reservable train from York to Leeds. Roland Perry
agrees with me that there is not. Jonathan disagrees and says that the
ticket can only be used on a non-reservable train. Is there any
evidence one way or the other?

John

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In message
, at
12:18:10 on Sun, 25 May 2008, remarked:
But things began to go wrong with a journey from Leeds to London on 22
April 2008, which was marked "Issued as 01 coupons", which is silly.
The associated reservation was marked "Retain for inspection" and
"Valid only with ticket 57558".

All advance tickets issued to me since that date are printed "Valid
only with reservation(s) and the reference to the number of coupons
has disappeared. Similarly, "Valid only with ticket xxxxx" has been
replaced by "Valid only with travel ticket".

My ticket was printed on the 28th April for a journey in July. It was
booked on the 25th April.

I will report back whenever I next book an Advance ticket.
--
Roland Perry

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of ReadingQueries
 

In these circumstances, I'm not aware of anything in the rule that
states that I must use a non-reservable train(s) from York to Leeds.
Any thoughts?

John

I remember that maybe 10 years ago journeys issued on the long tickets
(do these still get used except for Eurostar, or is it all credit card
size now?) listed your services with reservations, and then "suggested
service" for non-reservable trains.

Re the Durham-Leeds ticket, I wonder if Durham ticket office would do
you a reservation on a TPX from York to Leeds, by you manually showing
them your tickets?

Kensington Olympia and Arriva Cross Country east of Reading Queries
 

In message
, at
03:24:31 on Mon, 26 May 2008, remarked:
I remember that maybe 10 years ago journeys issued on the long tickets
(do these still get used except for Eurostar, or is it all credit card
size now?) listed your services with reservations, and then "suggested
service" for non-reservable trains.

Yes, and that caused all sorts of problems, with some grippers insisting
you *had* to use the 'suggested' service.
--
Roland Perry