Do train conductors ever check the reservation (advanced) ticket?

gottago

I booked an advanced student fare the other night but found out the other day that I can actually get a much earlier train thanks to a cancelled lecture. Unfortunately as they're advanced tickets there was no chance of me being able to change the time of the train on them. But looking back at journeys I've made with advanced tickets in the past I've only been asked for one of the two tickets, I just can't remember which one! I've got an actual ticket and a reservation one with the train time and seat number on. So should I just buy another ticket or is there a sneaky way round this?! The train I want to travel on is actually cheaper than the one I've got the ticket for.

bobcurtis

I have done this in the past and it depends on the conductor. One gave me a right telling off, very embarassing in front of other passengers, but he let me travel anyway. I have done it since, but I found the conductor first and asked him if it was ok, and he was fine with it. No guarantees though.

mark55man

huge credit to you for planning to go to the lecture :-)

I would ask at the ticket office first - they might be able to do something. if they say no do what bob suggested. if the conductor says no, you could still risk it - although I am unsure what the penalty consequences could be

Lemonade_Pockets

They normally ask for both bits and I've seen plenty of people be fined for getting on the wrong train "accidentally". Notably one woman who had a ticket just not one for that train refused to give any details and refused to get of the train, Q British transport police. A right carry on, mind you this is all the east coast main line which is a busy service.

I reckon if you can find a relevant authority to ask first (i.e the conductor) and they OK it then it should be fine.

nearlyrich

I caught a train last week on advanced tickets, I managed to arrive at the station early enough for the train before mine but the information desk said no to my request to use the earlier train. It didn't really matter as my DH was picking me up after a meeting so I would have been waiting at the other end.
When I got on the train the announcer made it very clear that everyone travelling on Advanced tickets should check they had the right tickets for that train and that if the train left the station anyone with the wrong ticket would be charged the full fare ( £125) I had paid £34 for a first class ticket so it would have been a big increase.
If the earleier train is cheaper and not already booked up you may be lucky but I wouldn't recommend winging it!

gottago

Sod it, I'll pay again! It's only about £4! Thanks for the responses.

unluckymike

I am a guard, and provided people ask then it should not be any issue providing the passenger can expect not to have a reserved seat and that they may be refused travelling if the service is busy.

The letter of the law, old British Rail rules, state that you will be charged the full single fare for your journey as you have an invalid ticket for that travel. Providing you do not act like an idiot, this should never occur. If you do, in some cases I have done, the ticket has been withdrawn from the passenger who refused to pay the fare and was put off at the next stop.

This is worst case scenario, not the ticket but the person being worst case.

chickywiggle

i almost always get advance tickets and have NEVER been asked for my reservation part!! maybe i'm just lucky??

flyingscotno1

chickywiggle wrote: »

i almost always get advance tickets and have NEVER been asked for my reservation part!! maybe i'm just lucky??

Similarly I have never been checked for my advance tickets, and never on East Coast. As I use a rail card I think that distracts them, with all the paper and they don't want the second bit.

Livingthedream

I travelled on the Virgin West coast from Glasgow Central to Warrington last Thrusday and the guard was checking the Advance ticket and the reservation ticket before he allowed you on the platform to the train, but along the North Wales coast with Arriva trains the guard only asked for the ticket.

Virgin trains are also keen on Railcards at the moment, as a passenger on the train had forgot his, he was given two optoins 1. pay the excess or 2. leave the train at the next station.

p00hsticks

I travel on Virgin West Coast trains daily and from observation the guards there are very strict on checking both your ticket and seat reservation if you have an advance ticket. It's always being announced that they'll epxect you to make it up to the full standard fare if you are not on the correctly timed train and/or do not have any railcard with you.