A train question involving portions of a journey.

catch22

Can I book a train ticket, Birmingham to Gatwick, but only use the London to Gatwick portion?

For some stupid reason I can book the whole journey cheaper than just the second part of the journey. Thereby saving a few £s. Thanks

butler_helen

Yes you can technically but I would check with the train company that you can get through the barriers in London with the ticket. I've done it before but only when there were no barriers- these might scupper you.

System

Be aware that the cheaper tickets normally do not allow breaking a journey. Getting on at London instead of Birmingham would be seen as having broken the journey.

Check the T&Cs for the ticket carefully before buying.

dzug1

In this instance there's absolutely no way they can detect that you have 'broken' your journey, as you have to do that anyway to cross London.

However if you go on to the Southern trains site you may well find the London Gatwick leg on its own at a cheaper price (starts at £3.75)

david39

Yes, you need to be canny looking at ticket prices.

Usually, Trainline are dearer than buying direct from the train operator but, looking for a Wakefield-London Advanced Single journey on a Saturday in November, I found Trainline an unexpectedly £13 cheaper than buying direct from East Coast Rail same train, same day, same journey.

catch22

dzug1 wrote: »

In this instance there's absolutely no way they can detect that you have 'broken' your journey, as you have to do that anyway to cross London.

However if you go on to the Southern trains site you may well find the London Gatwick leg on its own at a cheaper price (starts at £3.75)

That is slightly incorrect.. As ones tickets on the first leg would of been stamped. Nearly always in these instances there are two tickets. One being the 'big daddy' so to speak. Without it the other ticket is unusable.

jd87

catch22 wrote: »

That is slightly incorrect.. As ones tickets on the first leg would of been stamped. Nearly always in these instances there are two tickets. One being the 'big daddy' so to speak. Without it the other ticket is unusable.

What? An absence of a stamp on a ticket means nothing because lots of trains simply don't have ticket inspectors. dzug's advice is entirely correct.

dzug1

catch22 wrote: »

That is slightly incorrect.. As ones tickets on the first leg would of been stamped. Nearly always in these instances there are two tickets. One being the 'big daddy' so to speak. Without it the other ticket is unusable.

My tickets to London are very rarely stamped - ticket checks are by no means universal

wealdroam

catch22 wrote: »

Nearly always in these instances there are two tickets. One being the 'big daddy' so to speak. Without it the other ticket is unusable.

What on earth does that mean?

One north of London and one south of London?
Those two would be entirely independent... if indeed two seperate tickets were issued.
And if they were seperate tickets, the cross London tube journey would not be covered, would it?

What is a 'big daddy' ticket?

These are genuine questions... I honestly do not know what you are talking about. :beer:

Stompa

catch22 wrote: »

Nearly always in these instances there are two tickets.

Are there? I'm not sure I recall ever being issued more than 1 ticket for a journey that involves changing stations in London.

Shelldean

Personally I don;t see the problem with OP doing it that BUT beware this was printed in the Telegraph recently - couple charged £114 for getting off train to early.
It Appears that the cheap ticket was valid from A-D and the couple decided to get off at C, and got charged the extra( either a set price or twice the single fare I think, adn they got charged twice the singel fare) as the station the couple exited at wasn't part of the promotion. So be careful

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