Can I travel on an earlier train than the one I have booked?

ahrimaniac

Quickest of quick questions here.

I am due to be in London for 1030 tomorrow morning for training, but the tickets I have been given will get me to Kings Cross at 1020.

If my ticket says ‘any route permissable’ can I get an earlier train? I know that’s probably deadly obvious but thought I’d check as I remember something about not being able to get a train earlier, it had to be later.

Many thanks
Jaymes

Wig

I would say if the earlier train costs more then no, you cannot travel on it, ask the train company.

elsien

Doesn't it depend on the type of ticket? Did you book it for a specific train, or is it an open one, off peak, or whatever other limitations there are?
I think any permissable route means how you get there, not at which time.

spiro

If the ticket has the date/time of travel on it then the answer is NO. Its even worse if it has the carriage/seat number because that is the only seat you can sit in. If you chance it and the ticket is checked you will have to pay the full walk up single fare with no refund on the ticket you have.

If your company has provided the tickets don't wrry, they know what time the train will arrive. Were is the training session?

geordieracer

what kind of ticket is it? Any route permissible just means you could go via somewhere else.

Also where are you travelling to/from and with whom?

Livingthedream

All to do with ticket type; ie Peak, Off peak or Advance the route shouldn't be a factor, but as I can see from the past 3 posts when you let us know the info requested we will be more able to help you more.

dzug1

A bit late now but:

if you have an anytime ticket - then yes you can use an earlier train. Even if you have a seat reservation on the booked one

ditto if you have an off peak ticket, provided the train you use is an off peak one (doubtful if it is given time of arrival). You can also pay the difference to the peak fare (plus an admin fee) before boarding.

if you have an advance ticket - the answer is still yes, but you must pay any additional fare to the cheapest currently on sale plus an admin fee at the booking office before boarding (and before your original train departs - so this doesn't work for missed trains)

duchy

Any reasonable refers to the route. What is the fare type and the route/fare on the ticket. You've not given enough data for people to be able to answer.

It is possible that your company deliberately booked you on the first cheap fare of the day.....depending where you are travelling from that can be departing after 9 or 9.30 -again withoutknowing the ticket type route it's impossible to speculate let alone know.

yorkie2

Wig wrote: »

I would say if the earlier train costs more then no, you cannot travel on it, ask the train company.

On what basis do you make that statement? How can a train "cost more"? I'm not sure how this will help the OP.

elsien wrote: »

Doesn't it depend on the type of ticket? Did you book it for a specific train, or is it an open one, off peak, or whatever other limitations there are?
I think any permissable route means how you get there, not at which time.

Yes, that's more like it
It does indeed depend on the type of ticket.
"Any Permitted" is indeed the routeing of the ticket, in this case any route that is permitted in the Routeing Guide (RG) on ATOC's website.

spiro wrote: »

If the ticket has the date/time of travel on it then the answer is NO.

Wrong. I think you are talking about a reservation? Having a reservation does not necessarily tie you to that train.

spiro wrote: »

Its even worse if it has the carriage/seat number because that is the only seat you can sit in. If you chance it and the ticket is checked you will have to pay the full walk up single fare with no refund on the ticket you have.

Well, that is right, IF you have an Advance ticket.

geordieracer wrote: »

what kind of ticket is it? Any route permissible just means you could go via somewhere else.

Not necessarily. There may only be one permitted route. It depends on where the ticket is from (as it's to London it is unlikely there is only one permitted route, I admit!)

dzug1 wrote: »

A bit late now but:

if you have an anytime ticket - then yes you can use an earlier train. Even if you have a seat reservation on the booked one

Agreed!

dzug1 wrote: »

ditto if you have an off peak ticket, provided the train you use is an off peak one (doubtful if it is given time of arrival).

Not quite. If the restriction permits it. (Trains can be "off peak" for certain tickets, and "peak" for other tickets. It's not the train that matters but the ticket type).

dzug1 wrote: »

You can also pay the difference to the peak fare (plus an admin fee) before boarding.

No, it is just the difference, for a change of ticket type excess.

dzug1 wrote: »

if you have an advance ticket - the answer is still yes, but you must pay any additional fare to the cheapest currently on sale plus an admin fee at the booking office before boarding (and before your original train departs - so this doesn't work for missed trains)

Yes, that's right.

geordieracer

I'd have to pull you up on my quote yorkie.if they were coming from say,.lincoln there are a couple of routes they could do on an any permissable. But as we dont know start station nor ticket type we are in the dark.
All good.

yorkie2

For some tickets routed Any Permitted there is only one permitted route. (I only say this because earlier it is claimed that you can travel by "another route" on such a ticket, but this is not necessarily the case)

For Lincoln to London, there will be a lot more than a couple! You can go into St Pancras, King's Cross or Liverpool Street, and with various ways to get to each of those.

Yes, we have no idea what the permitted routes may be, or what the time restrictions may be, as we don't know the origin, the destination, or ticket type!