AP Tickets With Connecting Trains

westv

I know that, when buying an AP ticket that requires a connection, passengers are entitled to get the next available service in the event of the first train being cancelled.

If the passenger were to buy two tickets (a normal one for the 1st train and an AP for the second train) would I be correct in saying that, technically, the AP would not be valid for later services in the event of the 1st train being delayed/cancelled.

The reason I ask is that I travel down to London from Hull most Mondays. Last year there were always AP tickets available for the Hull service leaving at 05:20 (06:22 connection at Doncaster). Now it appears that there are no AP tickets for the 06:22 service for a number of weeks up to the end of March. I was considering getting a normal ticket for the Hull to Doncaster section and an AP ticket for a later train (06:53 which does have availability perhaps). The difference in cost between the normal+AP ticket and an anytime ticket is significant when added up over the weeks involved.

Seakay

It's up to you to arrive on time to get an AP train, although if it is a late train service that is the cause of your missing it then you can ask to be allowed to get a later train at the ticket office in the connecting station after you've arrived late - no rights, entirely up to them if they choose to allow it and no right to get onto an unbooked train with an AP ticket without getting permission first.
Would point out if no AP ticket from Hull unlikely to be one from a connecting service as this would have shown up as an option when you did your search online. Unless splitting tickets suggest a different route in which case, yes it's worth doing a search for AP tickets on each leg of the journey

cosmojohnson

I disagree - I think you are entitled to catch a later train in such circumstances, even if you are split-ticketing:

The NR Conditions of Carraige says:

If you purchase an Advance ticket, you must use that ticket in the train specified when you book your ticket. However, if you miss this service because a previous connecting train service was delayed you will be able to travel on the next service provided by the Train Company with whom you were booked to travel without penalty.

and

You may use two or more tickets for one journey

As you are using two tickets for one journey, so long as you leave the minimum connection time at your change point (which for Doncaster is 7 minutes according to NRE) you are covered to take the next Doncaster-London service if your booked one is missed due to a late connecting service.

westv

Seakay wrote: »

It's up to you to arrive on time to get an AP train, although if it is a late train service that is the cause of your missing it then you can ask to be allowed to get a later train at the ticket office in the connecting station after you've arrived late - no rights, entirely up to them if they choose to allow it and no right to get onto an unbooked train with an AP ticket without getting permission first.
Would point out if no AP ticket from Hull unlikely to be one from a connecting service as this would have shown up as an option when you did your search online. Unless splitting tickets suggest a different route in which case, yes it's worth doing a search for AP tickets on each leg of the journey

I meant there were no AP tickets for that particular days train at 6:22. AP tickets are zvailable for the next service from Doncaster but the AP system only shows tickets for the closest connecting service. There is a later train from Hull zt 06:25 which does have AP tickets but that gets into London too late for me.
Does that make sense?

thelawnet

You are entitled to catch a later train if you have caught a connecting train with a valid connection time that runs late.

In other words, if you book an Advance 06:00 from say Leeds and your connecting train is scheduled to arrive into that Leeds at 05:59, and you miss it, then that would be tough, because you did not allow enough time for the connection.

However if your connecting train was scheduled to arrive at 05:50, but arrived 15 minutes late, then you would be entitled to board the next train, as there was sufficient time allowed to make the connection.

In London the issue of 'sufficient time' can be a bit complicated, but for an in-station connection, it's simple - if NRE offers you that route, then it's a valid connection.

In this case there is over half-an-hour between trains, so it's definitely fine.

I see the issue:

28th January - Hull - London £114.50 Anytime Single, the 06:53 from Doncaster is only £39 Advance Single.

So yes, you can buy a separate Hull - Doncaster ticket, wait at Doncaster for 30 minutes, and then catch the 06:53 train or a later train if your train from Hull is delayed so much that you miss that.