MoneySavingExpert.com Cheap Train Tickets Article Discussion

stmarcus

Hi all,

I have a query that hopefully somebody can answer.

I bought a railway ticket via the Southern Railway's website for a train journey to London via a Southeast Railway train. The train journey was delayed by 32 minutes and I intend to ask for a 50% refund because of the delay.

Could someone please advise me whether the refund should come from the Southern or the Southeast railway company so that I can then post my reclaim form to the correct address.

Many thanks

KeithP

stmarcus wrote: »

Hi all,

I have a query that hopefully somebody can answer.

I bought a railway ticket via the Southern Railway's website for a train journey to London via a Southeast Railway train. The train journey was delayed by 32 minutes and I intend to ask for a 50% refund because of the delay.

Could someone please advise me whether the refund should come from the Southern or the Southeast railway company so that I can then post my reclaim form to the correct address.

Many thanks

You have a bit of a problem here.
Not only are two train companies involved, but they currently have different compensation schemes.

Southeastern say...

Under the terms of the Passengers Charter, we do have procedures in place to compensate for poor performance, unless delays or cancellations are due to problems beyond our control. If you hold a daily ticket for a Single or Return journey, or a Weekly ticket, and your journey on Southeastern is delayed by 30 minutes or more, we’ll offer you rail travel vouchers or a cheque refund (for awards over £30) to the value of 50% of the fare for the outward or return portion of your journey affected by the delay.

Southern say...

If we have delayed your journey, regardless of the cause, then Southern will compensate you. ...

(otherwise the same as Southeastern)

As Southern did not delay you, you need to use Southeastern's scheme.

Who/what caused the delay?
If you cannot establish that, I fear your claim will probably fail.

stmarcus

KeithP wrote: »

You have a bit of a problem here.
Not only are two train companies involved, but they currently have different compensation schemes.

(otherwise the same as Southeastern)

As Southern did not delay you, you need to use Southeastern's scheme.

Who/what caused the delay?
If you cannot establish that, I fear your claim will probably fail.

Thanks for advise.

For info, I was advised half way into my journey that there was a fatality on a connecting train. The connecting train would have joined up with our train at Sittingbourne with it's driver then taking the train to London. As a result, the train was cancelled at Sittingbourne, where I was told to change trains. I also had to change to another train at Gillingham.

balajo

Last year, I would fly outside of London for the day and return that evening. I used to be able to get the off peak day return train fare which was really nice. almost 50% the regular return fare. Later on, I didn't return the same day but now I started to do so. At first, I started using trainline again to buy tickets so I didn't notice immediately the off peak fare was no longer available. They have stopped offering this off peak or same day return fares for airport journeys Anyway, I did what Martin has suggested for other types of train fares and I broke up the journey into 2 tickets and it is not as cheap as it was before but there is still about a 33% savings off the best RT fare.
Don't pay more than you have to!!:j

KeithP

napoleon1821 wrote: »

Hello all,

I had never heard of split-ticketing until I read this article this evening, so please bear with me!

Tomorrow, I need to make the following train journeys. Unfortunately, these times are fixed beyond my control, so I have no option but to travel on the following trains.

• Departing: York at 14:37
• Arriving: Peterborough at 15:50

• Departing: Peterborough at 17:46
• Arriving: York at 18:56

A standard return to cover the above journeys would cost £34.20, which seems rather pricey. I have checked and two single tickets are no cheaper.

On both legs of the journey, the train only stops at Doncaster. Therefore, would it be possible to purchase the following train tickets and be able to complete the above journeys cheaper than the standard return?

• Departing: York at 14:37
• Arriving: Doncaster at 15:03

• Departing: Doncaster at 15:04
• Arriving: Peterborough at 15:50

• Departing: Peterborough at 17:46
• Arriving: Doncaster at 18:33

• Departing: Doncaster at 18:34
• Arriving: York at 18:56

The York/Doncaster return ticket costs £7.75 and the Doncaster/Peterborough return ticket costs £20.15. Therefore, the total cost is £27.90, which is obviously a lot cheaper than the standard return ticket.

Is this definitely a valid way to split the tickets? The last thing I want is to be thrown off the train for not having a valid ticket! Also, how do I present my tickets? When I get on at York, do I show both return tickets, or simply the one valid to Doncaster and produce the other when requested?

I would really appreciate your assistance, please, since obviously this journey is tomorrow and I need to get it sorted quickly.

Many thanks indeed,

Peter.

Perfectly valid proposal.

Just present the ticket that is valid at that time in the journey.
e.g. when entering York platform, show York-Donc ticket.
if ticket inspected between Donc and P'boro, show that ticket.

napoleon1821

KeithP wrote: »

Perfectly valid proposal.

Just present the ticket that is valid at that time in the journey.
e.g. when entering York platform, show York-Donc ticket.
if ticket inspected between Donc and P'boro, show that ticket.

Many thanks indeed. I'll purchase those tickets this evening and hopefully made the successful train journey tomorrow!

I actually moved it to a separate thread in order to get a response before tomorrow, so please don't think you're going mad :rotfl:

Peter.

stmarcus

KeithP wrote: »

You have a bit of a problem here.
Not only are two train companies involved, but they currently have different compensation schemes.

As Southern did not delay you, you need to use Southeastern's scheme.

Who/what caused the delay?
If you cannot establish that, I fear your claim will probably fail.

Thanks for the advise again.

Just to let you know, Southeast railways have provided me with a 50% refund in the form of vouchers, which have to be used within 12 months.

Although I am not a fan or regular user of trains, I will use the vouchers. With the 2 month free offer of a family rail card as advised in the latest MSE weekly email, I should be able to get a free return trip to London if I am lucky.

only1woz

Hi guys, 8 of us looking to travel from Glasgow to Carlisle on 4th june back on 6th june for a stag weekend (I know, we're leaving GLASGOW to go to CARLISLE??? Go figure!)

Looking to leave glasgow from 10am onwards and leave carlisle from 1pm onwards.

Cheapest I can find (on trainline or any others) is £143.20.

Just wondering if any of you moneysaving whizzkids could help me out?

Thanks in advance, Mark.:kisses3:

Livingthedream

only1woz wrote: »

Hi guys, 8 of us looking to travel from Glasgow to Carlisle on 4th june back on 6th june for a stag weekend (I know, we're leaving GLASGOW to go to CARLISLE??? Go figure!)

Looking to leave glasgow from 10am onwards and leave carlisle from 1pm onwards.

Cheapest I can find (on trainline or any others) is £143.20.

Just wondering if any of you moneysaving whizzkids could help me out?

Thanks in advance, Mark.:kisses3:

You could try a Virgin Group-e Ticket, but the time of train isn't what you specified

Glasgow Cen to Carlisle 08.40 arrive 09.47 Advance Group-e Single £59
Carlisle to Glasgow Cen 12.49 arrive 13.19 Advance Group-e Single £59

Total £118 Return saves a bit and saves you going via Dunfries (2hours 21mins) the £140 that the trainline.con quoted you, its a £158 return direct (1hour 8mins).

bluestaff

Hi ev1 we go on holiday in 7wks sisters b/f cant make it so she will av to travel by train so cheapest tickets iv found for one adult and one child with family railcard is £105.80 just wondered if iv missed anything.


we travel on 02/07/2010 and back on the 09/07/2010

thanx in advance.