HELP - need urgent advice - will my ticket be accepted

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

I need to be in hemel hempstead for a few days - and we all know whats happening on the euston line!

Officially - my trek from ludlow/kiddie to hemel involves train to milton keynes then a bus - but we all know what the M1 is liek and with the trains being screwed god help us.

I've calculated it will be quicker to get FGW^▸ (First Great Western) into PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), tube to baker street, metropolitan out to watford and then a bus from watford as it is shorter and going against the rush hour.

Is there any chance FGW will accept my weeks season at least tomorrow morning until all returns to normal.

Its called thinking outside the box - not accepting the official line

[grahame]

As a pure guess (time critical post, no-one else even guessing!), I put myself in the shoes of an FGW^▸ (First Great Western) person checking tickets between Reading and London.   If I didn't know you from your various posts here, (which I probably wouldn't),  I would strongly suspect that you were spending most of the week in Hemel on the season, and were trying to "cheat" the system to get into London for one day without paying the extra fare from Hemel.   Sorry - but I think it would be a hard one to "sell" to the revenue protection people.

[eightf48544]

Didn't I hear that with the plane crash at Colwich and the wires down at Watford over teh weekend a number of TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) were accepting Virgin tickets for travel by alternative routes.

It's interesting that the wires are down at Kenton this am and Euston virtually shut again.

Odd comment on Today programme 70% of trains since the New Year have been late on WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line).

If we still had BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) I would suggest you probably would be able to use your tickets but  since the break up what incentive do TOCS have to cooperate and accept each others tickets?

As a comment on wires down on WCML is it another mismatch between service frequency, pan pressure  on Pendolinos and cold weather the tensioning wires?

[G.Uard]

I could find out, but won't be in work until much later, which will probably not be of any use.  I would suggest a PM to Ollie, who, if available, would I am sure, prove to be a reliable advisor.

[Steve44]

What about taking Chiltern to High wycombe? theres a National express coach and an hourly Arriva service that go directly to hemel.

[Ollie]

I know at the moment we are passing Virgin Trains ticket holders between Pad and Reading for connection with CrossCountry due to there being no service at all at Euston.

Ticket acceptance does vary, it usually depends on how bad the disruption is on whether a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) will choose to accept another companies tickets.

[Mookiemoo]

I know at the moment we are passing Virgin Trains ticket holders between Pad and Reading for connection with CrossCountry due to there being no service at all at Euston.

Ticket acceptance does vary, it usually depends on how bad the disruption is on whether a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) will choose to accept another companies tickets.

Well the TM^‡(resolve) was one of the regulars who knew me - didnt even bother asking to see my ticket until I asked the question.  He was cool about it and as the train came in on a none barriered platform, it wasnt an issue.

Now, I have  worse dilemma - my truck is at WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) but by the time I go home tonight, WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) will be up an running. 

So I use the season and go back via brum and then have to connect across and take forever - OR - I go back via london - but then this time have to pay for hemel to london and then a one way frpm PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to WOS

At least I made it here for just after 10 - which is more than I'd have done using the official route - think I'd still be at MK^▸ (Milton Keynes)

Thanks for the help.

[TheLastMinute]

Officially - my trek from ludlow/kiddie to hemel involves train to milton keynes then a bus - but we all know what the M1 is liek and with the trains being screwed god help us.

I've calculated it will be quicker to get FGW^▸ (First Great Western) into PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), tube to baker street, metropolitan out to watford and then a bus from watford as it is shorter and going against the rush hour.

Is there any chance FGW will accept my weeks season at least tomorrow morning until all returns to normal.

Between which stations do you hold your season ticket?

[Mookiemoo]

Officially - my trek from ludlow/kiddie to hemel involves train to milton keynes then a bus - but we all know what the M1 is liek and with the trains being screwed god help us.

I've calculated it will be quicker to get FGW^▸ (First Great Western) into PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), tube to baker street, metropolitan out to watford and then a bus from watford as it is shorter and going against the rush hour.

Is there any chance FGW will accept my weeks season at least tomorrow morning until all returns to normal.

Between which stations do you hold your season ticket?

Kidderminster and Hemel

[Mookiemoo]

And thats another issue - its the most craziest priced weekly season I've ever seen.

Day return first class kiddie to hemel = 210.00

One week first class season kiddie to hemel - 248.00

ok, the weekly specifically says not london BUT there is no logical reason whatsoever to go through london to go from one to the other!

[Btline]

And to top off your day you didn't even get to use the new footbridge /lifts either !

[Mookiemoo]

It's interesting that the wires are down at Kenton this am and Euston virtually shut again.

As a comment on wires down on WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) is it another mismatch between service frequency, pan pressure  on Pendolinos and cold weather the tensioning wires?

Maybe an argument FOR DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s or loco stock

After all - one failing doesnt down a network

[Mookiemoo]

And to top off your day you didn't even get to use the new footbridge /lifts either !

WHAT?

which new foot bridges and lifts

[Mookiemoo]

Well I got home - i didnt push my luck and try to use my season - I just got a single standard from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) and got the first upgrade with my student rail on the train.

AND  - I got a first class international to LPY issues first class with a railcard (cos I know london midland enforce the rules rather than use the avantix loophole) - I told the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) guard why and he still issued it - so yes I broke the rules - so did he.

So whilst it was a pain in the ass:

1. no one checked any tickets hemel to euston and barriers not operational - no charge - I tried to find the guard but he was in the other part of the train

2. got cab from euston to pad - fair 12.00 - only had ulster bank notes - he accepted 3.50 in change rather than my offer of 20 with a receipt which id reclaim from the client

3. Got a single with a railcard from pad to wos then upgraded on train and sorted out my ticket to LPY tomorrow

You know - as much as I hate BMI baby (the worst is arriving back in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) virgin upper class and then 60 mins later going BMI baby - ugh) - its so much easier - you know what you get and what you cant - rather than if you do x you get y and if you know loophole m you get n

AND - its still quicker to get from ludlow to belfast than ludlow to london - AND cheaper

[Btline]

I was talking about the new footbridge and lifts at Kidderminster station.

Work started December 2007..... and is still going on , so it is not open yet.