Splitting tickets to be banned?

[whole diary]

[Zoe]

I've heard a rumour that buying combinations of tickets for a through journey on the same train could be banned and you will be forced to change trains where you change from one ticket to the next?  Does anyone know more about this?

[Mookiemoo]

I've heard a rumour that buying combinations of tickets for a through journey on the same train could be banned and you will be forced to change trains where you change from one ticket to the next?  Does anyone know more about this?

I'd like to see them enforce it.

Pack up stuff, get off train, get back on train in next carriage. 

How many train managers/guards are really going to be bothered or on  a busy peak train even realize?

It would be another pointless rule that revenue protection may try to uphold (if they ever bother to get on a train) but will otherwise be ignored - if it ever were introduced.

[moonrakerz]

I can't see how they could make you change trains - especially if you have advance tickets tying you to particular trains.

Even if you have flexible tickets, how do you meet this rule ?   leave the train ? touch the platform ? move to a different seat ? tell the guard: "honest, I did get off and on, but you didn't see me doing it, because you were 5 coaches away doing the doors" !!

The only thing this would achieve is having to increase the time in the station at every stop to about 5 minutes !

[Zoe]

Even if you have flexible tickets, how do you meet this rule ?   leave the train ? touch the platform ? move to a different seat ? tell the guard: "honest, I did get off and on, but you didn't see me doing it, because you were 5 coaches away doing the doors" !!

I think the idea is that you would be forced to change trains, getting off the train and back on again wouldn't count as a change.

[Mookiemoo]

Even if you have flexible tickets, how do you meet this rule ?   leave the train ? touch the platform ? move to a different seat ? tell the guard: "honest, I did get off and on, but you didn't see me doing it, because you were 5 coaches away doing the doors" !!

I think the idea is that you would be forced to change trains, getting off the train and back on again wouldn't count as a change.

How would you deal with advance tickets?

What if the train you are on is the last train of the day?

 

[Zoe]

How would you deal with advance tickets?

As I say it's just a rumour so I have no idea how it would be enforced but I guess that if it were to be introduced it wouldn't apply to advance tickets.  I doubt the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are losing much revenue through people splitting advance tickets.  In September I went from Newton Abbot to Nuneaton and by splitting at Cheltenham I saved over ^10.  I think this is what the TOCs want to stop people doing.

[ChrisB]

It's a rumour - nothing in it.

Out of interest, where did you hear it?

[Henry]

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=374#c-use of tickets

 Looking at conditions of carriage at the moment it seems quite legal.

 I think pressure groups would, hopefully, question any attempts by TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s to change conditions of carriage.

[inspector_blakey]

It is absolutely, completely, entirely and 100% legitimate. You're right, any attempt to stop passengers re-booking/splitting tickets would require a change to the Conditions of Carriage.

[thetrout]

It is absolutely, completely, entirely and 100% legitimate. You're right, any attempt to stop passengers re-booking/splitting tickets would require a change to the Conditions of Carriage.

Hmmm thats interesting...

I recently got a train from Frome down to Totnes via Westbury... Board at Frome ticketless (Ticket office closed, TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) Removed) asked the conductor on train for ticket, told me to get it at Westbury, arrive Westbury attempt to buy ticket and fail (Ticket Office Closed, TVM doesn't issue ticket starting from any other station) Board the Paignton train, sat in First Class (Wanted 1st  Ticket) waited Ticket Collector, Ticket Collector arrives... As to buy 2 tickets (Frome - Taunton & Taunton - Totnes) Ticket collector refuses to comply and insists I get off at Taunton and buy the Taunton - Totnes ticket at Taunton Station.

I couldn't really see why he was so grumpy about it, I had a genuine reason for not having a ticket, he would have let me have Frome - Totnes (about ^15 more ) and I could have stayed on the train till Newton Abbot... It didn't really bother me as I would have had to change trains anyway... but I still couldn't see what the problem was...

[Btline]

There is no way that could happen/ be enforced! I bet the rumour's wrong.

Just sort the fares out!

[devon_metro]

It is absolutely, completely, entirely and 100% legitimate. You're right, any attempt to stop passengers re-booking/splitting tickets would require a change to the Conditions of Carriage.

Hmmm thats interesting...

I recently got a train from Frome down to Totnes via Westbury... Board at Frome ticketless (Ticket office closed, TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) Removed) asked the conductor on train for ticket, told me to get it at Westbury, arrive Westbury attempt to buy ticket and fail (Ticket Office Closed, TVM doesn't issue ticket starting from any other station) Board the Paignton train, sat in First Class (Wanted 1st  Ticket) waited Ticket Collector, Ticket Collector arrives... As to buy 2 tickets (Frome - Taunton & Taunton - Totnes) Ticket collector refuses to comply and insists I get off at Taunton and buy the Taunton - Totnes ticket at Taunton Station.

I couldn't really see why he was so grumpy about it, I had a genuine reason for not having a ticket, he would have let me have Frome - Totnes (about ^15 more ) and I could have stayed on the train till Newton Abbot... It didn't really bother me as I would have had to change trains anyway... but I still couldn't see what the problem was...

Good job changing at Taunton is convenient, with the 1803 paddington penzance not far behind

[matt473]

I've heard the same rumour but with additional info that it is ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies see - here) that want to make changes to the Conditions of Carriage to change this, posibly as a result of lost revenue through split ticketing. As has been pointed out though, it is impossible to enforce and is likely to lead to more uneccesary aggrevation for staff that challenge this whilst further confusing the travelling public. Seems to be a rumour which is probably true to a degree but is unlikely to happen as a result of the problems assosciated with it

[devon_metro]

If it is true then it just goes to show how greedy ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies see - here) are. They need closing down.

[JayMac]

It is absolutely, completely, entirely and 100% legitimate. You're right, any attempt to stop passengers re-booking/splitting tickets would require a change to the Conditions of Carriage.

Hmmm thats interesting...

I recently got a train from Frome down to Totnes via Westbury... Board at Frome ticketless (Ticket office closed, TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) Removed) asked the conductor on train for ticket, told me to get it at Westbury, arrive Westbury attempt to buy ticket and fail (Ticket Office Closed, TVM doesn't issue ticket starting from any other station) Board the Paignton train, sat in First Class (Wanted 1st  Ticket) waited Ticket Collector, Ticket Collector arrives... As to buy 2 tickets (Frome - Taunton & Taunton - Totnes) Ticket collector refuses to comply and insists I get off at Taunton and buy the Taunton - Totnes ticket at Taunton Station.

I couldn't really see why he was so grumpy about it, I had a genuine reason for not having a ticket, he would have let me have Frome - Totnes (about ^15 more ) and I could have stayed on the train till Newton Abbot... It didn't really bother me as I would have had to change trains anyway... but I still couldn't see what the problem was...

Your ticket collector was absolutely 100% bang out of order. Looks like he was fishing for a bit more commission. The conductor on Frome - Westbury train should also have sold you your tickets. (unless he had no working Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains)).

Personally, I'd've refused to get off at Taunton, but then I'm an awkard bar steward when I encounter petty (and incorrect) officialdom. Luckily this is rare on FGW^▸ (First Great Western). Only time I've had a guard get a bit sniffy was when I asked for a double split from Shirehampton to Plymouth and a Ride Cornwall Ranger and I was using a Railcard....