Can you split a rail / sail journey in the UK on the same day?

Run_to_da_hills

I am travelling to London at the end of the week via Sealink / Rail but I need to stop off at B'Ham for a few hours. Could I split the journey and continue on to London later that evening?

The last time I took this trip was on a Saturday and the line via Crewe was closed due to engineering works and we had to change at B'Ham. It involved walking across the city to a different station.

penexpers

No, you cannot break a journey on Sail'n'Rail. I believe this is mentioned in the T+C somewhere.

EDIT: http://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/

Travel must be on the dates and times shown on your ticket. No break of journey is allowed other than to join connecting services.

n97 mini

Last time I travelled Sail/Rail to the UK there were no dates or times on my ticket.

KC61

n97 mini wrote: »

Last time I travelled Sail/Rail to the UK there were no dates or times on my ticket.

There aren't times on the ticket but given most major UK stations are gated, if you try to re-enter a station having taken a break with a UK bound sailrail ticket you will not be allowed travel onwards.

Run_to_da_hills

KC61 wrote: »

There aren't times on the ticket but given most major UK stations are gated, if you try to re-enter a station having taken a break with a UK bound sailrail ticket you will not be allowed travel onwards.

Except for Birmingham when you have to walk several hundred yards through the city to get from Moor St station which serves the north west to New St Station which serves London. Weekends trains serving the Holy Head to London tend to go via B Ham to avoid enginerering works. This can be a pain in the ass 7 to 8 hour trip.

KC61

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Except for Birmingham when you have to walk several hundred yards through the city to get from Moor St station which serves the north west to New St Station which serves London. Weekends trains serving the Holy Head to London tend to go via B Ham to avoid enginerering works. This can be a pain in the ass 7 to 8 hour trip.

Major engineering works are now finished on the West Coast main line and have been for some time. The requirement to switch from New Street to Moor Street has certainly not happened recently. If anything it is the other way around as the major work is currently happening on the Chiltern Mainline into Marylebone.

Run_to_da_hills

KC61 wrote: »

Major engineering works are now finished on the West Coast main line and have been for some time. The requirement to switch from New Street to Moor Street has certainly not happened recently. If anything it is the other way around as the major work is currently happening on the Chiltern Mainline into Marylebone.

May last year I took that line after taking the 11.30 boat from Dunlaoghaire. It was not until nearly 10 PM that night before the train arrived into Marylebone, I swore I would never do that trip again, what made matters worse is that we were told that there was no diversions that weekend.

KC61

Yes, but the West Coast mainline has been completed since then.

Always best to check in advance at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html

n97 mini

KC61 wrote: »

There aren't times on the ticket but given most major UK stations are gated, if you try to re-enter a station having taken a break with a UK bound sailrail ticket you will not be allowed travel onwards.

We broke up our journey. We had no problems with using the same tickets.

KC61

n97 mini wrote: »

We broke up our journey. We had no problems with using the same tickets.

Well you were lucky, as it clearly states that's a no-no.

Run_to_da_hills

KC61 wrote: »

Well you were lucky, as it clearly states that's a no-no.

I think it would be entirely up to the ticket attendant at the station to decide.

Inspectors on the train wouldn't care much as long as the ticket was valid for the day of travel and heading towards the said direction.

n97 mini

KC61 wrote: »

Well you were lucky, as it clearly states that's a no-no.

I wouldn't say lucky. No-one on the route, including us, was sure what was permissible and what wasn't.

BenShermin

KC61 wrote: »

There aren't times on the ticket but given most major UK stations are gated, if you try to re-enter a station having taken a break with a UK bound sailrail ticket you will not be allowed travel onwards.

I question this, I was talking to UK train staff yesterday on a Sail-Rail ticket and they told me that the "no break of journey" rule had changed recently. There is now no problem breaking the ticket once the journey is completed "on the same day" according to the staff.

To quote the http://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm website:

Can I stop off on the way? Yes, you are now entitled to stop off ('break your journey') on the rail part of the journey, although you must continue the journey the same day, you cannot stop off overnight.

Indeed even before the rule apparantly changed I always broke my ticket at a station where I had to change trains to go for a smoke or to go to the local off licence etc. Staff at the barriers never questioned me.

I would say though that this question needs to be answered by somebody official, the only problem is that nobody in power actually seems to know anything about these tickets.

Run_to_da_hills

BenShermin wrote: »

I question this, I was talking to UK train staff yesterday on a Sail-Rail ticket and they told me that the "no break of journey" rule had changed recently. There is now no problem breaking the ticket once the journey is completed "on the same day" according to the staff.

To quote the http://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm website:



Indeed even before the rule apparantly changed I always broke my ticket at a station where I had to change trains to go for a smoke or to go to the local off licence etc. Staff at the barriers never questioned me.

I would say though that this question needs to be answered by somebody official, the only problem is that nobody in power actually seems to know anything about these tickets.

They are now doing everything to try and lure pax from cheap air travel, I also notice that sealink are offering free wifi along with new release movies on board.

Vic_08

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I think it would be entirely up to the ticket attendant at the station to decide.

Inspectors on the train wouldn't care much as long as the ticket was valid for the day of travel and heading towards the said direction.

You are wrong, on-board conductors are in general far better trained and knowledgeable on ticket rules than station gateline staff, they will also have an Avantix TIM which is programmed with all the conditions for each ticket type.

BenShermin wrote: »

I question this, I was talking to UK train staff yesterday on a Sail-Rail ticket and they told me that the "no break of journey" rule had changed recently. There is now no problem breaking the ticket once the journey is completed "on the same day" according to the staff.

To quote the http://www.seat61.com/Ireland.htm website:



Indeed even before the rule apparantly changed I always broke my ticket at a station where I had to change trains to go for a smoke or to go to the local off licence etc. Staff at the barriers never questioned me.

I would say though that this question needs to be answered by somebody official, the only problem is that nobody in power actually seems to know anything about these tickets.

That member of staff was correct, until recently there has never been any Break of Journey allowed on these fares. Since 2010 however the restrictions have been changed to include a note allowing it.

NFM02 Fares from 02/01/2009 to 16/05/2009 wrote:

ECR - ECONOMY RETURN ATW
00980 - +HLYHD IRISHF CIV

1 Adult @£; 58.00 = £ 58.00
__________
£ 58.00

Standard Class Return

Restriction : 6K
Ticket Code: ECS
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: ECONOMY SINGLE
Single/Return: SINGLE
Out Validity:-
DATE ON TICKET ONLY
Break of Journey: NO

Reservation coupons for the
ship leg are mandatory and
rail tickets are not valid
without them

NOT VALID PORT TO PORT

Ticket Code: ECR
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: ECONOMY RETURN
Single/Return: RETURN
Out and Return Validity:-
DATE ON TICKET ONLY
Break of Journey: NO

Reservation coupons for the
ship leg are mandatory and
rail tickets are not valid
without them

NOT VALID PORT TO PORT

NFM05 Fares from 02/01/2010 to 22/05/2010 wrote:

ECR - ECONOMY RETURN ATW
00980 - +HLYHD IRISHF CIV
Non-standard discounts apply
1 Adult @£; 61.00 = £ 61.00
__________
£ 61.00

Standard Class Return


Restriction : 6K
Shipping Links 6K Irish
Ferries Ticket types ECS and
ECR

Outward Travel

Valid on date on ticket only.
Valid on Irish Ferries
services port to port only.
Reservations are compulsory on
the ship leg.
Break of journey on rail leg
only.
No unaccompanied children
under 16 permitted to travel.

Return Travel

Valid on date on ticket only.
Valid on Irish Ferries
services port to port only.
Reservations are compulsory on
the ship leg.
Break of journey on rail leg
only.
No unaccompanied children
under 16 permitted to travel.

Refunds

Tickets issued in the UK:
Standard refund procedures
apply.
For tickets issued in Republic
of Ireland:
Refunds cannot be given. The
customer must claim through
Irish Rail.
Ticket Code: ECS
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: ECONOMY SINGLE
Single/Return: SINGLE
Out Validity:-
DATE ON TICKET ONLY
Break of Journey: NO

Reservation coupons for the
ship leg are mandatory and
rail tickets are not valid
without them

NOT VALID PORT TO PORT

Ticket Code: ECR
Ticket Class: STANDARD
Ticket Name: ECONOMY RETURN
Single/Return: RETURN
Out and Return Validity:-
DATE ON TICKET ONLY
Break of Journey: NO

Reservation coupons for the
ship leg are mandatory and
rail tickets are not valid
without them

NOT VALID PORT TO PORT

These tickets are out of the ordinary on the UK rail network, not just because they include shipping connections but because they are outside the standard Advance/Off-Peak/Anytime fare structure so they are not very well understood by most staff who would rarely see them.

There is also the misunderstanding with what constitutes a break of journey. Changing trains to a connection is not.
Changing trains from a direct one to another less direct but valid* route is not.
Leaving a train to use station facilities (even if those facilities are outside the ticket barrier) before catching a later train is not.
Leaving railway premises for whatever reason IS a break of journey and is disallowed on certain tickets except for availing of overnight accomadation where a journey cannot be completed in one day, in this instance journey must be resumed before 12.00 the next day)

*what is and is not a valid route is an even more complex topic but for long journeys there are often a number of different route variations valid.

n97 mini

That quoted bit (NFM02 Fares from 02/01/2009 to 16/05/2009) says:

Break of journey on rail leg only.