Advance Tickets - Leaving Train at Fratton when destination is "Portsmouth All Stations"

[MrToad]

If using an "Advance" ticket, if I select "Portsmouth (All Stations)" on the National Rail website, does this include Fratton or is it restricted to Portsmouth and Southsea, and Portsmouth Harbour?

I appreciate that with Advance Tickets, you are not permitted to break the journey, or leave the train before the destination on your ticket.

Some background to put my question into context:

I am looking at using an advance ticket for going to Portsmouth for the football. After the match, Fratton station can become very busy and they queue people up outside the station to stop the platforms becoming overcrowded. Therefore I used to purchase a Super Off Peak Return to Portsmouth and Southsea, and get off the train at Fratton on the way there, but after the match walk the 20 or so minutes back to Portsmouth and Southsea and get on the train there and avoiding the queue. However my son is now 16, so we cannot use our Friends and Family railcard, so have purchased a Two Together railcard. It used to cost about £20 with a F&F Super Off Peak Return, but is about £30 now for the same ticket with the Two Together Railcard. But if I purchase an Advance ticket, it will cost about £20 but of course am restricted to specific trains and some extra restrictions.

I can purchase the tickets as two sets of singles - the first to Fratton and the second from P&S after the match, but if my outbound train is late/cancelled, I would jump in the car and drive, and get a refund. However I understand that I would only get a refund for the late/cancelled outbound train, and not the return journey even if it was all booked on the same transaction?

The reality is at Fratton on matchday they open the barriers and let everyone through and don't check tickets, but I do not want to risk it - very occasionally there is a revenue protection team checking a few tickets.

Many thanks!

 

[paul1609]

Can't vouch for advance tickets but day return tickets and off peak returns to Portsmouth Stns work the Fratton barriers both with ccst and e tickets.

 

[mangyiscute]

I highly doubt they would have any issues with that, especially on a football matchday

 

[MrToad]

Thanks both.

I noted yesterday (I parked at Havant and got the train from there) that they did not open the barriers and all tickets had to be scanned, which lead to chaos as a Southern Service arrived about 3 minutes after the SWR service. But thats another matter.

 

[Haywain]

Can't vouch for advance tickets but day return tickets and off peak returns to Portsmouth Stns work the Fratton barriers both with ccst and e tickets.

For a station like Fratton it will be very easy to programme the gates to allow break of journey.

 

[CoshamRich]

Thanks both.

I noted yesterday (I parked at Havant and got the train from there) that they did not open the barriers and all tickets had to be scanned, which lead to chaos as a Southern Service arrived about 3 minutes after the SWR service. But thats another matter.

I caught the 11.35 GWR service from Cosham, 4 coaches and fairly busy, they opened the gates for us and as you said in your first post it is most unusual for them to be closed on a match day which begs the question why do they insist on making everyone cross over the bridge, through the open barriers and then back over the original footbridge rather than use the old exit straight onto the exit bridge.

They do open the old gates down to the Portsmouth bound platforms after the match so you could save the walk if the weather wasn't great.

 

[MrToad]

Thanks. It does annoy me that in recent seasons they make us march all the way down the platform, over the bridge, down the other side, through the open ticket barriers and then back up the bridge.

I must say that since they put the barriers in, yesterday was probably the first time I recall them not opening them on matchdays.

My strategy is to buy a ticket to Portsmouth and Southsea, and to ask the guard on the train if I leave the train at Fratton. I have also emailed SWR to get a definitive answer so I will post back if I get a response.

I just don't want to be posting on the "Disputes and Prosecutions" section of this message board in a few weeks time!

Thanks all again!

 

[paul1609]

I usually get a train in from the coastway a couple of hours before the match the barriers are usually in use but they open them when the crowds back on to the platform. Have a look at the condition of the old footbridge Id suggest it's probably not long for this world.

Moderator note: Thread split from here to:

Fratton station: not fit for purpose and due a rebuild

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/advance-tickets-leaving-train-at-fratton-when-destination-is-portsmouth-all-stations.272473/ I usually get a train in from the coastway a couple of hours before the match the barriers are usually in use but they open them when the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[MrToad]

As an update I emailed SWR for clarification and got the expected response that "I cannot leave the train at Fratton with an advance ticket to Portsmouth All Stations". "Portsmouth All Stations" applies only to open tickets and is not available as an advance ticket (despite the website offering me one!) - advance tickets are station specific.

On Saturday I got tickets to Portsmouth and Southsea, and walked the 15 minutes to the pub from there instead of the 5 minutes walk from Fratton so no great inconvenience personally. I noted whilst the train was at Fratton the ticket barriers were shut and there was a big queue to get out on the platform. I know in the past someone will then open the barriers if the platform gets busy, but the train left before I saw if they did this or not.

 

[paul1609]

I was on a train that arrived from Chichester at 12.46. All the barriers were open then. The return was even more chaotic than usual because of the engineering work. I think the next home game WBA theres no trains at all.

 

[Haywain]

I think the next home game WBA theres no trains at all.

No congestion at Fratton station then. All good!