Blackpool North / Blackpool Pleasure Beach

[lightbulb]

Hello all,

I have booked 1st Advance tickets to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The booked arrival at Preston (from Euston) is 1538, and the (non-reservable) connecting train is at 1641. Would I be allowed to travel on the (non-reservable) 1548 to Blackpool North instead?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Officially, you would have to get the train to Pleasure Beach as that is on a different line (or pay for a new ticket).

Unofficially, have a word with the guard.

 

[lightbulb]

Thanks. I was hoping an easement might cover this...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

You may also need to be wary of the gateline at Blackpool North, there's many a person on here who attest that they aren't the most friendly bunch!

 

[Searle]

You may also need to be wary of the gateline at Blackpool North, there's many a person on here who attest that they aren't the most friendly bunch!

I'd second this, normally I would be happy just asking the guard, but the staff at Blackpool North are known for being miserable gits!

A single from Preston to Blackpool North is £9.60, so you *could* buy these in advance, hop on the 1548 and then show that ticket when you leave at Blackpool North. This isn't officially allowed, because you can't break your journey on an advance ticket, but I don't see how anyone would find out...

 

[Romilly]

First, you are trying to cut your journey short on an Advance, i.e. end your booked journey at Preston rather than Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Advice on here in such a case would be to buy a Blackpool Pleasure Beach-Preston single and ask if you can cut the journey short at Preston: that is asking for a much smaller favour, where it is clear that you are in position to keep your side of the contractual bargain were the favour to be refused. Second, you have no ticket for Preston-Blackpool North. Personally, I would buy the £7.60 single for that in any event: the VT guard may allow you to cut your Advance journey short at Preston, but unless they give you written authority to travel on to Blackpool North you have no ticket, or proof of authority to travel, from Preston to Blackpool North.

 

[lightbulb]

Perhaps I'd be better of getting a change of route excess in advance to cover this. Would it be a zero excess, as AFAIK fares to BPB and BPN are the same for long-distance flows?

 

[maniacmartin]

You can't do a change of route excess on an Advance ticket

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....And it isn't change of route, it's deviation off route to a new destination (Advance fares - charge a new fare for the entire journey as if no ticket held).