Getting off a stop Early

[s7venofclubs]

Hi,

I've got an advanced ticket from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly.

I was wondering if I could get off at Stockport? Or would I get fined.

 

[Merseysider]

I've got an advanced ticket...

Look in the top left corner of your ticket.

If the ticket type is Advance then no, as that's against the terms of the ticket. However, a ticket from Manchester to Stockport is less than £4. If you buy this additional ticket and have it to hand, approach the Train Manager and ask whether s/he's happy for you to get off at Stockport, rather than go in and back out of Manchester. Some will be fine with that providing the additional fare has been paid. If not, it's only 10 minutes back down from Manc anyway.

If the ticket type is Off Peak or Anytime but it was purchased in advance then yes you can.

 

[AlterEgo]

As I understand it the latest industry guidance is not to penalise starting or finishing short on Advance tickets unless there is clear intent from the outset to avoid a fare. In this case there doesn't appear to be any intent to avoid any fare, so I would expect it to be allowed.

 

[najaB]

I've got an advanced ticket from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly.

I was wondering if I could get off at Stockport? Or would I get fined.

The first few tiers of Advance tickets are the same price to Manchester Piccadilly or Stockport so there doesn't a financial advantage to stopping short. As such it should be allowed even though it's technically a breach of the T&Cs.

 

[a_c_skinner]

There was a case on the East Coast only a few years ago where a Durham academic alighted at Darlington (late change of plan, nothing more) and suffered a financial penalty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11420790 (heaven knows how I found that).

Has there been an official change of policy?

 

[najaB]

Has there been an official change of policy?

There's been an official change to the unofficial policy (it's an internal rather than public-facing policy, if that makes sense).

TOCs are expected not to prosecute unless there is a clear attempt to gain a financial advantage - e.g. I buy a cheaper Advance London to Lancaster ticket but alight at Preston at a time where Peak fares apply.

 

[causton]

There's been an official change to the unofficial policy (it's an internal rather than public-facing policy, if that makes sense).

TOCs are expected not to prosecute unless there is a clear attempt to gain a financial advantage - e.g. I buy a cheaper Advance London to Lancaster ticket but alight at Preston at a time where Peak fares apply.

Agreed - we have been told the same. Unless there is a reason that you think they are just doing it to avoid paying a higher fare, as long as the train stops you can let them on/off.

 

[Gareth Marston]

20 folk from my local went to Edinburgh for the Wales v Scotland game in February I booked them on AP's from Crewe to Edinburgh as requested by Eileen the landlady turned out their hotel was a stones throw from Haymarket. They all got off got on at Haymarket no problems.

 

[Bletchleyite]

20 folk from my local went to Edinburgh for the Wales v Scotland game in February I booked them on AP's from Crewe to Edinburgh as requested by Eileen the landlady turned out their hotel was a stones throw from Haymarket. They all got off got on at Haymarket no problems.

Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley tickets have been considered unofficially interchangeable for years. Never understood why there wasn't an Edinburgh Stns.

 

[najaB]

Never understood why there wasn't an Edinburgh Stns.

I guess because people would say that Edinburgh Park (and i suppose now Edinburgh Gateway) are clearly Edinburgh stations.

 

[Starmill]

A problem solved easily by the group 'GLASGOW CTL/QST'. What about 'EDINBURGH WAV/HYM'?

 

[najaB]

A problem solved easily by the group 'GLASGOW CTL/QST'. What about 'EDINBURGH WAV/HYM'?

If memory serves correct it would have to have been one character shorter due to technology limits at the time the previous ticket format was introduced.

My guess is that they never bothered since there are few (no?) trains that call at one but pass through the other.

 

[yorkie]

There was a case on the East Coast only a few years ago where a Durham academic alighted at Darlington (late change of plan, nothing more) and suffered a financial penalty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11420790 (heaven knows how I found that).

Has there been an official change of policy?

I was informed by a member of East Coast gateline staff at the time that it was not company policy to make a charge.

Furthermore, the charge was in excess of the amount allowable in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, so it was never correct.

Not surprisingly, East Coast apologised for incorrectly charging the customer and the unpaid fare notice was withdrawn.

Th company received awful publicity from the unfortunate episode, which was entirely foreseeable.

Since then, guidance was issued to all train companies clarifying that customers should not be penalised for doing this.

 

[Hadders]

The issue isn't getting off the train at Stockport - that's the easy bit. Getting through the gateline is potentially the tricky bit. Even if you ask the guard and they agree if the gateline staff say 'not valid' then the guard won't be there to back you up as they'll be on the train to Piccadilly!

I doubt there would be a problem but an additional Manchester to Stockport ticket might be wise.

 

[bb21]

I think Hadders's suggestion of purchasing a cheap Manchester - Stockport single and seeking permission to alight at Stockport would be the best if one wishes to be sure of avoiding hassle.

 

[yorkie]

Roughly what time are you likely to arrive into Stockport?

 

[Gareth Marston]

I think Hadders's suggestion of purchasing a cheap Manchester - Stockport single and seeking permission to alight at Stockport would be the best if one wishes to be sure of avoiding hassle.

Agree you can get that from any booking office.

 

[Mag_seven]

As I understand it the latest industry guidance is not to penalise starting or finishing short on Advance tickets unless there is clear intent from the outset to avoid a fare. In this case there doesn't appear to be any intent to avoid any fare, so I would expect it to be allowed.

But what if the Advance quotas for Stockport have run out but there are still Manchester Advances available. Stopping short on a Manchester Advance ticket could then clearly be seen as intent to avoid the higher non Advance Stockport fare. I would ask that the OP exercises caution in considering stopping short, bearing in mind that it is VTWC we are dealing with here who are known to be particularly vicious on this issue e.g. Lancaster/Preston.

 

[Tetchytyke]

But what if the Advance quotas for Stockport have run out but there are still Manchester Advances available.

Given the way that advance quotas work, that's extemely unlikely: if the cheapest tier has gone to Stockport, it won't be available for Manchester either.

Ask the guard if you can get off early, if they say yes ask them to endorse the ticket. If they say no then see if you can buy a Manchester-Stockport single from them.

TOCs only really care when there's a clear intent to avoid a fare, Preston/Lancaster is the obvious current example for off-peak tickets. For advances, it tends to be where advances are sold to one station but not another (e.g. there are Megatrain tickets to Southampton Central but not Southampton Airport).

 

[AlterEgo]

But what if the Advance quotas for Stockport have run out but there are still Manchester Advances available. Stopping short on a Manchester Advance ticket could then clearly be seen as intent to avoid the higher non Advance Stockport fare. I would ask that the OP exercises caution in considering stopping short, bearing in mind that it is VTWC we are dealing with here who are known to be particularly vicious on this issue e.g. Lancaster/Preston.

Firstly that's unlikely as a previous poster has explained.

Secondly, the advice to the industry is only to penalise if the intention was clear from the outset. Your example would be impossible to prove at the point where a passenger was exiting the barrier.

The OP will be fine.