So much for the railways’ heralded simpler fares and tickets system. I have for the last two days been trying to book tickets for one adult and one young person (WITH A 16-25 RAILCARD) to travel tomorrow from Preston to Birmingham University and back the same day.
No problem you would think. Journey planner says cheapest fare (Saver return) is £65.90 though there are restrictions which mean they can’t leave before 9.30.. (though apparently you can get that price on the earlier train if you split the journey with tickets to Crewe, then from Crewe to Brum though then there are more restrictions about time of return travel). No matter; we’ll settle for a 9.30 start.
But will the site link to a ticket retailer … No..!! So I then try to log in to thetrainline.com where I usually buy tickets, type in all the details afresh only to be told that it cannot sell be the tickets giving a whole page of possible reasons none of which seem to give an explanation.
So I then take time out to go to the ticket office at Preston station. Fortunately no queue. Now I ask if I can buy two savers for tomorrow, one of them to be used by my son with his railcard> Guess what ... they say no. He has to turn up in person, show the railcard and apparently can’t buy the ticket in advance. Of course there is a problem, we want to pay for the ticket on a bank card and he being less than 18 does not have one. So that means we have to send him with cash on the day (no reserved seat possible I guess on a busy service), or go to the station with him so we can buy on our credit card.
Can you tell me why? And where does it say in big letters that if you have a 16-25 railcard you have to turn up on the day you travel with cash in your hand?
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