S/Ticket Train Travel

[rouseytastic]

Bit of an awkward moment yesterday. Got to H Heath station amand just missed the lewes train (preferred route) so hopped on the Btn only train instead (First Capital Connect) which I've done many times before. Ticket bloke comes along checks my season ticket then checks my dads for quite awhile. Journey carries on and around Preston Park he comes back and queries it saying that he wasn't aware that A: there was a game on and B: that the season tickets were valid for travel. He kept referencing the old Withdean ticket books etc.
After explaining that that was 3 years ago and there's never been a problem before, plus genuinely asking if this was a new route for him I offer to try and find the T's and C's for him. We get to Brighton and he rushes out and asks someone else. Anyway, this new guy says that some time ago the club and FCC had some sort of falling out and S/Tickets are now only valid on Southern trains. We went on our way in the end with no further problems.
I questioned a few people about this at the Swan and like me no one had heard this news.
Have I missed an announcement on this (highly plausible!) or were the train lads incorrect?

 

[Notters]

Sounds like guff to me. Surely you weren't the only fans on the train though?!

 

[rouseytastic]

No I wouldn't have thought so although caught the train at 12:45 as fancied getting there early. I'm aware of the time restrictions I.e 11am til 9pm but certainly I've not heard about First Capital Connect restrictions. The chap at the station said the club are no longer paying them subsidies only Southern so as a result FCC won't accept the S/Tickets......

 

[rouseytastic]

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It might be an idea to ask the transport manager the same question?
[MENTION=5978]bhafc[/MENTION]transport

 

[rouseytastic]

It might be an idea to ask the transport manager the same question?
[MENTION=5978]bhafc[/MENTION]transport

Good shout

 

[rouseytastic]

 

[spongy]

If that's true then that puts a serious spanner in the works for my train travel as Southern trains don't normally stop at Burgess Hill. But FCC do.

 

[rouseytastic]

Well as above 'Brad' now seems to concede that (as we all know!) S/T are valid. I however will be saving that image in order to produce it should the same situation occur in the future

 

[rouseytastic]

Nope, hold that thought! Brad isn't quite ready to commit. He's off to do some more digging!

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Nope, hold that thought! Brad isn't quite ready to commit. He's off to do some more digging!View attachment 52999

Calling the guard "3 guts" might not help your case!

 

[rouseytastic]

Hahaha!! Bugger!

 

[BlockDpete]

Travelling from Three Bridges, most of the trains to Brighton are FCC, so hope this isn't the case.

I did have a problem last night though , at Brighton station. Travelled back at 2230 after a few post match beers, and ticket chap at the barrier said the S/T's aren't valid after 2100 ,so I had to buy a ticket.

Seems to be a bit of a first, as I'm quite used to using my S/T to travel back late after Saturday games.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Brad doesn't know anything, he probably works at a call centre in Bangalore!

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Railway company staff giving contradictory information, the right arm not knowing what the left is doing? Thats a unique first.....

Aren't Southern and FCC meant to be amalgamating in the near future anyway? That should sort the confusion - Or make things worse. As mentioned, definitely one for the transport manager at the Amex.

There was a similar issue at Withdean with South West Trains staff. I remember a few of their guards kicking off, saying the travel vouchers weren't valid by SWT. Being based in Portsmouth or Southampton, they probably knew nothing of the scheme?

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Travelling from Three Bridges, most of the trains to Brighton are FCC, so hope this isn't the case.

I did have a problem last night though , at Brighton station. Travelled back at 2230 after a few post match beers, and ticket chap at the barrier said the S/T's aren't valid after 2100 ,so I had to buy a ticket.

Seems to be a bit of a first, as I'm quite used to using my S/T to travel back late after Saturday games.

Thats always been the case, but I think it was rarely enforced. Sounds like they have clamped down as I've heard of others being told they had to buy a ticket after 9pm.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Brad doesn't know anything, he probably works at a call centre in Bangalore!

I always thought the twitter responses for First Capital Connect were dealt with by a social media team in Manila

 

[Superphil]

Aren't Southern and FCC meant to be amalgamating in the near future anyway? That should sort the confusion - Or make things worse. As mentioned, definitely one for the transport manager at the Amex.

They should be, the announcement of the tendering process should be quite soon. I think there is a lot of expectation that the firm that will win it are from China, so goodness knows where the new call centres will be.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

They should be, the announcement of the tendering process should be quite soon. I think there is a lot of expectation that the firm that will win it are from China, so goodness knows where the new call centres will be.

They are merging, but thats a few years off yet - Stagecoach (run South West Trains and half of Virgin Trains) and Govia (people who run Southern) are believed to be the front-runners, hopefully the latter get it. News to me that FCC dont accept the ticket and pretty bizarre that their customer service team cant actually find out for sure about it.

BTW, FCCs customer service/moan in offices are in East London.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

They should be, the announcement of the tendering process should be quite soon. I think there is a lot of expectation that the firm that will win it are from China, so goodness knows where the new call centres will be.

I heard the new call centre will be in Fu King. Gonna be fun and games , have you ever tried to get through to a Fu King call centre recently ?