Split tickets

What are split tickets? 

Split ticketing involves purchasing 2 tickets for different sections of your journey, instead of 1 continuous ticket from start to finish. This can help you save up to 40% on the cost of your journey!

You simply need to take a train that stops at the station where you’re changing tickets. In some cases, we’ll suggest ‘splitting’ at a station where you would have changed trains anyway – but otherwise, you can stay on the train when you’re changing tickets.

Do you charge a fee for split tickets?

No! Unlike most other retailers that sell split tickets, we don’t charge a ‘share of savings’ fee, a booking fee, or any other fees. We want you to get the best possible price.

We also don’t charge admin fees if you decide to get a refund or to change your ticket.

How do I travel with split tickets? 

We make it simple! If you’ve bought eTickets, we’ll show them within the “My tickets” section of the TicketyBoo app, side-by-side so that you can easily display them during your journey. You can also add them to Apple or Google Wallet there.

If you’re making a journey where eTickets aren’t available (e.g. crossing London), we’ll give you a reference number to collect your tickets at a ticket machine instead. All of your split tickets will be printed when you enter that reference number.

When you go through ticket barriers, you can scan or insert the split ticket applicable to that part of your journey – so at your origin station, you’d use the first split ticket, and at your destination, you’d use the second split ticket.

If you’re asked to show your ticket during your journey, you can either show all your split tickets, or just the split ticket for the part of your journey you’re currently on. The choice is yours!

Can I get a refund on split tickets?

The refund rules for split tickets apply on a ticket-by-ticket basis. So if your split tickets include an Anytime/Off-Peak ticket and an Advance ticket, the normal rules for those ticket types will apply: the Anytime/Off-Peak ticket will be refundable, but the Advance ticket will be non-refundable.

When you’re buying split tickets, you can tap on the “i” icon to see the refund rules for each ticket. After you’ve bought them, you can see which tickets are eligible for a refund in the “My tickets” section of the TicketyBoo app. If you’d like a refund, you can apply for it right there.

You’ll be glad to know that we don’t charge admin fees for refunds! If you need further help, our Customer Services team will be happy to help.

Can I change split tickets?

If your split tickets include an Advance ticket, you can change your entire journey to a different date or time. We won’t charge you an admin fee! For now, you’ll need to contact our Customer Services team for help with this, but we’re looking at making this even smoother in the future.

If your split tickets only include flexible tickets like Anytime/Off-Peak, you can get a refund instead, and then buy new tickets for whenever suits you best – see the question above. Again, we won’t charge an admin fee.

Can I claim Delay Repay on split tickets?

Yes! If you’re delayed on your journey by 15+ minutes, split tickets are eligible for Delay Repay and the amount of compensation will be calculated based on all of your tickets. You’re still making one journey, you’re just using multiple tickets.

You’ll need to claim Delay Repay from the train company that delayed you. You can find more details on our “Refunds and compensation” FAQ page. Please note: some operators only pay Delay Repay for 30+ minute delays, and a few operators do not offer Delay Repay.

How can I buy split tickets?

You’ll need to download the TicketyBoo app first of all. When you search for a journey, we’ll check whether it’s cheaper to buy split tickets.

Any results where split tickets are available will show the SplitTickets icon, and we’ll tell you how much you’re saving. You can tap on the “i” icon to find out more about the split tickets you’re buying.

You can then proceed to the payment page and buy split tickets just the same as normal tickets.

Are split tickets allowed?

Yes! Condition 14.2 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel allows you to use multiple tickets to make one journey. The only requirement is that your train needs to stop at the station where you change from one ticket to the next.

We make sure that journeys meet this requirement when offering you split tickets, so you can relax knowing you’ll have a stress-free journey when booking with us!

Because split tickets still count as one journey, if there’s disruption you can claim Delay Repay or get a refund, just the same as when you buy a through ticket.

What happens if I miss my connection?

Don’t worry! We know that missed connections can be frustrating, but you can still use your split tickets to complete your journey. Since split tickets count as one journey (see above), you’re entitled to take the next available service that meets your ticket’s restrictions.

If your ticket shows “Any Permitted”, you can take any operator. If it shows a particular route like “via Birmingham” or an operator like “LNER only”, you’ll generally have to stick to that route/operator. If there’s severe disruption, there might be ticket acceptance which allows you to use alternatives – check with station staff or the operator’s website/social media.

If you arrive 15+ minutes late at your final destination, you’ll usually be entitled to Delay Repay – see the question further up the page.

Do I need to change seats when I switch tickets?

When you’re travelling on a train that allows seat reservations, we’ll try our best to reserve you the same seat for your entire journey.

Sometimes, this won’t be possible – for example, if the train is busy and someone else is sitting in your seat for another part of the journey. We’ll let you know if you have to switch seats during your journey.

We know changing seats can be a hassle, so we’re working hard on improvements that should mean you don’t need to do this in future.

Why am I not seeing split tickets for my search?

There are a few reasons why we might not show you split tickets:

• Split tickets aren’t cheaper. We’ll only show you split tickets if they save you money – there’s a lot of factors which influence this, like the time of day you’re travelling, the journey you’re making, and the passengers that are travelling (adults/children/Railcards).
• The train doesn’t stop at the station where you would split. When you’re buying split single/return tickets, you need to stop at the station where you change from one ticket to the next. Stations where the train stops to ‘pick up only’ and ‘set down only’ don’t count.
• Split tickets aren’t turned on. Please make sure that you’ve ticked the “split tickets” checkbox on the search page – we won’t show any split ticket results otherwise.
• We only show split tickets on the TicketyBoo app. If you’re using our website, we’ll let you know if we found split tickets, and show you a link so you can download our app to buy them.