Keeping you informed

Planning your journey

You can be sure that you will receive impartial advice and the most appropriate ticket for your needs when you visit one of our ticket offices. We are delighted to assist you with tickets and reservations for longer journeys beyond the c2c network, to any railway station in Great Britain.

You may wish to use the telephone to enquire about services. The National Rail Enquiry Service (08457 48 49 50) is there to answer all of your enquiries. It is open 24 hours, seven days each week. Information is also available from c2c by telephone on 08457 44 44 22(0800 to 2000 Monday to Friday and 0800 to 1400 on Saturday).

Timetable information is also available on the internet at: www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.networkrail.co.uk

Buying your ticket

Ticket office opening times are clearly displayed at each station together with the information on how to buy a ticket outside those hours. Our aim is to ensure that customers are served within five minutes at ticket offices at peak times and three minutes at other times.

Our ticket offices accept payment in cash, by MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club International, Maestro (formerly Switch) or Delta cards and by Rail Travel Vouchers.

Self-service ticket machines offer tickets to the most popular destinations. They accept 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins as well as £5 and £10 notes. Some machines will also accept £20 notes and credit/debit cards.

You can buy or renew season or other tickets for travel on c2c or elsewhere on the National Rail network by telephone, using one of the cards mentioned above. Simply dial 08457 44 44 22. Your ticket will be sent to you by first class post, but please allow five working days from the date of ordering for delivery.

You can buy Travelcards from selected newsagents as well as almost all National Rail and London Underground stations. You must always have a valid ticket for your journey before you board a train.

You can purchase a ticket at the ticket office or by using the self-service ticket machines located at stations.

If you cannot present a valid ticket when requested, you will be liable to pay a penalty fare of £20 or twice the standard single fare to the next station at which the train stops, whichever is the greater. These penalty fares are charged by c2c in order to deter the small minority who seek to avoid paying their fare.

Fare-dodging is theft. It is unfair to fare-paying customers as well as to the train company. We at c2c are determined to stamp out this crime to ensure your safety and security and to generate funds for some of our investment schemes.

Group travel and reservations

We do not operate seat reservations on c2c trains but, where this facility is available elsewhere on the National Rail network, we can reserve your seats. If you are travelling in a group of 10 or more people please contact our Group Travel Office (08457 44 44 22).

Not only will our staff be able to direct you to trains with sufficient seats for you, but you may qualify for a discount on your tickets as well.

Timetables

Timetable information for all of our services will be displayed at all of our stations.

c2c timetable booklets and credit card-sized timetables will be available free of charge. When new timetables are introduced, copies of booklets or credit card-sized timetables will be available at all of our staffed stations at least 28 days before they come into effect.

We will produce our timetable in other formats (such as large print) to assist customers who have visual impairments. These will be available from our Customer Relations Manager.

c2c runs about 340 trains every weekday. Because of this it is not always possible to hold trains for late-running connections. However we will do our best to keep any disruption to your journey to a minimum and to hold - or replace by bus or taxi - any last train connection.

Engineering works

c2c is one of the most intensely used commuter railways in the country, and requires a rolling programme of maintenance and renewal of its infrastructure. Sometimes this means that we have to amend train times or substitute trains with buses, in order that engineers can carry out essential maintenance work or install improved facilities. We will try to keep disruption to your journey to a minimum, but please bear with us when this happens. Please note that when buses replace trains, bulky items such as bikes cannot be carried.

When engineering work is planned, details will be made available to our customers 12 weeks beforehand through the National Rail Enquiry Service on 08457 48 49 50 or via its website at www.nationalrail.co.uk. An advanced summary of forthcoming service alterations due to engineering work will be obtainable 14 days beforehand from station staff.

We will also display posters to inform you about alterations to services. These will be displayed in prominent positions at the stations where train services are affected at least seven days in advance, and will include a summary of forthcoming engineering work.

This information is also available on the internet at www.networkrail.co.uk, where timetable information is updated to take account of the engineering work.

If emergency engineering work is required, we may not be able to give very much notice, but information will be displayed as soon as possible.

Catering

Currently there is no on-train catering on c2c trains. However, some of our stations have shops and kiosks selling papers, magazines, drinks and snacks.