Specific Elizabeth line question (follow up)

My original answer was wrong so I deleted it as not to confuse people.

I think Frank might be wrong but I'm struggling to find a definitive answer. You can definitely buy tickets for travel on the Elizabeth Line at the Heathrow stations and also collect tickets bought online. They are a bit more expensive than using a contactless method or an Oyster card - £15.80 for an off-peak single to Paddington for example, but that would probably be worth it for profjenn's purpose. I can't see why they would not have the National Rail symbol on them but as I say I don't have definitive proof.

For others reading this you can't get a National Rail ticket to go to an Elizabeth Line station between Paddington and Liverpool St but it seems OK just to Paddington. You can also buy and use national rail tickets to pass from Heathrow through London to other UK stations but again it would probably be cheaper not to do that.

There are paper tickets. There are ticket machines beside the gates- at T2/3 they are to the right of the gate line.

Just because everyone on this forum uses contactless does not mean that you can't get paper tickets.

Like when this was asked originally I don't know definitively, although every piece of logic says they should have the correct logo.

As you are trying to do 2for1 responsibly, if I lived anywhere near London I would buy Elizabeth Line tickets in advance for you from a ticket machine at a non Elizabeth Line National rail station, and either mail them to you, or hand deliver them to you.

Paper Tickets for the Elizabeth Line can be issued at any National Rail station up to 12 weeks before travel, post dated. However I live 300 miles away.

I even had a plan to route into London via Heathrow in 2 weeks time, to specially buy a ticket to prove the matter one way or the other then forgot when buying my ticket to London from Edinburgh on Sunday. I knew I meant to do an odd route on that journey, but couldn't remember what.

There was a previous discussion about Elizabeth Line tickets purchased at Heathrow, and whether they had the National Rail symbol so they could be used for 2-4-1 purposes. Maybe someone can find it. But there was no resolution; we ended with the hope that someone in London would buy tickets and resolve the question.

If you go online at national rail.co.uk you can buy tickets for the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow Terminal 5 (Rail station) to Paddington rail station. The website will switch you to Crosscountry Trains for the actual purchase, and the delivery system they offer is to “pick up your tickets at the railway station”. And they say that there are ticket machines for retrieval of tickets at Heathrow T5 in the rail station.

https://crosscountrytrains.train-help.com/en/support/solutions/articles/78000000082-which-stations-have-self-service-ticket-machines

So does the National Rail website:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/heathrow-terminal-5-rail-station-only/

That does not resolve the question of whether the tickets have the National Rail symbol, but at least you know you can get paper tickets there to check. And hopefully you or someone else will give it a try and report back! Inquiring minds want to know.

I am no UK rail expert, but the fact that the tickets are sold by and issued by Crosscountry Rail seems to weigh in favor of them having the National Rail symbol. I know the Heathrow Express tickets bought online do, but they are definitely not valid for the 2 for 1 offers.

National rail seems to randomly select an operating company for the purchase. I just tried twice and the first time it was going to send me to C2C and the second LNER. It doesn't matter, they will all work and I can't see any reason why they would not have the national rail logo on them.

Thank you all -
@Lola - I was the OP on the previous Elizabeth line thread; just wondering if anyone had new intel as a few weeks had passed since the original question.
@isn31c - you are a good-hearted soul.

If anyone gets any physical 'proof' in the next few weeks, please consider an update? Otherwise, I'll report back in my trip (5weeks and counting).
Jenn

Since Stuart suggested it, I'm happy to buy tickets from Clapton to the national rail London terminus of your choice (Liverpool Street possibly? Would that do?) tomorrow. [edit: it would make more sense for me to buy Heathrow - Paddington tickets from the ticket office at Clapton to keep it more legit]

I had a proper good moan about dummy tickets a while ago so I may be at risk of contradicting the stance taken from my high horse a while back. We shall ignore that if it helps :)

Stuart would those tickets be fine for the OP to take advantage of 2for1?

[edit: I remember now. The protesting I did from my high horse was mainly about someone posting a how-to guide to dummy tickets using a really silly journey]

Gerry- thank you for that offer. When I saw this tonight I realised, too late, my error (which had purposely not been 'advertised' on the original post). I just do such things.

I even know how the error happened- I was meant to have started my southbound journey in Glasgow, not Edinburgh!!

Very thoughtful of you.

Clapton to a London terminal is a genuine journey within the intended meaning of the scheme. Or Heathrow to Paddington.

Maybe the details of this could be ironed out between the OP and Gerry by PM.

Profjen, PM me and I'm happy to Air Mail tickets to you, Happy to do Clapton to Liverpool Street (cheap) or Heathrow to a terminus of your choice.

Absolutely! Will do that tonight.
Best,
Jenn

For the formal record I have checked on the TVM at my local national rail station, Corkickle, this morning. That is on the edge of the Lake District.
Advance dated Elizabeth Line paper tickets can be issued from Heathrow to Paddington for £12.30. That is the same price as contactless or Oyster on the day at the gateline.
I checked for five weeks today, while waiting for my train to Burnley.
Furthermore national railcard discount can be applied off peak to bring that fare down to £8.10.
If I wanted I could get a Heathrow to Corkickle ticket via the Elizabeth Line and tube to Euston.

I've been in touch with Jenn this morning and we should be fine. Thanks Stuart.