Great Western Coffee Shop

A discussion is ongoing on another forum and nobody can get a definitive answer. Now knowing there are a few industry professionals and also ticketing experts here, I thought I would post the scenario here to see if there is a more definitive answer forthcoming.

A passenger holds a freedom of Devon and Cornwall, can it be used on the 0411 Night Riviera from Exeter St Davids?

We've worked out it isn't valid on a Monday morning due to a later departure from Exeter, so on a Monday morning could it be split at Tiverton or Axminister (reliant on knowing the route in advance) to allow validity. The new conditions of travel mean a stop isn't required for splitting on a Rover ticket (such as the Freedom of Devon and Cornwall).

The scenario has arisen due to a contributor of the other forum holding a Freedom of Devon and Cornwall needing to get to Devon/Cornwall from London and intends to travel down on the night Riviera so needs to know how far into his journey he needs to buy a ticket from London. That contributor has claimed he has asked NRE and GWR, NRE has reportedly told him the Freedom ticket is valid from Exeter (or earlier split) and GWR has told him it isn't.

Does a Freedom ticket (or any Rover for that matter) count as a full journey from origin to destination so the 0429 restriction comes into play at origin only, or does it hold validity only at each calling point, so the ticket holder would be invalid at the first stop after 0429?

Quite simply there is no definitive answer when it comes to Rovers and overnight journeys. They haven't got detailed validity text that covers such things. The best that can be hoped for is that the ultimate arbiter, the Train Manager, accepts the combination.

I have, in the past, used a Freedom of the South West Rover, and an appropriate point to point add on, once I was sure of the booked route.

I'd agree with BNM.

On occasions I've done those rover/point to point combinations. Buying a £60 berth on board also seems to "oil the wheels"  ;D