Great Western Coffee Shop

I had a paddington to slough return leg.........and a slough to worcester although I was getting off at Reading as i'm staying here tonight (couldnt be fecked with the hol in express!)

I asked the TM is there anyway I could use my sough to worcester and get off at reading but then use the reading to worcester part tomorrow - I was being facetious and didnt really expect a positive outcome.

However, as my paddington to slough was route "any permitted" she was happy to ugrade that ticket to first (it was an SC) and let me use that to reading - her argument being its allowed.

Now, to get through the barriers at reading I flashed my slough to worcester as I really didnt think I'd be able to convince the barrier staff that a TM had actually said what they said - surely it cant be the case - otherwise reading commuters would just get a slough ticket!

Was she right?  She was well aware I was staying overnight in reading and it wasnt a simple break of journey!  The other question is - if she is right, can I use my paddington to slough to get through the barriers tomorrow morning to go to slough (I have no intention of doing this and will buy a ticket frm reading to slough however I am curious as to whether the obvious extension of her argument would be valid!)

Depends on the ticket type but assuming you're using the return leg of a SLO-WOS off-peak return (or similar return with a validity of 1 month on the return portion) then I think you're fine for an overnight break of journey, and you could resume that journey any time up until the last day of validity on the ticket.

If you've got a day return then things could be a little trickier...

If a TM said you could use a Pad - Slough ticket via Reading I'd be rather concerned to be honest. I'm hoping the TM was intending to refer to your Slough - Worcester ticket?

no - it was definitely my off peak day return from Slough to pad. I had intended to use the Slough to Worcester ticket - I was concerned if she gripped it last night I wouldn't be able to use the Reading to Worcester part today!  It was then she said because I had pad to Slough any permitted it would cover Reading. I was more than a little surprised hence my post.  ???

Seems mad but perhaps some journeys are quicker via Reading, so they have to allow it on a All routes ticket.


I doubt it. I can hardly see a guard saying it's valid via Reading if it isn't - unless they were having a mind blank.

EDIT: Tired both Trainline system and mixing deck, neither let you buy via Reading. Probably obvious to most, but I thought I'd check just in case! :P

It is 100% not valid. It's blatent doubling back for a start. The TM would not say it was valid either, clearly fallenangels question was misunderstood.

If I may venture a personal opinion here (that is, I've taken my 'admin/mod' helmet off!), I can't see that it would be valid, either - for the reasons already mentioned.

There does indeed seem to have been some degree of misunderstanding, in the situation described.  :-X

I CANT see how it would be valid either!

I have pretty much re-iterated what was said - short of identifying the TM I cant do much else!

MY only concern was l losing the reading to WOS portion - I explained I was getting off at reading and going back to slough next morning but did not want my slough to WOS invalidated just to cover slough to reading! and I would buy a reading to slough next morning.   that was when she said my pad to slough covered me to reading valid any route!

Im just flagging up another fare inconsistency