Great Western Coffee Shop

I've got to go to Reading Tomorrow, probably the 1641 from Truro, a friend has told me that the Super off peak ticket is valid on this service, is that correct?
returning Sunday morning so no problem with the super off peak there!

According to FGW Tickets website a ^79 Super Off Peak is valid on the 1641 and the next through train at 1823 as well.

Yes. Super off-peak return GBP79.00.

Thank you, ^52.15 with a 16-25,
Is Truro ticket office still manned until 8pm? My railcard is out of date and wish to renew it, Can i renew at the station before travel tomorrow afternoon, or would i be better going this evening?, It'll save me ^26.85 on this journey alone, and i will inevitable travel again to save the other couple of quid quite soon!

According to NRES open until 2005. It's perfectly legitimate to renew your railcard on the day, but make sure you leave plenty of time to do it because it can take a few minutes. Assume you already have photocard etc which makes things a bit quicker. You'll get an extra day's validity that way as well!

Thank you, i popped into the ticket office as i was passing, and renewed. Couldnt buy my tickets as my partner wasnt there with her railcard!
The bloke in the ticket office is a credit to FGW though. I could hear the help he was giving a lady in front of me, and he went through loads of options to find the cheapest ticket for her!
He was friendly and smiley the entire time i was there (i needed to fill in the form so did that) and rejoined the queue. He maintained his friendly smiley nature, even for a moody rude bloke whilst i was filling in the form!

Super Off-Peak's are valid on any train after and including the 07:26 from Tru (06:45 from Pnz)

excluding weekends super off peak tickets are valid on trains arriving into london terminals after 1200 and not departing london between the hours of 4 and 7... other restrictions may apply however if you have checked both journeys online they are valid

Sorry, that's not strictly correct. The restriction (2X) toward London Paddington is based on departure times from stations in Cornwall, not arrival time into London.* For the OPs journey, which is to Reading, a Super Off Peak Return is valid on any train from Truro after 0720, which means, as vacman said, the first train that can be caught is the 0726.

Return from Reading is on any train except those timed to depart before 1030 and between 1531 and 1901. For reference those times would be before 1003 and between 1510 and from 1901 if travelling from Paddington.


*unless travelling to Waterloo where the restriction states that arrival is on any train timed to arrive London Waterloo at or after 1148.

For future reference, you don't technically need to show your railcard when you're buying tickets in advance of travel - booking clerks might ask to see it but they technically have no right to refuse to sell you the ticket: after all, you don't show it to make an advance booking over the web or by phon). Of course you must carry it when you travel and show it on demand to rail staff, but you don't have to have it on you at the time of purchase.

Sorry not correct, the conditions on the railcard application forms states that a valid railcard must be shown when purchasing tickets or whenever asked for by staff and I know that the staff at Truro rigidly stick to this. I've been caught myself and been shown it on the form. :-[

Fair enough, must be a relatively recent change to the Ts and Cs then, I remember not so long ago Barry Doe writing something to the effect that actually booking clerks couldn't demand to see a railcard or refuse to sell discounted tickets in his RAIL column. Seems like a fairly pointless rule though when all you need to do to get around it is either (a) buy your tickets by phone/web or (b) use a TVM.

That suggests that you can ONLY by railcard tickets from a real person.  No phone purchase (unless using Skype with video?), and no internet purchases.  Or is this a rule that's been made up and is then conveniently forgotten in these circumstances  ;)

I thought exactly the same thing when I read that condition!

Unusually for our rail ticketing system, I suspect this may have been a rule that was written down and instigated without anyone really thinking thorough what it actually meant...  ;D

The ticket office staff said they can't sell a ticket without the railcards present, but I could use the tvm no problem,

I know there are not many simple answers on the railway but perhaps there is with this..
This T&C has probably been around for some time i.e. pre web booking and just hasn't caught up with the times..
I think it's about time ATOC  took a look at it..