Super Off Peak validity

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Can I check something ...

I had understood a Super Off Peak ticket, return half, Cambridge to Melksham to be restricted to the 19:30 or later trains off Paddington in the evening, but valid on any Cambridge -> London (KX or Liverpool Street) service during the afternoon to connect into those evening trains. Also to include a cross London Connection. Have I got that wrong / has it changed?  Very offensive ticket gate operative at Liverpool Street thought otherwise, and I want to be sure of myself for next time.

[EBrown]

Can I check something ...

I had understood a Super Off Peak ticket, return half, Cambridge to Melksham to be restricted to the 19:30 or later trains off Paddington in the evening, but valid on any Cambridge -> London (KX or Liverpool Street) service during the afternoon to connect into those evening trains. Also to include a cross London Connection. Have I got that wrong / has it changed?  Very offensive ticket gate operative at Liverpool Street thought otherwise, and I want to be sure of myself for next time.

Yes, you are correct, the restriction code is XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), the ticket is set by FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

JOURNEYS TO/FROM/VIA LONDON/
READING

Available as listed below
MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS (by any
train on Saturdays, Sundays
and Bank Holidays).

OUTWARD TRAVEL:

Available on the following
trains and all later services:
From:
Avoncliff                 0940
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Bath Spa                  1000
Bradford on Avon          0935
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Bridgewater               0840
Bristol Parkway           1015
(also valid between 0200 and
0530)
Bristol Temple Meads      0945
(also valid between 0200 and
0510)
Castle Cary               0945
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Cheltenham Spa            0930
(if travel is via Bristol
Parkway, see notes below)
Chippenham                1010
Dawlish                   0840
Exeter St Davids          0910
Freshford                 0940
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Frome                     0955
Gloucester                0930
(if travel is via Bristol
Parkway, see notes below)
Highbridge                0845
Ivybridge                 0900
Kemble                    1015
Nailsea & Backwell        0930
Pewsey                    0930
Stonehouse                0955
Stroud                    1000
Swindon                   1030
(also valid between 0200 and
0545)
Taunton                   0940
Teignmouth                0840
Tiverton Parkway          0925
Trowbridge                0930
Westbury                  1003
(if travel is via Bath Spa,
see notes below)
Weston Milton             0905
Weston-Super-Mare         0920
Worle                     0910
Yatton                    0925

RETURN TRAVEL:

See notes below.

NOTES:
TRAVEL VIA BRISTOL PARKWAY
(EASTBOUND) FROM CHELTENHAM
SPA/GLOUCESTER:
The restriction time shown
above for Bristol Parkway also
applies for journeys from
these stations when travelling
via Bristol Parkway.

TRAVEL VIA BATH SPA
(EASTBOUND) FROM CASTLE CARY,
WESTBURY, TROWBRIDGE, BRADFORD
-ON-AVON, FRESHFORD AND
AVONCLIFF:
The restriction time shown
above for Bath Spa also
applies for journeys from
these stations when travelling
via Bath Spa.

OUTWARD TRAVEL TO OR VIA
LONDON WATERLOO is permitted
on all trains timed to arrive
at Waterloo at or later than
1148.

RETURN TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
apply_from the stations listed
below. Tickets are valid:

On services timed to depart
London Paddington between 1010
and 1501, and from 1901.

On services timed to depart
Reading between 1030 and 1530,
and from 1901.

On services timed to depart
Slough from 0955.

On the 1506 departure from
London Paddington / 1532 from
Reading (Penzance service)
with tickets to/from PEWSEY
only.

On services timed to depart
London Waterloo between 0815
and 1559, and from 1901.

On services timed to arrive at
Salisbury between 0930 and
1740, and from 1901.

TRAVEL FROM STATIONS NOT
LISTED ABOVE:
Super Off-Peak_tickets from
stations not listed are valid
for connections into trains
departing as shown above.

ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY
FOR THE FOLLOWING JOURNEYS:


Validity Codes 2C/9I
(restrictions listed as
From/via Euston) apply from
Swindon, Pewsey, Westbury and
Castle Cary for travel via
London Euston to destinations
destinations beyond_Milton
Keynes.

Validity Codes CI/CJ_apply
for all journeys via London
St Pancras International.

Validity code Q8 applies to
all journeys via Fareham/
Southampton/Salisbury.

Validity code WO applies to
journeys via Didcot Parkway/
Newbury, not passing through
Reading.


Overnight Break of Journey
(See Break of Journey notes at
 start of this section) -
restarting journey from an
intermediate station:
On day 2, restrictions as
above apply and journey must
recommence before 1200.

[Southern Stag]

This statement in the restriction code probably covers travel from Cambridge-London Liverpool Street:

Travel from stations not listed above: Super Off-Peak tickets from stations not listed are valid for connections into trains departing as shown above.

So valid on services which connect with the 19:30 off London Paddington, but if you want extra connection time across London that should still be valid. Unfortunately it's a common problem I've encountered with barrier staff, they believe that Off-Peak is a blanket restriction, rather than dependant on the journey being undertaken. If you haven't already it might be worth dropping an email to Greater Anglia so that maybe they'll train the staff at Liverpool Street some more.

[grahame]

Thanks for those confirmations.

As it happens, I caught the 16:51 slow train from Cambridge which when I look back this evening *is* the right one to connect to the 19:30.

I didn't get the name of the guy ... probably won't write. But if he didn't know, he shouldn't have acted like he did, nor told me he thought I was trying to travel without a valid ticket.  He *did* back down - or rather shugged and waved me on - when I quoted my understanding (with agrees with  both of the replies here), that I had bever been challenged before, and asked him when and how the rules had changed.

[bobm]

Just a shame that a Super Off Peak return to Melksham effectively means you have to leave London Paddington before 15:01 - after 19:01 there is nothing to get you home the same day (at the moment!).

[grahame]

Just a shame that a Super Off Peak return to Melksham effectively means you have to leave London Paddington before 15:01 - after 19:01 there is nothing to get you home the same day (at the moment!).

Indeed you're correct. The booking sites do offer the 21:45 from Cambridge, change at KX, PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) and SWI^» (Swindon - next trains) and getting to Melksham at 06:37.   That's the only return on a weekday currently offered on the 60 pound fare .. "at the moment" as you say.

By the way .. I travelled up to Cambridge from Melksham on Sunday, using the train from Melksham, and I was using the Melksham ticket as it was the best deal in all my circumstances - splitting or getting different out and back would have cost more.  And I am very fortunate that I could get a lift from Chippenham.  The 19:30 from Paddington gets there at 20:45 and the bus to Melksham leaves at - you guessed it - 20:44

[eightf48544]

Another example of the current fares policy being "Not Fit for Purpuse"

I don't even fully understand Restriction XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) let alone 2C/9I,  CI/CJ, Q8 & WO mentioned as well!

Perhaps the chairman of ATOC^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) should be challenged to give a public lecture on the fares system and be subject to questioning about the cheapest route between two stations plus the restrictions on that fare, to see if he can find the correct fare.

This is actually a useful oportunity to ask what is restriction CI/CJ and what's the code for St Pancras International Eurostar connecting tickets. In this case I think from Southampton or may be Tamworth. Although I believe when I posted before about Tamworth I was told they aren't valid from Tamworth  via Derby and you have to drag your suitcase from Euston.

Also who would suggest to try to get tickets from Southampton or Tamworth to Etaples Le Touquet via Calais Fretune. I was thinking DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) in Surbiton but its an 0970 number or Ffestiniog.

[Southern Stag]

CI/CJ restricts tickets on EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) from London St Pancras. So a Melksham to Leicester ticket would be valid from London St Pancras between 10:26 and 15:15 and after 18:59, the return portion would be valid arriving in to London St Pancras after 11:29, that's in addition to the restrictions on travel from London Paddington westwards. Tickets from Southampton Central for connecting with the Eurostar are unrestricted, travel is by any train.