off peak Milton Keynes to Manchester

[amateur]

What time is the first valid off peak departure from Milton Keynes to Manchester on a weekday

 

[transportphoto]

Which ticket are you looking to use?

 

[Hadders]

A MKC-MAN Off Peak Return costing £67.90 can be used on any train departing MKC at or after 0951. The first direct train you can use is therefore the 1050 service.

It's rather annoying that the 0950 service cannot be used. There are no afternoon restrictions though.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Virgin service from MKC at 1050 reaches Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) at 1228.
You can get to MAN by 1159 on the LNWR service from MKC at 0919, changing at Stoke on Trent (SOT) at 1102 and onwards by XC/VT (dep 1120/1125 resp).
Doing that, you can get the LNW-only Off Peak Return MKC-SOT at £35.50, and an Off Peak Return SOT-MAN at £17.10 (cheaper for a day return or if you limit yourself to XC or VT services). An Anytime return is only £20.
You would be tied to the same route southbound, but very few restrictions (leave MAN after 0930 on the Off Peak Return).
Times are MAN VT xx35, arr SOT xx10 dep LNWR xx28, MKC arr xx14 (2h39m).

 

[amateur]

Thanks Hadders.

Just for clarification, no south bound evening peak restrictions apply on a weekday, for a direct service from manchester to Milton Keynes

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thanks Hadders.

Just for clarification, no south bound evening peak restrictions apply on a weekday, for a direct service from manchester to Milton Keynes

It's all about the ticket. The Off-Peak restrictions for MAN-MKC and MKC-MAN tickets are 2C and 9I, respectively. They have almost the same effect - and in relation to evening restrictions, these apply to Northbound services only, in practice. So you can use a ticket with a 2C or 9I restriction going southbound on any evening.

(Of course there will be exceptions, but this is the gist).

 

[sonic2009]

Are you returning the same day.?

 

[amateur]

It'll be

 

[gordonthemoron]

I discovered that MKC-Manchester off peak isn't valid on the 9:50 departure last week, it is priced by VTWC. However, MKC-Manchester-Newcastle Off Peak is valid on the 9:50 as it's priced by Cross Country and is valid after 9:30

 

[amateur]

If travelling on Monday 2nd April you are allowed to board the 9:27am departure with an off peak ticket, as it's a public holiday?

 

[Hadders]

Yes, there are no restrictions on bank holidays.