Ticket sold with freedom pass discount at 0929

[Railguy1]

Just bought a ticket between West Hampstead and Luton Airport on the forums ticket site.

As usual I entered my disabled Railcard and disabled freedom pass. I looked at the trains and went with the 0929 service.

It's provided me with a ticket from London Boundary Zone 6.

How can this be valid. What should I do?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Sep 2025 ==

The train is delayed to 0931 so I'm probably okay anyway.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Railguy1. You've not said what the ticket type was from Boundary Zone 6 to Luton Airport, but aren't Off Peak Day Returns valid from 0859? Or is the issue (which I think you've now since clarified) as regards using a Disabled Freedom Pass on a train departing West Hampstead (Thameslink?) before 0930 for the initial part of the journey from there to Boundary Zone 6?

 

[jfollows]

Indeed:
But note that the restriction is on trains timed to depart, so a late running train makes no difference.

Outward Travel & Return Travel​
Restriction Code: B3 Restricted Days: Monday to Friday Mondays-Fridays​
Not valid on trains timed to depart after 04:29 and before 09:00.

If you tap in, there are a few minutes prior to 09:30 when the pass can be used, it’s documented on the forum somewhere.
So if you tap in just before 09:30 and get the 09:29 departure, followed by a BZ6 ticket to your destination valid 09:00 onwards, then I wouldn’t worry if I were you.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Indeed:
But note that the restriction is on trains timed to depart, so a late running train makes no difference.

If you tap in, there are a few minutes prior to 09:30 when the pass can be used, it’s documented on the forum somewhere.

Your screen shot shows "invalid" time ends 08:59 (Mo-Fr).
So the OP's 09:29 WTT departure is valid.

 

[Watershed]

Your screen shot shows "invalid" time ends 08:59 (Mo-Fr).
So the OP's 09:29 WTT departure is valid.

That's the restriction which applies to the Boundary Zone 6 to Luton Airport (Parkway?) ticket.

However the OP is using this in combination with their Freedom Pass, which isn't valid until 09:30 when heading north out of West Hampstead Thameslink (southbound it is valid at all times, due to the interavailability arrangements which provide the same validity as on the Tube).

 

[Sun Chariot]

Got it - thanks @Watershed Useful info - as my wife and I are looking at whether our son could cope with using a disabled rail pass.

 

[Watershed]

@Sun Chariot there is a map here showing the times each type of TfL pass is valid on different sections of route.

 

[Sun Chariot]

@Sun Chariot there is a map here showing the times each type of TfL pass is valid on different sections of route.

You legend, many thanks

 

[Railguy1]

Just to give an update, it also had a platform alteration and then the train was cancelled.

Ticket without barcode attached.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Sep 2025 ==

Sorry I couldn't attach this earlier. There was a mad dash to get a coach. Only just made the gate.

 

[Haywain]

it also had a platform alteration and then the train was cancelled.

That was unfortunate but not something that Thameslink could control.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can't see any issue with the discounted (Anytime Day Single) Boundary Zone 6 to Luton Airport ticket, as shown in post #9; my only query would be just how early can a Disabled Freedom Pass be used on local rail services (within London) on a weekday?

 

[Haywain]

my only query would be just how early can a Disabled Freedom Pass be used on local rail services (within London) on a weekday?

From 09:30 on most National Rail services.

 

[Tester]

Can't see any issue with the discounted (Anytime Day Single) Boundary Zone 6 to Luton Airport ticket shown in post #9; my only query would be just how early can a Disabled Freedom Pass be used on local rail services (within London) on a weekday?

Generally at any time, but National Rail (with some exceptions) not before 0930 M-F.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Generally at any time, but National Rail (with some exceptions) not before 0930 M-F.

Noted that the itinerary in the ticket displayed in post #9 shows a suggested 0929 departure from West Hampstead Thameslink.

 

[Haywain]

Noted that the itinerary in the ticket displayed in post #9 shows a suggested 0929 departure from West Hampstead Thameslink.

Which will be because Trainsplit doesn't know about the Freedom Pass restriction, because the ticket held for the zones isn't specified. That really is a case of allowing the holder to buy a ticket while relying on them to know and abide by the restrictions imposed by the zonal ticket they hold.

 

[Tester]

In reality, but I'm not sure of its official status, barriers have a few minutes tolerance to deal with edge cases.

You can see this in action at stations in the Freedom Pass area just before 0930 (NR) or 0900 (other for elderly), with people trying the barriers 'waiting for the off'!

 

[jfollows]

09:27 per https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...fl-contactless-fares-on-national-rail.284749/

 

[Haywain]

In reality, but I'm not sure of its official status, barriers have a few minutes tolerance to deal with edge cases.

But that's about charging for PAYG, not about times when Freedom Passes are valid.

 

[Tester]

But that's about charging for PAYG, not about times when Freedom Passes are valid.

It's when you can enter the station with a freedom pass.

 

[Haywain]

It's when you can enter the station with a freedom pass.

Yes, but it doesn't confer a right to travel at that time in the same way that PAYG does.

 

[Railguy1]

I mistakenly thought the forum site just wouldn't offer the ticket. One for me to remember. Since it the train we cancelled, can I still claim a refund?

 

[Watershed]

I mistakenly thought the forum site just wouldn't offer the ticket. One for me to remember. Since it the train we cancelled, can I still claim a refund?

If you travelled, then you would be claiming Delay Repay from the train operator (GTR) based on the delay you incurred in arriving at your final destination vs the scheduled arrival time.

 

[Haywain]

Since it the train we cancelled, can I still claim a refund?

If you didn’t travel a full refund can be claimed from the retailer. You need to specify that this is due to service disruption.

 

[flythetube]

Didn’t the OP mention that they were using a Disabled Freedom pass?

There are no time restrictions associated with Disabled versions of the Freedom Pass, the morning peak restrictions only apply to Elderly Freedom passes and the 60+ Oyster card.

 

[cool110]

There are no time restrictions associated with Disabled versions of the Freedom Pass, the morning peak restrictions only apply to Elderly Freedom passes and the 60+ Oyster card

That's for TfL services, NR still has the peak restriction for both disabled and elderly

 

[Watershed]

Didn’t the OP mention that they were using a Disabled Freedom pass?

There are no time restrictions associated with Disabled versions of the Freedom Pass, the morning peak restrictions only apply to Elderly Freedom passes and the 60+ Oyster card.

Morning peak restrictions still apply to the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass on most National Rail routes. It's only on interavailable routes (e.g. south of West Hampstead Thameslink as far as London Bridge/Elephant & Castle) that they are valid all day on National Rail services.

 

[fandroid]

My understanding is that there are no time restrictions on use of the Disabled Railcard, even in London and the Southeast. I presume that the OP could have bought a single from West Hampstead and got the whole journey at the discount rate.

If a non-londoner has a Disabled Railcard added to an Oyster Card, will they get the discount without time restrictions too?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I presume that the OP could have bought a single from West Hampstead and got the whole journey at the discount rate.

Indeed, would certainly have been valid, but more expensive than a discounted single ticket (to Luton Airport) from Boundary Z6 in combination with the Disabled Freedom pass (if that was valid).

 

[Watershed]

My understanding is that there are no time restrictions on use of the Disabled Railcard, even in London and the Southeast. I presume that the OP could have bought a single from West Hampstead and got the whole journey at the discount rate.

Yes - the issue here is that TrainSplit sold a ticket from Boundary Zone 6 rather than West Hampstead Thameslink. I appreciate that it's not simple to encode the rules for the different types of Freedom and 60+ Passes, but when the site specifically chooses to offer them as options, I think the time restrictions should be reflected in the fare results.

If a non-londoner has a Disabled Railcard added to an Oyster Card, will they get the discount without time restrictions too?

Yes, there are no residency requirements for getting Railcard discounts on Oyster. You don't even need to live in the UK, although getting a Disabled Railcard in the first place might be harder if you don't.

 

[fandroid]

Thanks.

I was just trying to explore what the pre 09.30 (09.29 in this case!) options for the OP might be in the future, as airport journeys often require early starts from home.

For the follow up, I am considering applying for a Disabled Railcard myself. I believe that I have the proof of eligibility and that lack of time restrictions in the Southeast would benefit me more than my current Senior Railcard does.