Question about complex ticket restriction codes - Bristol to/from Cambridge

[Quebec]

My daughter has purchased off peak return tickets for a journey from Montpelier (Bristol) to Cambridge, and is trying to navigate through the code restrictions. Tickets were bought at the station ticket office in Bristol TM.

Outward travel is on Friday 27th, which seems straightforward.

She wishes to return on Sunday 29th, breaking the journey in Stevenage overnight, and then completing the journey on Monday 30th. She has been told (by the ticket office at BTM) that this overnight BoJ is acceptable. The restriction code of LC disallows late afternoon departures from Paddington, which is fine. However restriction LC appears to link though ultimately to restriction 1T, which appears to disallow some departures from Stevenage:

"Not valid for departures from: Stevenage, Mondays to Thursdays after 07:14 and before 08:15 or after 16:17 and before 17:58"

It is not clear whether this applies to journeys into London, or out of London, or both (!).

She would like to be able to leave Stevenage within this period if possible (recognising that she may need to wait at Paddington until after 18:34 - restriction LC applies).

Two questions please:

1) Is there actually a restriction on Stevenage departures which applies to a return journey on restriction LC with these tickets?

2) Will there be any problem getting through the ticket gates at Stevenage to break the journey on Sunday and re-enter on Monday?

Copy of tickets attached....

Grateful for any advice!

 

[Haywain]

Before answering the rest of your post, I would ask why an Off Peak Return and not a Super Off Peak Return? The latter is quite a bit cheaper.

The restriction code of LC disallows late afternoon departures from Paddington, which is fine. However restriction LC appears to link though ultimately to restriction 1T, which appears to disallow some departures from Stevenage:

Reading through the text of LC I can see no mention of Stevenage or of restriction code 1T.

1) Is there actually a restriction on Stevenage departures which applies to a return journey on restriction LC with these tickets?

No.

2) Will there be any problem getting through the ticket gates at Stevenage to break the journey on Sunday and re-enter on Monday?

Possibly, but it will only be on terms of whether the ticket operates the barrier. It is unlikely that the staff will have a problem with the break of journey.

 

[Quebec]

Before answering the rest of your post, I would ask why an Off Peak Return and not a Super Off Peak Return? The latter is quite a bit cheaper.

Reading through the text of LC I can see no mention of Stevenage or of restriction code 1T.

No.

Possibly, but it will only be on terms of whether the ticket operates the barrier. It is unlikely that the staff will have a problem with the break of journey.

Many thanks for the quick response. Not sure why the Super OP wasn't considered.

Restriction LC includes "Restriction codes 7E / 9J apply to all journeys via London St Pancras International"

9J includes this wording:

QUOTE

Applicable Days​

Monday to Friday
Mondays to Fridays

Outward Travel​

Not valid on trains timed to depart:

• London St Pancras International after 04:29 and before 08:46 or after 16:35 and before 18:46. On Fridays the Outward portion of an Off-Peak ticket is valid anytime from 08:47 from London St Pancras International;
• Bedford after 04:29 and before 09:01;
• Luton or Luton Airport Parkway after 04:29 and before 09:01 or after 16:36 and before 18:46.
• London Kings Cross Mondays to Thursdays after 06:44 and before 07:59 or after 15:57 and before 17:46 - or Fridays after 06:44 and before 07:59.

Return Travel​

Not valid on trains timed to arrive:

• London St Pancras International after 04:29 and before 10:02;
• Bedford after 04:29 and before 09:30;
• Luton or Luton Airport Parkway after 04:29 and before 10:02.

Notes​

If travel is not from/via the stations listed above, see restriction code 2V.Journeys from/via London Kings Cross and Stevenage please use restriction 1T.Journeys from/via London Euston please use restriction 9I.Journeys from London Paddington please use restrictions 4P, 5K, WW, YB, YC, YD, YG, YH."

UNQUOTE

The last para includes the reference to restriction 1T, but we might be misinterpreting this?

 

[Haywain]

Restriction LC includes "Restriction codes 7E / 9J apply to all journeys via London St Pancras International"

Make a point of not going via St Pancras and then there's nothing to worry about! The restrictions are intended to refer to journey on the Midland Main Line from London and are written in such a way that they can affect some trains from Stevenage to London, but changing trains at Finsbury Park would remove any effect as there would no longer be travel via St Pancras.

 

[Quebec]

Make a point of not going via St Pancras and then there's nothing to worry about! The restrictions are intended to refer to journey on the Midland Main Line from London and are written in such a way that they can affect some trains from Stevenage to London, but changing trains at Finsbury Park would remove any effect as there would no longer be travel via St Pancras.

So does that rule out using Thameslink trains from Stevenage to Farringdon, which call at St Pancras? Farringdon would be quite a convenient onward connection to PAD via the EL.

 

[Haywain]

So does that rule out using Thameslink trains from Stevenage to Farringdon, which call at St Pancras? Farringdon would be quite a convenient onward connection to PAD via the EL.

No, because in reality the restriction is so obscure that revenue protection staff are not going to be aware of it.

 

[Quebec]

Many thanks to both for the assistance and reassurance!