London Thameslink terminals and breaking journeys

[Mrdini]

Maybe I'm being a bit dim or missing something but... If I buy an off-peak day return from south of London to "London Thameslink", the ticket is marked as "Break of journey allowed". Does that mean that I can break my journey at e.g. London Bridge then continue onwards to Farringdon?

NRE at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/travelling-in-london/ says "You are not allowed to break your journey on the cross-London leg on London Underground, Elizabeth line or DLR services." so by dint of omission, I assume I am allowed to break my journey if travelling on Thameslink?

Or can I only break my journey at stations that are not London Thameslink stations - and once I exit at a London Thameslink station, that ticket is considered used?

Thanks!

 

[Watershed]

Maybe I'm being a bit dim or missing something but... If I buy an off-peak day return from south of London to "London Thameslink", the ticket is marked as "Break of journey allowed". Does that mean that I can break my journey at e.g. London Bridge then continue onwards to Farringdon?

Yes. Although in practical terms, if you use a paper ticket there is a good chance it would be (wrongly) retained by the barrier, so I would suggest speaking to the gateline staff to ask to keep the ticket. With an eTicket it may reject it when you attempt to recommence your journey after breaking it.

Breaking your journey at a station within your destination station group is valid but not something that barriers are generally programmed to consider, in essence.

NRE at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/travelling-in-london/ says "You are not allowed to break your journey on the cross-London leg on London Underground, Elizabeth line or DLR services."

This is specifically about the cross-London journey that is permitted by the Maltese cross (or dagger) symbol on a ticket from one side of London to another. Tickets to London Thameslink don't fall into this category as they do not have a Maltese cross/dagger, they are simply valid on National Rail services to any of the stations in the London Thameslink group.

so by dint of omission, I assume I am allowed to break my journey if travelling on Thameslink?

You can break your journey when using Thameslink on a cross-London transfer since there is nothing in the NRCoT that excludes this - unlike with Underground, Elizabeth line and DLR services. Again, it is probably not intended for this to be the case or a particularly foreseen use-case, so you may have some difficulty at the barriers.

Or can I only break my journey at stations that are not London Thameslink stations - and once I exit at a London Thameslink station, that ticket is considered used?

You can break your journey at any station along a permitted route, which includes intermediate stations in the London Thameslink group before reaching the final station in the group (i.e. St Pancras coming from the south).

 

[Mrdini]

Perfect, thanks! Surprised how hard it is to find this information

 

[jfollows]

Perfect, thanks! Surprised how hard it is to find this information

National Rail Conditions of Travel

National Rail Conditions of Travel | National Rail

When you buy a train ticket to travel on the rail network, you enter into an agreement with the train companies. Find out about the National Rail Conditions of Travel

www.nationalrail.co.uk

https://assets.nationalrail.co.uk/e8xgegruud3g/217USO6GPDMxJmB4YAJLRi/f103a3edc5f39a0a27832dbeeb53863e/National_Rail_Conditions_of_Travel_2026.pdf

 

[Haywain]

Although in practical terms, if you use a paper ticket there is a good chance it would be (wrongly) retained by the barrier, so I would suggest speaking to the gateline staff to ask to keep the ticket. With an eTicket it may reject it when you attempt to recommence your journey after breaking it.

I rarely use the break of journey option but London Thameslink tickets do not seem to be retained by barriers, so this isn't a problem.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

Deleted to avoid confusion

 

[Watershed]

Note that you in this case you can only continue north as far as City Thameslink; "London Thameslink" only includes Farringdon from the north. The maps halfway down https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/travelling-in-london/ show this if you look at them carefully, but as the blurb admits, "The below diagrams may help"!

You are incorrect; London Thameslink includes - as the name suggests - all of the stations from London Bridge to St Pancras, whether you are coming in from the north or the south.

London Terminals tickets aren't valid to travel to Farringdon in either direction. From the north they are valid as far as St Pancras, from the south as far as City Thameslink.

 

[SAPhil]

I rarely use the break of journey option but London Thameslink tickets do not seem to be retained by barriers, so this isn't a problem.

They don't, however, work the barriers when you try to get back in! On the odd occasion I've done this I've had to find someone to let me in.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

You are incorrect; London Thameslink includes - as the name suggests - all of the stations from London Bridge to St Pancras, whether you are coming in from the north or the south.

London Terminals tickets aren't valid to travel to Farringdon in either direction. From the north they are valid as far as St Pancras, from the south as far as City Thameslink.

Correct. Sorry, half asleep.

 

[Haywain]

They don't, however, work the barriers when you try to get back in! On the odd occasion I've done this I've had to find someone to let me in.

That has not been my experience.