Peak times at "the train manager's discretion" (!)

[Kilopylae]

Pretty extraordinary report from a journalist on Twitter this morning.

Emma Revell
@emmamrevell

Off peak for your ticket means arriving into Euston after 11am.
Boarded one arriving 11.06, only to be told its peak. When queried, "Its the train manager's discretion"

That is either a lie, or mad. You cannot sell restrictive + expensive tickets but have validity on a whim

Emma Revell (@emmamrevell) on X

Off peak for your ticket means arriving into Euston after 11am. Boarded one arriving 11.06, only to be told its peak. When queried, "Its the train manager's discretion" That is either a lie, or mad. You cannot sell restrictive + expensive tickets but have validity on a whim

x.com

I think we all know here which it is, of course. But it's incredible that this is what passengers are being told.

 

[mmh]

Depends on the start and end point of the ticket and what restriction it has. There are various for trains terminating at Euston, including as mentioned in some of the replies on X, one for which 11:30 is the cut off.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Depends on the start and end point of the ticket and what restriction it has. There are various for trains terminating at Euston, including as mentioned in some of the replies on X, one for which 11:30 is the cut off.

I did think that was probably the case. What the TM will have said is something like "it's not valid, if it's been accepted before it was just discretion".

 

[snail]

The X hashtag #SAFC probably gives it away. Travelling from Sunderland/Durham on LNER the Super Off Peak is not valid for arrivals into London before 1117 M-F.

 

[AlterEgo]

The X hashtag #SAFC probably gives it away. Travelling from Sunderland/Durham on LNER the Super Off Peak is not valid for arrivals into London before 1117 M-F.

They just support the team. They're travelling into Euston and have clarified in a later tweet the restriction is indeed 1130.

 

[voyagerdude220]

As mmh has correctly stated, there isn't just one specific restriction which applies to all Off Peak tickets to London Euston.

11:06 arrival seems to be the 09:50 from Birmingham New Street. Looking at Birmingham New Street to London Euston for example the Off Peak Any Permited tickets on this particular journey have restriction code 2C- not valid until 11:30 or later Monday to Thursday.

I'd be surprised if other Train Managers genuinely did take such a charitable view on Peak Time restrictions on their trains, given they could easily earn commision on the sale of an excess to the Anytime rate which no doubt wouldn't be cheap.

Yes there are potentially other ticket restrictions which could allow travel into London earlier on this Birmingham to London train although in reality I doubt many people would be using them if they're intended for much longer journeys and going via Birmingham would cause them to have a much longer journey.

Annoyingly I can't access x to see the post in question or what any other people have posted in reply because I'm on a Work computer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd be surprised if other Train Managers genuinely did take such a charitable view on Peak Time restrictions on their trains, given they could easily earn commision on the sale of an excess to the Anytime rate which no doubt wouldn't be cheap.

I suspect she got away with it once before and the TM on the train she was on is just explaining that that doesn't mean she can do it all the time.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I suspect she got away with it once before and the TM on the train she was on is just explaining that that doesn't mean she can do it all the time.

That would make sense.