Shwitters
New Member
Can you break a return journey from Birmingham to Cheltenham by stopping off at University Birmingham?
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Break in return journey
- Thread starter Shwitters
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
It would depend on exactly the ticket held (so you may wish to provide that information so we can give slightly more tailored advice) but, assuming that the ticket held is either an Anytime Return or Off-Peak Return from Birmingham to Cheltenham then yes both those types of ticket would allow a break of journey.
My understanding is that pretty much any ticket apart from an advance single allows a break in journey.
On a related note, I had an off-peak return from London Thameslink (which includes London Bridge) to Brighton a few months back. I travelled from London Bridge to Brighton but wanted to end my return journey at East Croydon (which is en route from Brighton to London Bridge). The ticket wouldn't let me through the barrier; the "seek assistance" message displayed. I showed the ticket to a member of staff and said I should be able to get out here as it's an off-peak return and therefore permits me to break my journey. The member of staff looked a bit confused and said that the ticket was for travel to a London Terminal, not East Croydon, but let me out anyway. In the circumstances, there was no point in continuing the conversation but I assume I must have been in the right and the barrier should have accepted the ticket?
On a related note, I had an off-peak return from London Thameslink (which includes London Bridge) to Brighton a few months back. I travelled from London Bridge to Brighton but wanted to end my return journey at East Croydon (which is en route from Brighton to London Bridge). The ticket wouldn't let me through the barrier; the "seek assistance" message displayed. I showed the ticket to a member of staff and said I should be able to get out here as it's an off-peak return and therefore permits me to break my journey. The member of staff looked a bit confused and said that the ticket was for travel to a London Terminal, not East Croydon, but let me out anyway. In the circumstances, there was no point in continuing the conversation but I assume I must have been in the right and the barrier should have accepted the ticket?
Yes broadly the case but there are always exceptions so it's worth checking!
Yes and yes but barrier are often not well programmed or not actually capable of spotting such things so to be honest I'd have been more surprised if it opened in this situation!
mangyiscute
Established Member
Besides from when I've been doing some weird routes, I'd say 95% of ticket barriers allow me through when I'm breaking my journey
This is my understanding also.
You must have been exceptionally lucky. I would say well below 5% of the time has a ticket barrier ever let me out when the ticket does not end at that specific station and the staff don’t always have the common sense to realise that their station is en-route to somewhere else! I note I had particular difficulty trying to get out of Harrogate station with a York - Leeds single, wanting to get a sandwich from Waitrose before coming back in to get the LNER service, but by the time I came back there was a different staff member on the barriers who didn’t question my ticket!
Some off-peak returns have break of journey restrictions, though in practice these are generally only enforced where the ticket provides a loophole around peak restrictoins.
Various people have tried to tell me these are a small minority, perhaps that is true overall but as someone who lives in Greater Manchester I find quite a few with break of journey restrictions. Mostly ones where the fare setter is either northern or TFW.
mangyiscute
Established Member
Perhaps its a north south thing, as I do most travelling in the south and have never had any issues (mainly on GWR at places like reading, swindon, bristol etc)
Surely at the largest stations on the GWML you would have about the best experience you can have, but I have to say I am yet to visit Swindon and have not left Bristol Temple Meads or Reading, having only passed through Bristol and changed at Reading.
londonbridge
Established Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2010
- Messages
- 1,896
When staying with family in Eastleigh, I travel East Croydon-Clapham-Eastleigh but use a Brighton-Southampton return not via London to save a few bob. On the return journey a paper ticket never works the East Croydon barrier, but I’ve noticed if I use an e-ticket it will open.
miklcct
Established Member
Unfortunately the Super Off-Peak Day Returns from Euston are some of these tickets where a break of journey restriction is set on the outward journey, forcing me to actually start my journey at Euston when avoiding London is more direct.
Without a price difference, I will prefer to travel to Watford Junction by Tube / Overground and switch to LNR there without using zones 1 & 2.
These Super Off-Peak Day Returns are only available from Euston but not anywhere else, not even South Hampstead or Harrow & Wealdstone. These Super Off-Peak Day Returns are cheaper than anything available from as far as Watford Junction.
lyndhurst25
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,592
Yes, TfW is a prolific user of off peak return tickets that, according to some, forbid a break-of-journey. However TfW is an accredited ticket retailer and if buying tickets using their website, I would therefore trust the information that the website gives about such tickets relating to any break-of-journey restrictions, or the lack thereof.
SickyNicky
Verified Rep - FastJP
One other point to note is that you'll need to be on the hourly stopping service to do this. If you can use this train in both directions, you may save money by splitting your ticket at Worcestershire Parkway - especially if you're coming back the same day.
Couldn't they get any of several per hour New Street - University trains for the first part of the journey, heading to Redditch / Bromsgrove / Hereford? (And then, of course, get the hourly stopping train from University - Cheltenham).
I bought an off-peak return from Cardiff to Holyhead a few months ago which didn’t permit a break of journey.
lyndhurst25
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,592
I doubt that that is enforceable.
Legally, it depends on what you are told when you buy your ticket. Practically, I doubt that barrier staff even know about the BoJ restrictions and it's only the larger stations that are barriered anyway.
kieron
Established Member
You may be putting a bit too much faith in the "accredited" status, as different "accredited" retailers give different information in all sorts of ways.
For instance, someone booking a super off peak return from Birmingham to London via High Wycombe would be told by TfW that break of journey is forbidden on the outward part of the journey, and would be told by Avanti that it isn't. If I wished to break my journey on a journey like that, I wouldn't rely on what TfW says.
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 7 Apr 2010
- Messages
- 34,318
I suspect that’s because the gateline software making decisions about magstripe and e-tickets is completely separate.
lyndhurst25
Established Member
- Joined
- 26 Nov 2010
- Messages
- 1,592
That is why it is important to choose a ticket seller that interprets restrictions and routes in the manner that is the most favourable for the journey that you wish to make. Sometimes Avanti may be your best bet, sometimes TfW, sometimes another company altogether. And if conflicting terms and conditions are mentioned, then under consumer law, it would be the one most favourable to the customer that counts.
- Status