Breaking a journey using a slower train on the same line

[willw]

Sorry if this question is really straightforward or has already been answered.

I hold an off peak return for a journey from London St Pancras to Derby for a weekday next week, stating travel via "any permitted route". The fastest train to complete this journey would obviously be a direct EMR intercity service to Derby.

However, if possible, I would like to stop off in Kettering to grab coffee with a friend and drop off some Christmas presents. This would involve getting a Nottingham bound EMR intercity service to Kettering, breaking my journey (which I understand my ticket permits), getting on another Nottingham bound service and then changing at Leicester for the Sheffield bound service calling at Derby.

I can't figure out if getting this slower train is permitted. Obviously you can break your journey at a station that your train would call at, but I can't figure out if you can take a different service on the same travel corridor to break your journey at an alternative station.

Again, it is likely this question has already been answered I'm just unsure how to word my search if that makes sense.

 

[greatkingrat]

Yes, that is absolutely fine. There is no obligation to take the fastest available train.

 

[crablab]

Your question is whether going via Kettering (and Leicester) is a permitted route.

Which will depend on exactly which ticket you hold, but from a cursory look it seems to be for the Super Off Peak return (SSR) @ £79.90.

You can confirm this yourself by using a journey planner (eg. from where you bought the ticket) and adding a "via" point at Kettering. If the same flexible ticket you currently hold is offered, then your ticket is valid with that routing.

 

[jfollows]

It's straightforward, but there's no harm in asking!
It's absolutely fine to do what you are proposing.
Firstly, most direct trains London-Derby pass through both Kettering and Leicester, so the route is fine, and it's also fine breaking your journey in the way you propose, as long as the ticket you hold doesn't place any additional restrictions on you which prevent this. Your ticket has restriction code 9J, which limits the times you can use the ticket, but not the route nor the operator (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/validity/9j/).
One of the routing maps showing valid routes is attached below, and you can see Kettering & Leicester, plus it's valid to travel via Nottingham to Derby even.
The other valid route, for completeness, is from London Euston to Tamworth to Derby.
You can break your journey as many times as you want along a valid route.

 

[Watershed]

Welcome the forum!

What you propose is absolutely fine. The validity of tickets is defined by one (or more) "permitted routes"; in the case of a London to Derby ticket, the permitted routes are either from St Pancras via Bedford, Kettering and Leicester, or from Euston via Rugby and Tamworth.

With a flexible/walk-up ticket, i.e. Anytime or (Super) Off-Peak, you can take any train along either of those permitted routes, regardless of whether they run directly to the destination shown on your ticket or where they stop at. The important thing is just that you stay on a permitted route rather than deviating via other routes. You can also change trains anywhere en-route, even if that means taking a stopping train rather than a fast one for example.

All Anytime tickets, and the vast majority of (Super) Off-Peak tickets, also allow you to break your journey en-route. This means you can stop off and exit the station, and later re-enter and continue your journey.