Crewe to Milton Keynes Super Off Peak Return

[D841 Roebuck]

Are there any experts there who can help me with a query on the validity of this ticket?

It looks excellent value at £21, but will it do what I want?

I'm considering combining this ticket with a couple of Southern Daysaver tickets in order to visit the Spa Valley Gala and scratch off some missing lines in the Sussex area.

Outward travel on Friday 2nd August is no problem. However the evening restriction on this ticket applies on Saturdays as well as Mon to Fri, and bars travel on trains departing any station between 16:30 and 19:30.

As there are no direct LM services to Crewe on 3/8/13 after that time, would the ticket be valid via Birmingham?

Thanks.

 

[causton]

The ticket is valid on the 1846 Euston - Crewe service according to what LM say. This is I believe due to an easement as they do not want to leave people unable to get home I guess, so they let people on the last train back to Crewe! It seems they haven't got booking engines to realise this however...

If you click the link marked "simplified timetable" on this page: http://www.londonmidland.com/tickets-and-fares/tickets-and-fares/26/#super it does state the ticket would be valid, but I cannot see the mention of this in any other public area.

 

[sonic2009]

What time are you traveling out on the Friday?

 

[clagmonster]

However the evening restriction on this ticket applies on Saturdays as well as Mon to Fri, and bars travel on trains departing any station between 16:30 and 19:30.

Not quite. The restriction says:
"Not valid for travel on London
Midland services timed to
DEPART any station between
1630 and 1930 in either
direction (except for the 1902
Crewe to Northampton service),
unless a connecting_service is
being used to_complete a
journey begun at a_valid time."
http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=CRE&dest=MKC&rlc= &rte=42&ldn=0&tkt=OPR
So if you used a valid train out of Euston/MKC, you could then change onto a train which would otherwise be invalid.

As there are no direct LM services to Crewe on 3/8/13 after that time, would the ticket be valid via Birmingham?

We determine this using the National Routeing Guide, available at: http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-settlement-plan/routeing-guide

Milton Keynes Central is a member of the Bletchley Group.
http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/routeing_point_identifier.pdf page 41

Crewe is a routeing point.
http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/routeing_point_identifier.pdf page 16

The only routeing permission for Bletchley Group-Crewe is: LC.
http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/permitted_route_identifier (version RGL WGN amended 140213).pdf page 86

Map LC shows:
Bletchley Group-Northampton-Rugby-Coventry-Birmingham-Smethwick-Wolverhampton-Stafford-Crewe, among other routes.
http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/Maps.pdf page 58

So yes, the ticket would be valid via Birmingham.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Thanks for the replies folks. Good to know that via Brum is valid (pity map LC doesn't include Lichfield to Aston)

Not sure if I can make it at all, otherwise I'd book advances to London. Hence the look at alternatives...