FOTSW and Night Riviera

[tony_mac]

I am thinking about using a Freedom of the South West Rover soon, and would be interested in maybe taking the sleeper to Penzance.

Am I right in thinking that an off-peak return from Swindon to Reading would allow me to join at Reading? (The 'leisure pass' is then valid from Swindon onwards)

That will still be valid even if they change the route for engineering works, won't it?

The FGW website says that seat reservations are subject to a £5 charge - is that true even for rover tickets?
edit...
Sorry, I meant Westbury, not Swindon, that's the normal route, isn't it?
Although Swindon would be a lot cheaper if it went that way.

 

[glynn80]

Well if you do buy a ticket to Westbury, one of the permitted routes is Reading to Didcot to Swindon to Chippenham to Westbury. (using map MW). Thus in combination with a FOTSW, you are valid regardless of the route the Sleeper takes.

P.S. The reverse is not true, tickets to Swindon are not valid via Westbury.

 

[tony_mac]

but apparently tickets to Chippenham are. (map LA is pretty clear!)
I'm not sure I want to risk trying that, though.

NRES says that I can go Reading, Westbury, Bath, Chippenham (the routeing guide disagrees!)

 

[paul1609]

I think the Night Riveira is currently routed via Swindon and Britol TM thats the route it took on my last trip 2 weeks ago.

 

[glynn80]

I think the Night Riveira is currently routed via Swindon and Britol TM thats the route it took on my last trip 2 weeks ago.

Certainly seems the situation currently, booked via Swindon this evening.

 

[TTI]

FOSW Rovers cannot be used on the down midnight due to the time restriction that applies on it Monday-Friday.
Friday night/Saturday morning would be OK together with a London-Swindon ticket under paragraph 19 of the NRCoC.

The up midnight can only be used up to midnight.

I'm sure it's written down somewhere but I can't find it. Rovers expiry times are different to the validity of Cheap Day Returns.

When it was relaunched (and expanded) in 2005 there was NO time limit on the FOSW but in 2007 the time limit came in but was "confusing" as some sources (National Rail, I think) didn't refer to it. By 2008 the "confusion card" couldn't really be played anymore as leaflets/all information sources were updated.

 

[glynn80]

FOSW Rovers cannot be used on the down midnight due to the time restriction that applies on it Monday-Friday.
Friday night/Saturday morning would be OK together with a London-Swindon ticket under paragraph 19 of the NRCoC.

The up midnight can only be used up to midnight.

I'm sure it's written down somewhere but I can't find it. Rovers expiry times are different to the validity of Cheap Day Returns.

I'm not sure the issue is as clear cut as is stated above.

Now the time restriction of the FOSW is linked to the time restrictions of the Off Peak Day Return for the journey you are making.

Available after 0900 (Mondays-Fridays) or when Off-Peak Day Return is valid (whichever is earlier). Available all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Now obviously for flows such as Paddington to Taunton (and beyond), the distances are too great for an Off Peak Day Return to exist. But what does exist are the details regarding travel the following day, after the date of expiry on your ticket (I realise this is not exactly the situation but they are linked.

Off-Peak Day Singles and Returns, GroupSave Day Returns: Valid for travel on the date shown on the ticket and until 0230 the following day. If it is not possible to complete the journey before this time, travel is allowed until 1200 the day after travel – but no further break of journey is allowed.

If the above quote does apply to FOSW Rover tickets, then that would permit there validity on the Sleeper.

The NRES certainly permits the FOSW on the 2145 service from Penzance up to Exeter St Davids (arrival 0054), so that does suggest that the FOSW has validity for travel after Midnight. Whether that extends until 1200 the next day is another question.

 

[HORNIMANS]

The Night riviera does not stop between Reading and Taunton your Rover ticket not valid until 0900 M-F hope this helps

 

[glynn80]

The Night riviera does not stop between Reading and Taunton your Rover ticket not valid until 0900 M-F hope this helps

As tony_mac has already posted, the fact the Night Riviera does not stop between Reading and Taunton, is not an issue due to Condition 19 of the "National Rail Conditions of Carriage", which states:

19. Using a combination of tickets

You may use two or more tickets for one journey as long as together they cover the entire journey and one of the following applies:

(a) they are both Zonal Tickets (unless special conditions prohibit their use);
(b) the train you are in calls at the station where you change from one ticket to another; or
(c) one of the tickets is a Season Ticket (which for this purpose does not include Season Tickets or travel passes issued on behalf of a passenger transport executive or local authority) or a leisure travel pass, and the other ticket(s) is/are not.

You must comply with any restriction shown on the tickets relating to travel in the trains of a particular Train Company or Train Companies (see Condition 10)....

...For the purposes of this Condition, a “leisure travel pass” means any multi-journey ticket (excluding Season Tickets) valid for:

(i) at least 7 consecutive days; or
(ii) at least 3 days in a period of at least 7 consecutive days

and includes rover tickets, travel passes, flexipass tickets and BritRail passes

 

[323235]

A Mate of mine asked the conductor if we could board with our FOSW's on the Down Train on Monday and he said "Yeh Sure" and let us on.

We went all the way down to Penzance then got the 0844 back up to Exeter

We could have been waiting at Taunton til 8-9am if he hadn't let us on.

others may not be as lucky though.

 

[devon_metro]

Very few rail staff know about the restrictions seemingly. "43034 The Black Horse" will testify i'm sure