Northampton-Leeds off peak

[cizza]

I'm looking to go from Northampton to Leeds using an Off Peak return, travelling on the first possible off-peak service. All the journey planners say the earliest valid is at 10:25 via Manchester, however, I don't see why I couldn't get the 9:16, via Rugby and Tamworth.

Journey planners allow an off-peak ticket to be bought for Northampton-Tamworth at 9:16 and then Tamworth-Leeds at 10:19, but when done as one search it isn't valid off-peak. Have I missed a restriction somewhere as it doesn't appear to make sense?

 

[gordonthemoron]

perhaps it's priced by Cross Country? Is splitting not an option?

 

[JB_B]

The through ticket has restriction 2V which prevents departure before 0930

www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=NMP&dest=LDS&rte=700&tkt=SVR

Northampton Tamworth is restriction CS - valid from 0900

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=NMP&dest=TAM&tkt=SVR

It's likely to be worth splitting your tickets for this journey. You can check that on sites such as trainsplit.com

 

[47421]

Could you get cab/lift/bus/bike etc to Wellingborough? Off Peak return from Wellingb to Leeds valid from 0840 so can get 0855 change Leicester and Derby arr 1201. Much cheaper as well £67.40 off peak return, £92.85 from Northampton

 

[JonathanH]

Could you get cab/lift/bus/bike etc to Wellingborough? Off Peak return from Wellingb to Leeds valid from 0840 so can get 0855 change Leicester and Derby arr 1201. Much cheaper as well £67.40 off peak return, £92.85 from Northampton

Only £4.50 single for the X4 bus to Wellingborough from Northampton as well.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Could you get cab/lift/bus/bike etc to Wellingborough? Off Peak return from Wellingb to Leeds valid from 0840 so can get 0855 change Leicester and Derby arr 1201. Much cheaper as well £67.40 off peak return, £92.85 from Northampton

or from Kettering

 

[cizza]

Thanks for the suggestions, should've mentioned that my tickets have been purchased by work, so splitting tickets or travelling from elsewhere isn't an option.

The through ticket has restriction 2V which prevents departure before 0930

www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=NMP&dest=LDS&rte=700&tkt=SVR

Northampton Tamworth is restriction CS - valid from 0900

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=NMP&dest=TAM&tkt=SVR

It's likely to be worth splitting your tickets for this journey. You can check that on sites such as trainsplit.com

I presume this is to do with the Network West Midlands peak restrictions being 9:30 rather than 9, as the ticket would also be valid for travel through New Street.

With Rugby-Leeds being valid off-peak for the 9:42 departure, if I bought a Northampton-Rugby single for the 9:16, could I then use the Northampton-Leeds off-peak return for the rest of the journey.

 

[Qwerty133]

Thanks for the suggestions, should've mentioned that my tickets have been purchased by work, so splitting tickets or travelling from elsewhere isn't an option.



I presume this is to do with the Network West Midlands peak restrictions being 9:30 rather than 9, as the ticket would also be valid for travel through New Street.

With Rugby-Leeds being valid off-peak for the 9:42 departure, if I bought a Northampton-Rugby single for the 9:16, could I then use the Northampton-Leeds off-peak return for the rest of the journey.

I'd very much doubt whether that would be valid considering you were still using trains that left your departure station before 09:30.
The restrictions are nothing to do with the WMPTE area but rather as a result of the fare being set by XC who universally restrict their off-peak tickets to after 09:30.

 

[sheff1]

If your employer has bought you a ticket which is not valid before 0930 then we can only assume they do not want you to travel before 0930. If they do want you to travel on the 0916 they should be buying an Anytime ticket at £186.25 or, if they have any sense, a Northampton to Tamworth Off Peak Return (£20.10) and a Tamworth to Leeds Off Peak Return (£60.25) at a total of £80.35 (i.e £12.50 less that the ticket they have bought)*

*The total cost could be brought down a bit further, but the concept of booking a ticket to the station at which you change trains, and another ticket from there, is going to be an easier thing for them to understand.

 

[Silverdale]

I'd very much doubt whether that would be valid considering you were still using trains that left your departure station before 09:30.

The OP would still be using the 09:16 from Northampton to Rugby, but not with the Northampton-Leeds ticket. From Rugby onward, none of the trains used are scheduled to depart Northampton before 09:30. (The 09:42 from Rugby is a Euston-Crewe service and runs via Weedon)

It's not the cheapest by any means, but it's a valid split ticket combination for the OP's itinerary.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I'd very much doubt whether that would be valid considering you were still using trains that left your departure station before 09:30.
The restrictions are nothing to do with the WMPTE area but rather as a result of the fare being set by XC who universally restrict their off-peak tickets to after 09:30.

OP wouldn't be using their Northampton-Leeds ticket until Rugby, where departure is after 09:29 and therefore valid - they would be starting late. When starting late, you aren't bound by the time you could have departed your printed origin station - you merely have to look at what the restriction code says.

Thanks for the suggestions, should've mentioned that my tickets have been purchased by work, so splitting tickets or travelling from elsewhere isn't an option.



I presume this is to do with the Network West Midlands peak restrictions being 9:30 rather than 9, as the ticket would also be valid for travel through New Street.

With Rugby-Leeds being valid off-peak for the 9:42 departure, if I bought a Northampton-Rugby single for the 9:16, could I then use the Northampton-Leeds off-peak return for the rest of the journey.

Yes, that would be perfectly valid. However, I would be surprised if any guard on WMT questioned the use of an Off-Peak Return (away from London) after 09:00, as that would be the time they're expecting. Very few seem to have a sufficient eye for detail such that they'd notice it's a 2V (09:30) restricted ticket. You could even ask at the ticket office on the day as to whether you are allowed to travel on the 09:16 and they might say that you are.

The restrictions on any particular ticket have nothing to do with whose 'territory' the journey passes through - it's purely to do with the restrictions that the company that sets the fare has chosen. WMT generally choose a restriction of CS for their Off-Peak Returns away from the London area of their route, and that means that you can use that ticket at or after 09:00. By contrast, CrossCountry generally choose 2V, which means not before 09:30. And yet Virgin Trains often choose 2T for their longer tickets away from London, which means not before 04:15(am) !

You can find out which two-letter restriction code applies to a particular ticket by entering the origin and destination of your ticket at www.brfares.com, or alternatively it will be printed on the ticket. You can then look up the meaning of the code at www.nationalrail.co.uk/XX, where XX is the code.

 

[yorkie]

With Rugby-Leeds being valid off-peak for the 9:42 departure, if I bought a Northampton-Rugby single for the 9:16, could I then use the Northampton-Leeds off-peak return for the rest of the journey.

I say yes, as it's valid to start short.

 

[cizza]

The OP would still be using the 09:16 from Northampton to Rugby, but not with the Northampton-Leeds ticket. From Rugby onward, none of the trains used are scheduled to depart Northampton before 09:30. (The 09:42 from Rugby is a Euston-Crewe service and runs via Weedon)

It's not the cheapest by any means, but it's a valid split ticket combination for the OP's itinerary.

OP wouldn't be using their Northampton-Leeds ticket until Rugby, where departure is after 09:29 and therefore valid - they would be starting late. When starting late, you aren't bound by the time you could have departed your printed origin station - you merely have to look at what the restriction code says.


Yes, that would be perfectly valid. However, I would be surprised if any guard on WMT questioned the use of an Off-Peak Return (away from London) after 09:00, as that would be the time they're expecting. Very few seem to have a sufficient eye for detail such that they'd notice it's a 2V (09:30) restricted ticket. You could even ask at the ticket office on the day as to whether you are allowed to travel on the 09:16 and they might say that you are.

I say yes, as it's valid to start short.

Thanks all, considering work have already purchased the Northampton-Leeds ticket, this looks to be the best option, it's only an extra £7.60 for a Northampton-Rugby single, use that for the first leg and then use the original ticket for the rest of the journey, leaving Rugby at 9:42 can get into Leeds at 12:01, which suits my work better than the 13:45.