Norwich to Haverfordwest restrictions

[EltonRoad]

Hi, can someone help me decipher the restrictions on an Off Peak return (£123) from Norwich to Haverfordwest.

I'm going out Thursday 19 May and returning Friday 20 May.

What I'd like to know is:

1) Can I use it on the 1745 from Paddington to Carmarthen

2) Are there any restrictions coming back, and if so do they apply into Paddington, out of Liverpool St or both.

Many thanks.

 

[yorkie]

Hi, can someone help me decipher the restrictions on an Off Peak return (£123) from Norwich to Haverfordwest.

I'm going out Thursday 19 May and returning Friday 20 May.

What I'd like to know is:

1) Can I use it on the 1745 from Paddington to Carmarthen

Yes. There is an Easement:

Travel to Gowerton and beyond
is also permitted on the 1745
London Paddington to
Carmarthen service (1812 from
Reading).

2) Are there any restrictions coming back, and if so do they apply into Paddington, out of Liverpool St or both.

Many thanks.

The return restrictions are:


RETURN TRAVEL
Morning Peak.
By any train scheduled to
arrive at London Terminals
at or after 1000 (1010 for
arrivals at London Paddington)
and Stratford International or
Stratford (London) at or after
0950.

By any train scheduled to
depart London Terminals at or
after 0930, Stratford
International or Stratford
(London) at or after 0938.
RETURN TRAVEL
Morning Peak.
By any train scheduled to
arrive at London Terminals
at or after 1000 (1010 for
arrivals at London Paddington)
and Stratford International or
Stratford (London) at or after
0950.

By any train scheduled to
depart London Terminals at or
after 0930, Stratford
International or Stratford
(London) at or after 0938.

Evening Peak.
Not valid on any train
departing London Terminals
between 1629 and 1834
inclusive (1900 for
departures from London Kings
Cross), or between 1640 and
1824 inclusive from London
Paddington, or on trains
departing Stratford (London)
between 1636 and 1841
inclusive with the followiing
exceptions (see notes* below)


Evening Peak.
Not valid on any train
departing London Terminals
between 1629 and 1834
inclusive (1900 for
departures from London Kings
Cross), or between 1640 and
1824 inclusive from London
Paddington, or on trains
departing Stratford (London)
between 1636 and 1841
inclusive with the followiing
exceptions (see notes* below)

There is a huge list of easements, but as far as I can determine none of the easements apply from Haverfordwest, and none apply to Norwich.

 

[bb21]

+++

Edit: Too late.

 

[EltonRoad]

Thanks yorkie.

As far as I can see, I can use any train coming back to Paddington that arrives after the morning peak, but will have to hang around at Liverpool Street to wait for the evening peak to end. I hoped there might not be a restriction out of Liverpool St - shame for such a long journey!

 

[LexyBoy]

Thanks yorkie.

As far as I can see, I can use any train coming back to Paddington that arrives after the morning peak, but will have to hang around at Liverpool Street to wait for the evening peak to end. I hoped there might not be a restriction out of Liverpool St - shame for such a long journey!

It is a bit rubbish isn't it.

Splitting at Colchester (or Kings Lynn) would get around this as then the leg from London to this station would be entirely within the Network Area and so no restrictions would apply to this leg (if I've got it right).

COL>HVF - SVR £100, or SSR £83 (not valid leaving London during the evening peak).
NRW>COL - SVR (Valid after 0900, restriction CZ) is £25.

Total £125 to lose the evening restriction out of Liverpool St (or £108 if you can leave early enough for the SSR). I think all the Norwich trains stop at Colchester so you should be OK there.

Doesn't help much if you already have the ticket of course!

 

[EltonRoad]

Thanks that's very useful.

I haven't got the ticket yet.

Is a Colchester to Haverfordwest SSR valid on the 1745 to Carmarthen? ie does the easement apply

Thanks again.

 

[LexyBoy]

Is a Colchester to Haverfordwest SSR valid on the 1745 to Carmarthen? ie does the easement apply

That easement is in restriction 7B, which only applies to the Norwich>Haverfordwest Off-Peak Return.

The Colchester>Haverfordwest SSR (Super Off Peak Rtn) has restriction code YN:

Valid on services departing London Paddington or London Waterloo between 1010 and 1501, or after 1900 (departing Reading, heading west (that is services passing through Didcot Parkway, Oxford or Newbury only) between 1030 and 1530, or after 1900)

So it's not valid on the 1745.

The Colchester>Haverfordwest SVR (Off Peak Rtn) has restriction code YH:

Valid on services departing London Paddington or London Waterloo between 0810 and 1750, or after 1831 (departing Reading, heading west (that is services passing through Didcot Parkway, Oxford or Newbury only) between 0835 and 1820, or after 1859).

So it is valid on the 1745. (NRE confirms these itineraries).

Some might think it's overcomplicated to have completely different restrictions for the same ticket type from East Anglian stations to a station in Pembrokeshire, but it's all part of our "simple" fares structure which allows you to "buy with confidence" And as for the fact that the ticket from Norwich is more restrictive than one from Colchester despite being further away... :roll:

 

[EltonRoad]

That's wonderful, thanks.

But isn't it the same ticket type. ie Norwich to Haverfordwest off peak return has the same restrictions as from Colchester. It's just there isn't a super off-peak return from Norwich.

An extra £2 to lose the restriction has to be worth doing.

 

[LexyBoy]

That's wonderful, thanks.

But isn't it the same ticket type. ie Norwich to Haverfordwest off peak return has the same restrictions as from Colchester. It's just there isn't a super off-peak return from Norwich.

Off Peak Return tickets from Norwich and from Colchester have different restrictions (7B and YH respectively) - the ticket from Norwich has more time restrictions on trains out of Paddington (1640-1824 compared to 1750-1831) and restrictions on trains out of Liverpool St whereas the Colchester ticket has none.

An extra £2 to lose the restriction has to be worth doing.

It might be possible to save more by splitting elsewhere or more than once. I've not got time to look now but if you want to have a look around I'm sure we can advise on whether it'll work

It might be worth bearing in mind that there are no evening peak restrictions west of Didcot, so splitting here could be worth it (especially if you hold a Network Railcard, which would give 1/3 off the section between Colchester and Didcot). edit: seems to work out quite a bit more expensive this way. But there do seem to be plenty of Advance fares for Paddington-Haverfordwest, if you don't need the flexibility of an open ticket.