Off Peak Return Query

[ADIRU]

My wife and I purchased Off Peak Return tickets from Reading to Morecambe and travelled earlier this week. On our return we used our booked seats on the 12:38 Avanti from Lancaster (Euston 15:19) and transferred across to Paddington for our GWR 16:02 to Reading (train destination Bristol TM). On boarding the GWR, we were bombarded with announcements that Off Peak tickets were not valid on this train. Does having a through Off Peak booking override this GWR restriction?

Our train from Lancaster arrived a couple of minutes late and a slightly stressful journey from a busy Euston to Paddington ensued as we now had 40 minutes for the transfer. If we had not made our booked train, would our tickets have still been valid for a later fast but similarly restricted journey to Reading?

My apologies if this has been asked hundreds of times before...

 

[swt_passenger]

My wife and I purchased Off Peak Return tickets from Reading to Morecambe and travelled earlier this week. On our return we used our booked seats on the 12:38 Avanti from Lancaster (Euston 15:19) and transferred across to Paddington for our GWR 16:02 to Reading (train destination Bristol TM). On boarding the GWR, we were bombarded with announcements that Off Peak tickets were not valid on this train. Does having a through Off Peak booking override this GWR restriction?

Yes. The restriction effectively only applies to certain fares where you are starting your return leg from London. GWR station staff are renowned for over simplifying the restriction in announcements.

 

[PeterC]

Yes. The restriction effectively only applies to certain fares where you are starting your return leg from London. GWR station staff are renowned for over simplifying the restriction in announcements.

Which will be the majority of holders of off peak returns.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

GWR station staff are renowned for over simplifying misrepresenting the restriction in announcements.

Fixed that for you!

 

[Watershed]

My wife and I purchased Off Peak Return tickets from Reading to Morecambe and travelled earlier this week. On our return we used our booked seats on the 12:38 Avanti from Lancaster (Euston 15:19) and transferred across to Paddington for our GWR 16:02 to Reading (train destination Bristol TM). On boarding the GWR, we were bombarded with announcements that Off Peak tickets were not valid on this train. Does having a through Off Peak booking override this GWR restriction?

Our train from Lancaster arrived a couple of minutes late and a slightly stressful journey from a busy Euston to Paddington ensued as we now had 40 minutes for the transfer. If we had not made our booked train, would our tickets have still been valid for a later fast but similarly restricted journey to Reading?

My apologies if this has been asked hundreds of times before...

What counts as "Off-Peak" depends on the ticket you hold and specifically the text of the 2-character restriction code associated with that ticket. It isn't the case that all Off-Peak tickets are or aren't valid on a given train. So really that announcement is more confusing than helpful.

For your particular ticket, the restriction code is 5F (a link to look up the text should be on your ticket, in the format nre.co.uk/5F). This has no restrictions at all for travel between Reading and Paddington, and only a relatively modest restriction in and out of Euston.

So you would have been able to take an earlier or later train to Reading as you saw fit. Incidentally, with the opening of the Elizabeth Line central section, the fastest route between Euston and Paddington can now be to take the Northern line to Tottenham Court Road, followed by the EL.

 

[ADIRU]

What counts as "Off-Peak" depends on the ticket you hold and specifically the text of the 2-character restriction code associated with that ticket. It isn't the case that all Off-Peak tickets are or aren't valid on a given train. So really that announcement is more confusing than helpful.

For your particular ticket, the restriction code is 5F (a link to look up the text should be on your ticket, in the format nre.co.uk/5F). This has no restrictions at all for travel between Reading and Paddington, and only a relatively modest restriction in and out of Euston.

So you would have been able to take an earlier or later train to Reading as you saw fit. Incidentally, with the opening of the Elizabeth Line central section, the fastest route between Euston and Paddington can now be to take the Northern line to Tottenham Court Road, followed by the EL.

Thank you all very much for your prompt and elucidating replies

 

[jfollows]

There is no such thing as a train on which "off-peak tickets are not valid" but railway staff, in particular GWR staff on trains and at Paddington station, continue to say this incorrectly. Your original post just adds to the evidence here of this failing. To be fair, in your case you were not presumably made to pay more money incorrectly because of a perceived invalid ticket, but some reports here have been of that.

Yes, the majority of people travelling out of Paddington at that time to places such as Oxford, Bath and Bristol would have not been able to use their off-peak tickets at the time, but that's of no relevance or importance to you or the many other holders of off-peak tickets who can.

I don't see this problem going away, at least not without a wholesale change of attitude from senior management at GWR, who don't really seem to be that bothered.

 

[Class800]

Not that it impacts in any way on validity, but the situation where an off-peak from out of London through via Paddington can be used but not one from Paddington will lead to situations where it's cheaper to get an off-peak for a longer journey and start short.

 

[northwichcat]

Not that it impacts in any way on validity, but the situation where an off-peak from out of London through via Paddington can be used but not one from Paddington will lead to situations where it's cheaper to get an off-peak for a longer journey and start short.

In the case of North West England to London Terminals tickets, the restriction code 2C creates an interesting situation where it's not valid for Mon-Thurs departures from Euston between 15:00 and 18:45 but different time restrictions apply if you use the same ticket from St Pancras via Chesterfield or Paddington via Oxford.

Also reading the restriction code there's a strange easement:

• 17:03 London Paddington to Penzance service for those travelling to Menheniot and beyond on Fridays only.