Off Peak Return Validity (LET MAN)

[dggar]

My wife is travelling today from Manchester (MAN)
To Letchworth (LET) using a off peak return with a
Senior rail card £55.10.

She is unsure on what date she will be returning.

I have looked on the National Rail journey planner and
Picking a random Weekday with in the next 28 days.

It seems to indicate to me that the only journeys valid for
Off peak return are
Let 12.55 (leaving Euston 14.00) arrive MAN 16.07
Let 13.55 (leaving Euston 15.00) arrive MAN 17.07

Let 17.56 (leaving Euston 19.00) arrive MAN 21.07
Let 18.59 (leaving Euston 20.40) arrive MAN 22.48

However if I look at the Virgin Trains site it seems to indicate that
Off Peak tickets (with a railcard) are valid on EUS to MAN trains
15.20, 15.40, 16.00, 16.20, 16.40,17.20, 17.40 18.00 etc.

National rail also seem s to indicate that Off Peak returns are valid on
The following trains from
LET ---to----- KGX.
14.55----- 15.32
15.20---- 16.03
15.29---- 16.19
15.55---- 16.32
16.20---- 17.00
16.29---- 17.29
16.56---- 17.32
17.24---- 18.19

Should the return portion be valid on any train combination from
LET to MAN (via EUS). after 12.55

 

[Deerfold]

Virgin allow various of their tickets when discounted with a railcard to be used at any time.

 

[philjo]

Virgin allow various of their tickets when discounted with a railcard to be used at any time.

I thought that the rules had changed so that only applied when the whole journey was on Virgin Trains?

The SVR MAN-LET has the following return validity (edited list)

Return Travel NORTHBOUND - by any train scheduled to DEPART:

LONDON TERMINALS (except as shown below)_At any time.

LONDON ST PANCRAS
Between 0901 and 1629
inclusive & at or after 1859.

LONDON EUSTON
Between 0926 and 1500
inclusive & at or after 1845.

STEVENAGE
At any time

Therefore you can't leave Euston between 15:00 and 18:45 on the return journey.

You can however travel north from Stevenage on East coast (via doncaster) during that period as there is no time restriction.


fyi - The best trains to use from LET are the xx:55 (or xx:56). these are the fast services (Hitchin, Stevenage, Finsbury Park & kings cross) and are normally 365s. (4 or 8 coach)
The xx:20 will be the Moorgate via Hertford all stations stopping service requiring a change of train at Stevenage for Kings Cross.
xx:29 is the stopping service via Welwyn GC & Potters Bar and is either 317 or 365 (or 321) - always 4 coaches.