Parbold to Castle Cary

[mullin]

Hey,

I'm making this journey on Wednesday morning (Glastonbury ) and was planning on buying a ticket that lets me return on any train I fancied. I was hoping to catch the 06:41 from Parbold that takes me to Manchester, Taunton and then Castle Cary.

To save queuing in the morning I thought I'd buy it in advance, but I have gone to the ticket office today and they can't find this ticket on their system. It's described as an 'Off Peak Return' priced at £51.75 (YP) so I'm wondering is it a valid ticket for that hour of the morning? Despite the train websites (the trainline family) offering it for sale.


The other thing, I know the ticket says valid on routes not passing through London, so would I be able to do the return leg as say Castle Cary to Bristol, Birmingham, Wigan, Parbold? I'm just hoping to catch the least popular trains in theory. Wouldn't want to be stuck standing on a XC service from Taunton to Manchester...


Thanks in advance!

 

[jsmith300]

From NFM05

SVR - OFF-PEAK R CC
00700 - NOT LONDON

1 Adult @£ 51.75 = £ 51.75
__________
£ 51.75

Standard Class Return


Restriction : 8X
Outward and Return journeys,
MONDAY to FRIDAY only.
No travel restrictions on
other days.

By any train except those
scheduled to depart before
0500.

Can you not purchase online and pickup at a selfservice machine if there is one there at your station?

 

[222007]

It's described as an 'Off Peak Return' priced at £51.75 (YP) so I'm wondering is it a valid ticket for that hour of the morning? Despite the train websites (the trainline family) offering it for sale.

Most off-peak ticket will not be valid befor 09:30 in the morning (although there are exceptions to the rule) outward and return. Also my friend please be advised to keep your ticket safe as there is likely to be a barrier in place for the entire festival

 

[transportphoto]

As NFM05 is now out of date I have checked NFM06 for you...

Restriction : 8X
Outward and Return journeys,
MONDAY to FRIDAY only.
No travel restrictions on
other days.

By any train except those
scheduled to depart before
0500.

So yes you can get any train as long as it is timed to depart after 0500.

Same applies on the return (no restrictions on Weekends)

 

[yorkie]

Most off-peak ticket will not be valid befor 09:30 in the morning (although there are exceptions to the rule) outward and return. Also my friend please be advised to keep your ticket safe as there is likely to be a barrier in place for the entire festival

I'd say most off peak tickets are valid earlier than 0930 in the morning! Most off peak day tickets probably do generally take the 0930 restriction though.

In BR days all off peak tickets (then Savers) avoiding London were valid on any train, and tickets to London had restrictions on arrival into London. None had a 0930 restriction. In recent years a lot of these tickets have been restricted, but mostly by arrival times into centres (London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, York, etc) or by silly times like 0400, 0500 etc that are to disguise the fact that simplification was anything but! Yes, some off peak tickets do have an 0930 restriction, mostly on XC, but certainly not "most".

 

[222007]

Thanks for that transportphoto i dont have access to anything with the restriction on at present as i said i know there's times when the befor 09:30 rule doesnt apply which you have pointed out

 

[brompton rail]

A great many "Off Peak" tickets are available all day (after 4.00 am at least!).

Examples include Doncaster to Glasgow, Doncaster to Shrewsbury, Doncaster to Norwich and so on. These are what used to be Saver Returns.

Main restrictions on "Off Peak" involve journeys by XC, East Midlands Trains (MML) and via London.

According to East Coast £78 Off Peak Return (not London) fare is valid by all trains.
Via London the earliest is 9.41 for £89.70, but beware return journeys via London on Monday are restricted.

Fares are without 34% R/C discount

06.41 routing is via Manchester and XC to Bristol then via Westbury, so would be packed probably!
07.39 is via Wigan, then Virgin Voyager to Birmingham and then XC to Taunton, and FGW to Castle Cary, and this one arrives only 6 minutes later than the 06.39.
You can of course also go via Crewe, Newport, Bristol etc but this would be slower.
Good luck and enjoy Glastonbury - weather looks like being good so might not need wellies!!

 

[yorkie]

The other thing, I know the ticket says valid on routes not passing through London, so would I be able to do the return leg as say Castle Cary to Bristol, Birmingham, Wigan, Parbold? I'm just hoping to catch the least popular trains in theory. Wouldn't want to be stuck standing on a XC service from Taunton to Manchester...

Yes, but check times. I don't know how busy the trains to Bristol will be after the event, they may be pathetic short trains and you may be better off going via London. You may want to ask others who have done this before. If you choose to go via London on the return journey, the excess to a +London ticket is £3.75, this includes transfer from Paddington to Euston on London Underground. The ticket is, despite it's Off Peak name, valid on any train from Euston to Manchester, because you are using it with a railcard.

If you wish to go via London both ways then it's £59.20 return for the +London ticket and this is valid on any train from Manchester to London. As Castle Cary is outside the former 'Network area', restrictions apply on weekdays between Paddington and Castle Cary.

If it was me, I'd definitely go via London. Cross Country trains are best avoided (unless you are lucky enough to get one of their 7-coach long HSTs, but there aren't many of those).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Via London the earliest is 9.41 for £89.70, but beware return journeys via London on Monday are restricted.

Fares are without 34% R/C discount

He can get any train from Manchester to London with his railcard, no need to wait for the 0941!

 

[brompton rail]

He can get any train from Manchester to London with his railcard, no need to wait for the 0941!

Sorry - forgot that!

 

[mullin]

Woah, come home from work and so much information - many thanks everyone!

Think I'll travel to Manchester then down south (promised a friend I'd meet up with her at Taunton). Coming back the excess sounds like a good idea, I feel it could be easier getting to London and then up north - 3tph to Manc (and 1tph to Wigan isn't it?). For £3.75 excess I can't really complain at all considering that includes the underground.

jsmith300, I may try that, Wigan is on my doorstep and they have the machines, gives me an excuse for the last few bits and pieces - booze and snacks


Last little question, to excess a ticket do I just go to a stations ticket office? If I collect my ticket tomorrow, could Wigan station excess the return portion in advance as I know when I'm coming back? Or would I have to do it on the day?


Thanks again!

 

[ChrisTheRef]

In theory, on any train or at any ticket office, but some staff won't know how to do it, or will at least be reluctant to do so (in my experience)

Wigan are pretty good, so yeah, it's worth trying it there. Enjoy yourself!

 

[yorkie]

Change of route excess is probably the only excess that you can justifiably get at the same time as purchasing the original ticket. Some staff do not like issuing excesses, in which case quote this:-

From http://www.atoc.org/clientfiles/File/RSPDocuments/instructions.pdf

DUAL ROUTE AVAILABILITY
Where two or more permitted routes are available for a specific journey, customers may wish to travel out by one route and return by another. If a higher fare applies for the return leg of the journey the customer should be issued with a ticket for the more direct route and an excess fare issued to cover the difference in fare for the return routeing. This option should be made available to customers who wish to pre-book a dual routed ticket prior to travel.

In other words, if you ask to avoid London on the outward, and go via London on the return, they should issue the cheaper Not London ticket, plus the London excess for the return portion.

 

[mullin]

Well that was surprisingly very easy, booked my ticket online, collected from Wigan and spoke to a chap who asked if I was sure that I was going back via London and issued it with no questions asked! Many thanks to everyone for the help, just need to hope now that I'm not stuck with loads of cancellations. Last time I travelled a distance the wcml was closed from Stafford, still free tea and water handed out by Virgin