Purchasing Tickets Midnight and After

[trainJam]

Suppose we have consecutive days: day 1, day 2, day 3.

1. What date is meant to be shown on tickets bought after the clock ticks from day 1 2359 to day 2 0000? Is it
A: day 1
B: day 2
C: Other?

1a) If it is day 1, then is a one day rail ticket valid from start time up to and including day 2 0429?
1b) If it is day 2, then is a one day rail ticket valid from start time up to and including day 3 0429?

2) Is this consistent between retailers and methods (Ticket Vending Machines, Ticket Offices, Ticket On Departure, eTickets etc)?

3) I also have a related specific question regarding the Network Daytripper - do the relevant buses and trams follow the same time system as rail for the purpose of this ticket?

 

[Adam Williams]

I would say that the TIS will use a TicketDate of the date component of the departure date/time, even though for a service between e.g. midnight and 4am, a ticket issued for the previous day would be just as valid.

If I buy e.g. an E-Ticket for the 00:02 from Clapham to Oxted next Friday, let's say an SDS, then the start date would be 00:00 on August 9th and the end would be 04:29 on August 10th. The fulfillment method and channel shouldn't change this.

 

[Haywain]

1. What date is meant to be shown on tickets bought after the clock ticks from day 1 2359 to day 2 0000? Is it
A: day 1
B: day 2
C: Other?

It will be 'day 2'.

1a) If it is day 1, then is a one day rail ticket valid from start time up to and including day 2 0429?
1b) If it is day 2, then is a one day rail ticket valid from start time up to and including day 3 0429?

It takes the validity of day 2, in general, but there could be exceptions where the ticket would not otherwise be valid for travel. For example, you buy an Off Peak Day Single which isn't valid before 09:30, but it will be valid to travel home on the 00:45.

2) Is this consistent between retailers and methods (Ticket Vending Machines, Ticket Offices,

The date of issue and on the ticket will be consistent where no journey planner is involved. For other methods it makes no difference as you have indicated when you are travelling. Ticket office TIS and TVMs do not allow backdating of tickets.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have done this at a TVM and it was dated for Day 2. Indeed I waited until exactly 0000 to do it on purpose, as it allowed me to use a day return as a period return over two days.

Whether this causes issues with restrictions depends on their exact wording/implementation - I'm fairly sure it doesn't on WMT services from Euston as I've used the 0134 walk up on a super off peak with Network Railcard before, bought on my phone just before.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I have done this at a TVM and it was dated for Day 2. Indeed I waited until exactly 0000 to do it on purpose, as it allowed me to use a day return as a period return over two days.

Whether this causes issues with restrictions depends on their exact wording/implementation - I'm fairly sure it doesn't on WMT services from Euston as I've used the 0134 walk up on a super off peak with Network Railcard before, bought on my phone just before.

I've likewise done this after midnight in order to buy an (inboundary) Off-peak Day Travelcard - at the weekend these are valid all day, meaning you can get 28½ hours validity out of them (up to 0429 the next morning).

However, unless things have changed, this doesn't work on London Underground TVMs - these issue tickets for the 'traffic day' (so I presume up to 0429 tickets are still dated for the previous day).

 

[Paul Kelly]

If you want to be legally watertight, when buying a ticket for travel after midnight (but before 04:30) with a railcard where the terms & conditions say it's not valid before a certain time (e.g. Network Railcard), you should ask for it to be dated the day before. (I have no idea if this is even possible now.)

Most/all railcards have now been updated in the the electronic data to say they are valid for use with journeys departing between 0000 and 0429 - the actual terms and conditions are often different though.

 

[Haywain]

you should ask for it to be dated the day before. (I have no idea if this is even possible now.)

As stated earlier, not possible.