Restriction Code 7B

[robbob700]

Although this query is now out of date, I would be interested in a second opinion. I sent this email to Abellio Greater Anglia about a proposed train journey on 28th Agust:

I am travelling from Sidcup to Ipswich this Friday using an off-peak return. This has restriction code 7B which, according to National Rail Enquires has a "Seasonal variation" saying evening peak restrictions from London Liverpool Street are lifted until Tuesday 1st September. However, if I try to book a train on your website before the 1900 service from Liverpool Street it only offers an Anytime ticket. Please can you confirm whether an off-peak return is valid on trains to Ipswich on Friday before 1900. Thanks very much.

I have recently received a reply

Dear ...,

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding your travel on the 28th of August from Sidcup to Ipswich.

I can confirm that off peak restriction are indeed lifted departing London Liverpool Street, the reason that our booking system was only allowing you to purchase a any time tickets is because your journey was from Sidcup, we as a company have lifted our restrictions but not all train companies do.

Once again, thank you for contacting Abellio greater Anglia.

Yours sincerely,

Customer Relations Advisor
Abellio Greater Anglia

Since the restriction only specifies trains from London and applies to the whole ticket, how does the fact that part of the journey is on SouthEastern nullify the easing of the peak time restrictions from Liverpool Street?

In the end, I actually got an earlier train from London, so I didn't need to test this.

 

[razor89]

Deleted, major brain failure...

 

[Paul Kelly]

AGA set the fare for a Sidcup to Ipswich journey so they have total control over the restrictions applying. Were you joining the train at Stratford? I just had a look through the electronic version of restriction 7B from the last National Fares Manual (it is still downloadable from http://data.atoc.org/ for anyone with the patience) and the evening peak easement from 23rd July to 1st September is only shown as applying when boarding a train at Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale or Seven Sisters; the 1635–1842 departure bar from Stratford was left intact throughout this period, so that is what booking engines will have been applying. Probably an oversight on AGA's part, which you should point out to them.

 

[robbob700]

Thanks very much - that does seem to be the problem. I've checked a date during the October half-term when the peak times are lifted again, and all the options routed via Stratford are applying the normal peak timings.