Restriction Code: US

[AshValePsngr]

I was wondering if anyone could help me decipher the restriction code 'US'

My question is why specific trains from paddington are listed from 16:00-19:00, as well as as general restriction of 16:00-19:15 (inclusive). Is this just a case of belt and braces, or is there something I'm missing? Can I use trains that aren't listed specifically, but leave paddington between 16:00-19:15?

The text I've got from brfares.com is:

Restriction Code: US

Off Peak Journeys To/From/Via
LONDON TERMINALS and/or
CLAPHAM JUNCTION.
Available as listed below,
Monday-Friday; and any train
at weekends and public
holidays.

TOWARDS LONDON
Trains arriving at or later
than:

London Terminals (except those
listed below) - 1000

London Waterloo - 1000

Vauxhall - 1000

Clapham Junction - 1000

FROM LONDON
Depart at or later than:

London Terminals (except those
listed below) - 0930

London Waterloo - 0900

Vauxhall - 0905

Clapham Junction - 0910

London Paddington - Depart
between 0920 and 1559
(inclusive) or at 1916 or
later.

Tickets are also valid, as
listed below:
TOWARDS LONDON:

06:55 Weymouth - Waterloo:
boarding at stations Weymouth
- Bournemouth inclusive.

08:44 Alton - Waterloo:
boarding at stations Alton -
Ash Vale inclusive.

FROM LONDON
08:20 Waterloo/ 08:27 Clapham
Junction - Exeter St Davids:
to Tisbury and beyond.

08:35 Waterloo - Weymouth: to
Brockenhurst and beyond (inc.
Lymington branch).

08:50 Waterloo - Salisbury:_to
Overton and beyond.

Tickets are NOT valid:

On Red Funnel ferry services
departing Cowes East or Cowes
West at 0914, or earlier.

On the following First Great
Western services:

1600 Paddington - Bristol TM
1606 Paddington - Penzance
1615 Paddington - Swansea
1630 Paddington - Taunton
1636 Paddington-Exeter SD M-Th
1636 Paddington - Plymouth Fo
1645 Paddington - Swansea
1649 Paddington - Oxford
1700 Paddington - Bristol TM
1703 Paddington - Penzance
1715 Paddington - Carmarthen
1722 Paddington - Hereford
1730 Paddington - Taunton
1733 Paddington - Paignton
1745 Paddington - Swansea
1748 Paddington - Cheltenham S
1750 Paddington - Worcester SH
1800 Paddington - Bristol TM
1803 Paddington - Penzance
1815 Paddington - Swansea
1822 Paddington - Hereford
1830 Paddington - Weston SM
1833 Paddington-Exeter SD M-Th
1833 Paddington - Plymouth Fo
1845 Paddington - Swansea
1847 Paddington - Cheltenham S
1851 Paddington - Oxford
1900 Paddington - Bristol TM

 

[LexyBoy]

I expect either the blanket restriction has been added without reading through, or the general text has been copied from elsewhere despite the restrictions being superfluous.

Going on the wording, it's clear that no trains from Paddington are permitted between 1600 and 1915. I doubt that gateline staff at Paddington know which tickets have a blanket ban and which are restricted only on the fast trains however.

What is the journey you are making? You could try specifying Ealing Broadway as a via point to restrict to stopping trains.

 

[AshValePsngr]

Thanks Lexyboy. So I definitely can't use any trains from paddington between 16:00 and 19:15

This is significantly different from the text as it was 2 years ago according to this thread:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=41823

I also believe that the general restriction must have been added recently as I'm sure it only used to list specific trains, but not have the blanket ban. You could then take a slower train, as you suggest.

 

[greatkingrat]

The version of US in The Manual is different to the one on BRFares. It just has the list of restricted trains from Paddington with no blanket restriction

London Paddington
Depart at 09:20 or later, but not valid on:
16:00 to Bristol Temple Meads
16:06 to Penzance
16:15 to Swansea
16:30 to Taunton
16:36 to Exeter St David’s or Plymouth
16:45 to Swansea
16:49 to Oxford
17:00 to Bristol Temple Meads
17:03 to Penzance
17:15 to Carmarthen
17:22 to Hereford
17:30 to Taunton
17:33 to Paignton
17:45 to Swansea
17:48 to Cheltenham Spa
17:50 to Worcester Shrub Hill
18:00 to Bristol Temple Meads
18:03 to Penzance
18:15 to Swansea
18:22 to Hereford
18:30 to Weston Super Mare
18:33 to Exeter St David’s or Plymouth
18:45 to Swansea
18:47 to Cheltenham Spa
18:51 to Oxford
19:00 to Bristol Temple Meads

 

[LexyBoy]

Both National Rail Enquiries and WebTIS use the list rather than the blanket ban. I tested with a Paddington-Southampton via Reading journey (the SVS/SVR take restriction US) and the 1706, 1806 and 1903 departures show as valid with a SVS.

You should therefore not have a problem travelling on these (fast) services, or any of the stopping trains.

 

[wibble]

I was wondering if anyone could help me decipher the restriction code 'US'

My question is why specific trains from paddington are listed from 16:00-19:00, as well as as general restriction of 16:00-19:15 (inclusive). Is this just a case of belt and braces, or is there something I'm missing? Can I use trains that aren't listed specifically, but leave paddington between 16:00-19:15?

The data in BR Fares is incorrect - the restrictions apply to FGW's longer distance services and not the former Thames Trains/commuter services. The restrictions are basically the same as FGW's off peak restrictions for journeys between Paddington and Reading

 

[AshValePsngr]

GreatKingRat, that appears to be how I remember the restriction.

Thanks Lexy and wibble. I wonder what is wrong in brfares.com though?

The data in BR Fares is incorrect - the restrictions apply to FGW's longer distance services and not the former Thames Trains/commuter services. The restrictions are basically the same as FGW's off peak restrictions for journeys between Paddington and Reading

Wibble, when you say the brfares.com data is incorrect, do you mean the text is wrong? If so how can I get hold of the correct restriction? Or do you mean that the code doesn't apply to the journey I am making (nb. I haven't mentioned my journey)

Possibly you mean that it is different to how it is interpreted in the journey planning engine on nationalrail.co.uk

I thought the code applied to the ticket, not a specific train?

 

[greatkingrat]

BRFares appears to be showing an out of date version of the restriction code. Going back through old NFMs shows

NFM 10 (Sep 11) - no evening peak restriction at all
NFM 11 (Jan 12) - blanket ban 1600-1915
NFM 12/13 (May 12) - blanket ban and list of banned trains
NFM 14/15 (Jan 13) - list of banned trains only

 

[AshValePsngr]

On top of all of this national rail has at least two different versions of the restriction:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/OffPeak.pdf

and

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/SVR_US.pdf

These are both different from the most recent NFM (as stated by greatkingrat)

 

[bb21]

On top of all of this national rail has at least two different versions of the restriction:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/OffPeak.pdf

and

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/SVR_US.pdf

These are both different from the most recent NFM (as stated by greatkingrat)

I would say that the most favourable interpretation between these two applies.