Starting and Ending short - MK restriction

[beefy147]

Hello. After some advice. I have read the "please read before" and also searched but cannot establish an answer to my query.

Ticket I which to purchase: https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=EUS&grpd=0035&rlc=NEW&rte=23&tkt=SUP

Travel on a weekend only. Travel from Leighton Buzzard to Euston and return the same. I hold a valid NSE card.

I can see the Super Off Peak Return ticket has an outbound restriction not permitting break of journey but the Super off peak travelcard does not appear to have such a restriction?

I cannot buy a super off peak travelcard from LBZ (no idea why, think you used to be able to) but the super off peak travelcard from Milton Keynes is cheaper than the off peak version from Leighton Buzzard...!

Any advice very welcome.
Thank you

 

[Bletchleyite]

The Super Off Peaks south of Bletchley inclusive have been removed because of Project Oval (contactless).

As there is no break of journey restriction on this ticket you can certainly use it from Leighton. However I'd advise buying it online and collecting, as it's not entirely unlikely that the booking office may incorrectly refuse you it.

 

[beefy147]

The Super Off Peaks south of Bletchley inclusive have been removed because of Project Oval (contactless).

As there is no break of journey restriction on this ticket you can certainly use it from Leighton. However I'd advise buying it online and collecting, as it's not entirely unlikely that the booking office may incorrectly refuse you it.

Thank you thats helpful to understand.


When does project oval for the contactless part go live? I will try do some searching. I guess thats what all the contact points in the station are for (they have been there for quite a while now)?

 

[Bletchleyite]

When does project oval for the contactless part go live? I will try do some searching. I guess thats what all the contact points in the station are for (they have been there for quite a while now)?

There's a separate thread on Oval with more detail, but the fare harmonisation was done in advance in preparation for it.

 

[grinderx]

The Super Off Peaks south of Bletchley inclusive have been removed because of Project Oval (contactless).

Is there a reason for why they needed to remove the ticket to make oval work?

Does this mean that we'll be paying more when travelling during periods where we previously could have used a super off-peak?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is there a reason for why they needed to remove the ticket to make oval work?

There's a whole thread on that (the Oval thread mentioned above), here's probably not the place for that lengthy debate.

Does this mean that we'll be paying more when travelling during periods where we previously could have used a super off-peak?

More when a Super Off Peak could be used (evenings and Sundays, basically) and less when an Off Peak would have been necessary. Like when Virgin removed the SuperSaver, the Off Peak fares have been set in the middle.

In effect it's (almost) a reinstatement of how the fares used to be.

 

[beefy147]

Thanks for the information. Interesting reading. I guess when phase 2 comes in Milton Keynes may lose Super Off Peak as well?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Is there a reason for why they needed to remove the ticket to make oval work?

The short(ish) version is that the DfT wanted traditional and contactless fares to be aligned so as not to penalise those who can't/won't use contactless, but Transport for London's fares system (they're providing the "back office" for the contactless part) can only handle two price levels: Peak and Off-Peak.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thanks for the information. Interesting reading. I guess when phase 2 comes in Milton Keynes may lose Super Off Peak as well?

I expect so.