Starting short Bedford to Manchester

[boyaloud]

I have the return portion of an off peak return Bedford to Manchester, route not via London. If I buy an advance single london to Milton Keynes central, can I board a Lomdom to Manchester train that stops at MKC , at Euston, (Time of advance ticket) and stay on it to Manchester? Thanks

 

[mmh]

I have the return portion of an off peak return Bedford to Manchester, route not via London. If I buy an advance single london to Milton Keynes central, can I board a Lomdom to Manchester train that stops at MKC , at Euston, (Time of advance ticket) and stay on it to Manchester? Thanks

Yes, the not via London routed Bedford to Manchester fare allows via Milton Keynes, so this is fine (there is also a cheaper routed via Chesterfield only fare which wouldn't allow it), and the ticket restriction code is 9I - http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/9I - which only sets time restrictions not any break of journey ones, so starting at Milton Keynes on the second ticket is OK.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Breaking your journey, and therefore starting or finishing short, is never prohibited on the return portion of an off-peak return. Likewise, there's absolutely no problem using split tickets that join up at a station where the train stops. Provided you keep to the time restrictions on your tickets then your plan sounds absolutely fine to me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Breaking your journey, and therefore starting or finishing short, is never prohibited on the return portion of an off-peak return. Likewise, there's absolutely no problem using split tickets that join up at a station where the train stops. Provided you keep to the time restrictions on your tickets then your plan sounds absolutely fine to me.

That was the case, but now isn’t for code 8A. However this ticket isn’t 8A.

 

[lyndhurst25]

That was the case, but now isn’t for code 8A. However this ticket isn’t 8A.

If that a definite change then? Last I heard some people were suggesting that the no break of journey restriction on the return portion of 8A tickets was a mistake.

If it has changed then has anyone done a FoI request to see why DfT approved the change? It is a fundamental change and possibly the thin end of the wedge.

The text here will need updating too:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...1-ticket-types-conditions.70018/#post-1179549

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

As others have said, this is a valid combination. Be aware that evening peak restrictions do not apply to your particular Off-Peak Return, despite any claims to the contrary by misinformed staff. This is because it is a regulated fare which is for a journey which does not go to, from or via the "London area" bounded by Reading, Watford Junction, Luton etc., and so the only restrictions it is legally allowed to have is on travelling before 10:00 I believe - though I believe it's less onerous than this.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If that a definite change then? Last I heard some people were suggesting that the no break of journey restriction on the return portion of 8A tickets was a mistake.

I initially thought it was, then the generic Off Peak page on NRE was changed to imply otherwise.

 

[lyndhurst25]

I initially thought it was, then the generic Off Peak page on NRE was changed to imply otherwise.

If it is a a deliberate change then, other than to maximise the last 0.0000001% of revenue or out of sheer bloody mindedness, I'm struggling to think of the reason why the rail industry would want to do this.

To stop people splitting tickets or starting/finishing short? A BoJ restriction on just the outward portion should do that.
To force the tiny proportion if people who want to break their return journey to buy more expensive SORs instead of SVRs?
As the first step in a secret plan to erode passenger rights get rid of BoJ entirely by first changing 8A tickets, then if nobody kicks up a fuss, gradually changing all the rest?

BoJ is one of the good things about rail travel. Being able to stop off on the way one of the advantages that the train (and the car) has over the bus and the plane. It should be something that the rail industry is promoting, not trying to abolish. In an ideal world I'd allow unrestricted BoJ on all walk up tickets, on both the outward and return legs. A tiny proportion of people may use that to save a few quid by starting or finishing short on a a less expensive ticket, but that's a problem of the rail industry's own making caused by price gouging on popular routes.