Thames Valley day ranger

[anthony263]

My freinds and i are traveling from South wales to London via Wrexham next wednesday so we can get a trip on wrexham & shropshire. We are due to arrive into London around 15:15 but we are planning to spend the night exploring teh capital using the nightbus network.

Some of us however would like to perhaps take a train to Reading to photograph any workings through there during the night. we are planning on leaving london around 21:00 using a thames valley day ranger what is the last train we can use it on?

I am asking this as we are planning on getting one of the late night local services back from Reading just after midnight

 

[LexyBoy]

I think it's the same as a normal day ticket, so journeys starting before 2 am are covered. Not sure how late trains back to London go but you should be able to go back after the Sleeper at 0048 (I think).
Touring London on night buses doesn't sound like fantastic fun I must say! At least the train from Reading shouldn't be quite the Vomit Comet the last train from London is!

 

[bnm]

There are trains from RDG back to PAD at 0015, 0039, 0110 and 0224. All should be valid with a Thames Valley Day Ranger as this should have the same restrictions as an Off Peak Day Return, which allows returns up until 0230.

 

[route:oxford]

At least the train from Reading shouldn't be quite the Vomit Comet the last train from London is!

Having used the 22.21 service to Oxford from time to time recently, I can't imagine what the last train to Reading would be like.

An absolutely packed 2 car 165 taking 1h17m from Paddington to Oxford (calling at Slough & Reading only) is a horrible journey. I've started using the Tube when travelling into London when I know it'll be a late one back - it's a far more comfortable journey than on a 165, usually a bit quicker, and there is WiFi too.

 

[LexyBoy]

Actually, to be fair I've never had an especially bad experience having taken the 0022 and 0134 quite a few times. They're usually at least a 3-car, and after Hayes there's usually enough seats to go round. Most people on it are just sleepy, though there's usually a couple of groups still talking at FULL PUB VOLUME, but generally good natured. People tend to start talking to strangers as well (!!).

I used to get the 0022 back to Oxford and at least half the carriage is sound asleep on arrival (including myself, usually).

I've started using the Tube when travelling into London

I'm an Espresso man myself, mainly because I dislike the Tube buses (they sound like a jet plane going by!) and that the Tube seems to break down constantly (one of my friends was on a Tube which stopped to pick up passengers stranded on a broken down Tube, when their bus broke too!). I find the Espress is a bit quicker (doesn't faff around with Shepherd's Bush or Lewknor), though admittedly it is less frequent in the night.

 

[anthony263]

Thank you to all of you who have replied. I have decided to travel up to reading and then get the 02:24 back to London Paddington
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just wanted to double check are there any peak restrictions on the local service services with this ticket?.

The only information i have been able to find is that it is not valid on the fast services from paddington between 16:00 - 19:00

 

[yorkie]

The only information i have been able to find is that it is not valid on the fast services from paddington between 16:00 - 19:00

That's right. From NFM07 this is the full list of barred trains:

From From Final
Padd Rdg Destination
1600___1628___Bristol TM (BRI)
1606___1633___Penzance (PNZ)
1615___1642___Swansea (SWA)
1630___1659___Taunton (TAU)
1636___1704___Exeter St D(EXD)
1645___1712___Swansea (SWA)
1649___1721___Oxford (OXF)
1700___1727___Bristol TM (BRI)
1703___1732___Penzance (PNZ)
1715 1743___Swansea (SWA)
1722 1751 Hereford (HFD)
1730 1757 Taunton (TAU)
1736 1804 Paignton (PGN)
1745___1812___Carmarthen (CMN)
1748 1817 Cheltenham (CNM)
1750 1823 Worcester (WOS)
1800 1828 Bristol TM (BRI)
1803 1833 Penzance (PNZ)
1815 1843 Swansea (SWA)
1822 1852 Hereford (HFD)
1830 1857 Weston SM (WSM)
1833 1904 Exeter (EXD) FX
1833 1904 Plymouth(PLY) FO
1845 1912 Swansea (SWA)
1847 1919 Cheltenham (CNM)
1851 1924 Oxford (OXF)
1900 1929 Bristol TM (BRI)
1903 1934 Plymouth(PLY)_FX
1903 1934 Penzance(PNZ) FO
1915 1942 Swansea (SWA)

 

[bnm]

The two fastest trains to Reading available to Off Peak ticket holders in the evening peak are the 1706 to Westbury and the 1806 to Frome. Both HSTs.