I recently asked at Cambridge booking office this exact question, i.e. is a ticket to Ipswich valid via Liverpool Street, and the answer was "no".
Did they just say that or did they actually look it up? if the former they're lazy. If the latter, they're liars.
However an off-peak day return, booked via the NXEC booking engine, threw this up as a valid route.
The routing guide confirms this. I do wish rail staff would get their facts right.
All staff? No chance! There's more Basil Fawlty-types in the rail industry than any other service industry I'm sure!
Just on an aside: I recently travelled from King's Cross to Cambridge on the return half of an off-peak return with a Network Railcard. I wanted to travel on the 0945 - I'd just arrived on the Sleeper from Fort William to Euston and was pretty knackered! I showed my ticket to two FCC staff at King's Cross and asked whether it was valid on the 0945. They both said it was.
It is.
RETURN TRAVEL:
By any train scheduled to
depart at or after 0930
except:
Not valid on any services
which are scheduled to depart
London Kings Cross, London St
Pancras Intl or Moorgate or
pass through London St Pancras
Intl between 1730 and 1830
(inc), regardless of where_you
join or leave the service.
The guard excessed me up to the anytime return fare without the benefit of a railcard discount. I suppose he could have penalty fared me but he didn't.
Firstly, refuse to pay on the basis that it is valid. Ask him "What is the restriction code?" "What is the text associated with that restriction code?" and they cannot deny a railcard discount!
I appreciate my ticket wasn't valid but I showed it to two members of staff before boarding. Neither gave me correct info.
Why do you appreciate it was not valid? it was valid.
This, I believe, is pretty poor. I don't work on the railways but if I did my job this badly I'd be reprimanded, and rightly so.
Absolutely. But they aren't, and that's the problem, so they keep on doing it.
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Yes, but why would you...? It would take even longer than the direct service, which probably explains why there is no London restriction. No sane person would attempt such a route.
O L Leigh
Because you want to visit a friend in London? or maybe someone likes class 90s and wants a bash? all sorts of reasons!
And it is valid via King's Cross.
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I suppose he could have penalty fared me but he didn't.
No he couldn't! If you had got the 0915 then he could have charged you £5.25.
Penalty fares cannot be issued if you travel on an invalid route or if you travel on a ticket for a time that your ticket is not valid on. The ticket should be excessed (full difference for change of ticket type, half the difference for change of route).