Stamford to Cambridge season ticket validity

Would the above season ticket be also valid for via Stevenage in case of any issues with the direct train? If there were problems and I could get back to Peterborough then I could get a lift etc. Thanks

* A Stamford to Cambridge ticket is undoubtedly permitted via Hitchin as per Routeing Guide maps KP+KE.
http://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide

* Routeing Guide Easement 700514 then states "Passengers travelling from or via Peterborough to Hitchin may doubleback at Stevenage. This easement applies in both directions".

* As a season ticket allows you make any intermediate journey on a permitted route (National Rail Conditions of Travel 36.2) a journey Stamford to Hitchin (via Peterbough, obviously), or vice versa, is fine.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/National Rail Conditions of Travel.pdf

My reading of those things together is that you can travel via Stevenage as long as the train on at least one of the sections (Cambridge - Stevenage or Stevenage - Peterborough) stops at Hitchin. Most, if not all, trains on the Cambridge - Stevenage section do stop at Hitchin.

If anyone believes my analysis is incorrect no doubt they will be along to explain why.

That's an interesting interpretation. I think I see where you're coming from with it being a season ticket valid for intermediate journeys, so you could legitimately say your journey was Stamford to Hitchin and then once you get to Hitchin start a new journey from Hitchin to Cambridge But I think you'd be on safer ground relying on easement 700070 "Customers travelling from stations North of Cheshunt via Cambridge and Hitchin to stations North of Hitchin may double back between Hitchin and Stevenage. This easement applies in both directions." If you buy your season between Stamford and Shelford rather than Cambridge (same price), I think easement 700070 would unequivocally apply to the journey.

Yes, with a Shelford season and that easement there would be no need to 'restart' a new journey at Hitchin.

I had spotted 700070 but hadn't checked if there was same price season which would invoke it.

The Southern Railway website does show Stamford to Cambridge via Stevenage as valid in any case...

nre.co.uk* says you can use a Stamford-Cambridge ticket to travel via Stevenage (so you don't need to buy to an alternative station and not be able to, say, buy a plusbus ticket at your actual destination).

I know 700070 says "via Cambridge", but easement 700714 says:


This means that a Stamford-Cambridge ticket is valid for a Stamford-Cambridge North journey. Cambridge North is north of Cheshunt, and you would travel via both Hitchin and Cambridge so the wording of easement 700070 is satisfied. You can, of course, finish your journey early at Cambridge.

This clearly isn't what nre.co.uk is doing, but it gives the same end result.

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It look like most (all?) journey planners accept Stamford->Stevenage->Cambridge on a £27.20 Stamford-Cambridge anytime single route:Not London ( I just had a quick look at trainscanbecheaper and trainline.)

I think that could be because one of the six electronic easements behind 700070 (700595) matches this journey (destination: Cambridge) even though that doesn't quite match the human readable text.

Would you be allowed to leave the station at Stevenage with this ticket?

There's no rule which says you can't. Not at the moment, anyway.