Break of Journey on unreservable portion of Advance ticket

[pne]

If I buy an Advance ticket from A via B to C routed "TOC X & Connections", where A-B is via TOC X (reserved) and B-C is via an unreservable train on TOC Y, are the following possible?

a) Change at B to the Y train printed on the connection? (obviously possible)

b) Change at B for the first Y train going to C, even if its scheduled departure time is earlier than on the official connection, for example because I managed to make a tighter connection than is official, or because the connecting train is late? (I'm guessing this is possible)

c) Change at B, hang around the station for two hours (missing/ignoring several Y trains towards C), then take a later Y train? (I'm guessing this is also possible, since this is sort of analogous to the opposite case where the first leg is unreservable and you're allowed to take an earlier unreservable train in order to make sure that you will catch your reserved train.)

d) Change at B, leave the station, visit the city for four hours, come back and catch a Y train from B to C? (I'm less sure about this, since while you're allowed to take a later train, I don't know whether you're allowed to leave the station.)

e) Change at B to a Y train towards C, then get off between B and C at Q and wander around town *there*, then resuming your journey from Q to C later (on a B-to-C train by TOC Y)? (This seems even less likely to be permitted but I thought I'd ask.)

Assume for these questions that Y only operates unreservable trains, at least on the B-C stretch.

 

[bb21]

I think you already know the answer. Officially break of journey is not permitted on Advance fares. You may use any "appropriate" connection for unreservable legs. So a b are fine, c possibly, d e are not.

Without knowing the stations involved, it is impossible to comment further.

 

[yorkie]

b) Change at B for the first Y train going to C, even if its scheduled departure time is earlier than on the official connection, for example because I managed to make a tighter connection than is official, or because the connecting train is late? (I'm guessing this is possible)

The conditions state you must take an "appropriate connecting service". The Advance FAQ (see our Fares Guide) requires such services to be non-reservable, though the enforceability of that is debatable (as is the definition of reservable!)

See the Advance tickets section on our Fares Guide.

c) Change at B, hang around the station for two hours (missing/ignoring several Y trains towards C), then take a later Y train? (I'm guessing this is also possible, since this is sort of analogous to the opposite case where the first leg is unreservable and you're allowed to take an earlier unreservable train in order to make sure that you will catch your reserved train.)

As above, the rules say you must take an "appropriate" connecting service. If you can get NRE to show an itinerary, you could argue that it is "appropriate" to hang around for two hours. Such an argument may be strengthened by the existence of good facilities at the station, and any other timetable matters.

d) Change at B, leave the station, visit the city for four hours, come back and catch a Y train from B to C? (I'm less sure about this, since while you're allowed to take a later train, I don't know whether you're allowed to leave the station.)

This is defined as a "break of journey" and is not permitted with Advance tickets.

e) Change at B to a Y train towards C, then get off between B and C at Q and wander around town *there*, then resuming your journey from Q to C later (on a B-to-C train by TOC Y)? (This seems even less likely to be permitted but I thought I'd ask.)

This is defined as a "break of journey" and is not permitted with Advance tickets.

See Break of journey in our Fares Guide.