Could I hop-on hop-off during the journey? (off peak return ticket)

[CPTeoh]

Dear fellow members,

Change of plan
I have to change my plan to visit Stafford instead. (One of my friend stay at Stafford, hope to meet him for a lunch, then direct train from Stafford to Oxford). Do my ticket valid to do this?


Depart from Edinburgh
09:16 Edinburgh [EDB] -> Manchester Piccadilly [MAN] -> Stafford [STA] 14:00
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

LUNCH AT STAFFORD AND VISIT

Finally, I will catch this train direct to Oxford
20:28 Stafford [STA] -> Oxford [OXF] 22:11
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

------------------------------------------------
I am travelling from Edinburgh to Oxford (Off peak open return ticket).

a) As I will travel pass a few interesting cities, am I legally allowed to I hop off at a station for a lunch or a snack, and hop back on the next train?

b) My ticket will most likely be checked on previous journey, how do I explain and confirm to the operator that I am continuing my journey after I hop off for a lunch?

c) My journey is
Edinburgh -> Wolverhampton (change train) -> Oxford
But I would like to visit Chester Crewe for a lunch and visit around.
Could I then catch ANY train that departs to Wolverhampton, and continue my journey to Oxford?

I am confused with this National Rail policy, I have been asking around and received a few different answers. Hope I can finally clear my doubt here.

Many thanks.

 

[robbeech]

Yes this will be fine. Providing you only cover each part of the journey once you can break your journey as many times as you like.

You shouldn’t need to say anything to staff but if questioned, just tell them what you’ve done.

 

[Hadders]

Assuming you hold an Edinburgh - Oxford Off Peak Return route: not via London this is fine.

The outward portion is valid on the day of travel, the return portion is valid for up to a month. You cannot travel before 09:30 on weekdays.

There is a ticket routed ‘any permitted’ which has different restrictions.

 

[CPTeoh]

Assuming you hold an Edinburgh - Oxford Off Peak Return route: not via London this is fine.

The outward portion is valid on the day of travel, the return portion is valid for up to a month. You cannot travel before 09:30 on weekdays.

There is a ticket routed ‘any permitted’ which has different restrictions.

No, it is "not via London", but I am not sure if it has "any permitted" on the ticket...

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

No, it is not "via London", but I am not sure if it has "any permitted" on the ticket...

Can you upload a picture of the ticket with any personally identifying details redacted (name, collection reference etc.)? E.g. to Imgur.

 

[Hadders]

The routeing of the ticket is crucial, as different restrictions apply to different tickets. The ticket will state what restriction code applies to your ticket and you can look them up on nre.co.uk/xx where xx is the restriction code.

Alternatively you can see the restrictions on brfares.com.

Here’s a link to the ‘not via London’ restriction:

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EDB&dest=OXF&rte=700&tkt=SVR

and the ‘Any Permitted’ routeing:

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EDB&dest=OXF&ldn=1&tkt=SVR

Note that there is a more restrictive Super Off Peak routes ‘Any Permitted’:

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=EDB&dest=OXF&ldn=1&tkt=SSR

 

[CPTeoh]

My ticket
Ret: EDB-OXF

I will definitely not going London, so not a problem.
But, I wish to stop by Chester Crewe for a short visit if this is allowed

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

My ticket
Ret: EDB-OXF

I will definitely not going London, so not a problem.
But, I wish to stop by Chester for a short visit if this is allowed

Actually, though it's by no means a significant detour I don't think it's a permitted route in theory.

However, this is such a reasonable and insignificant detour that I think it's worth chancing inasmuch as I would ask the conductor on the train before you get to Warrington whether you're allowed to go via Chester. Only in the unlikely event of them saying no would you then need to buy a new ticket from somewhere like Manchester to Chester return to cover you for the Warrington-Chester and Chester-Crewe legs.

 

[CPTeoh]

Actually, though it's by no means a significant detour I don't think it's a permitted route in theory.

However, this is such a reasonable and insignificant detour that I think it's worth chancing inasmuch as I would ask the conductor on the train before you get to Warrington whether you're allowed to go via Chester. Only in the unlikely event of them saying no would you then need to buy a new ticket from somewhere like Manchester to Chester return to cover you for the Warrington-Chester and Chester-Crewe legs.

Ops, my bad. It is my mistake. I mean to stop by Crewe (not Chester). If i were to go to Chester, definitely I should buy a Crewe->Chester ticket.
Sorry for all confusion...

Anyway, if I stop by Crewe for a lunch, this is perfectly legal and allowed, right?

 

[robbeech]

That is absolutely fine.

 

[alistairlees]

Ops, my bad. It is my mistake. I mean to stop by Crewe (not Chester). If i were to go to Chester, definitely I should buy a Crewe->Chester ticket.
Sorry for all confusion...

Anyway, if I stop by Crewe for a lunch, this is perfectly legal and allowed, right?

I wouldn’t have thought Crewe was a very interesting place for lunch these days, unless you have a specific reason for going there. If you are just looking for somewhere interesting in terms of history / museums / places of interest then somewhere like York will be difficult to beat.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I wouldn’t have thought Crewe was a very interesting place for lunch these days, unless you have a specific reason for going there. If you are just looking for somewhere interesting in terms of history / museums / places of interest then somewhere like York will be difficult to beat.

Crewe is not worth visiting in and of itself (other than for the railway museum), but if you like a curry there's a decent place left out of the station, cross the road, carry on a bit and it's on your left. Allow just over an hour between trains for a meal there I'd say. Don't know if it does lunchtime though.

 

[CPTeoh]

Dear fellow members,

Change of plan
I have to change my plan to visit Stafford instead. (One of my friend stay at Stafford, hope to meet him for a lunch, then direct train from Stafford to Oxford). Do my ticket valid to do this?


09:16 Edinburgh [EDB] -> Manchester Piccadilly [MAN] -> Stafford [STA] 14:00
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

LUNCH AT STAFFORD AND VISIT

Finally, I will catch this train direct to Oxford
20:28 Stafford [STA] -> Oxford [OXF] 22:11
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

 

[alistairlees]

Dear fellow members,

Change of plan
I have to change my plan to visit Stafford instead. (One of my friend stay at Stafford, hope to meet him for a lunch, then direct train from Stafford to Oxford). Do my ticket valid to do this?
View attachment 65269

09:16 Edinburgh [EDB] -> Manchester Piccadilly [MAN] -> Stafford [STA] 14:00
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

LUNCH AT STAFFORD AND VISIT

Finally, I will catch this train direct to Oxford
20:28 Stafford [STA] -> Oxford [OXF] 22:11
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

The links don't work for me. What date are you planning this?

 

[alistairlees]

In any case, a route of Edinburgh - Carlisle - Preston - Manchester - Stoke or Crewe - Stafford is absolutely fine. It'll probably be quicker for you if you don't go via Manchester though, and change at Preston / Crewe.

And Stafford to Oxford via Birmingham is fine.

You have nothing to worry about here.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Dear fellow members,

Change of plan
I have to change my plan to visit Stafford instead. (One of my friend stay at Stafford, hope to meet him for a lunch, then direct train from Stafford to Oxford). Do my ticket valid to do this?
View attachment 65269

09:16 Edinburgh [EDB] -> Manchester Piccadilly [MAN] -> Stafford [STA] 14:00
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

LUNCH AT STAFFORD AND VISIT

Finally, I will catch this train direct to Oxford
20:28 Stafford [STA] -> Oxford [OXF] 22:11
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ndResponseId=4&isOutboundJourneySelected=true

Yes, this is definitely valid. If you are unsure whether it's possible to go via a given station you may wish to try to search for the same journey as the ticket you hold (Edinburgh to Oxford), via the point you want to break your journey at (Stafford). You would then see that National Rail Enquiries etc. will offer itineraries via Stafford for the Off-Peak Return route "not via London", and as long as you are offered the same route of ticket ("not via London"), you can be sure that your ticket is valid to go this way.

 

[gray1404]

I would look for the quickest journeys between Edinburgh and Stafford using National Rail, and this most likely is achieved avoiding Manchester. As others have said a change at somewhere like Preston (most likely if you end up on a TPE service from Edinburgh) or Crewe - from the latter there are at least 4 trains an hour usually making a call to Stafford (most likely if you end up on a Virgin service from Edinburgh) will be quicker. That say, it may offer journeys via Manchester but it is something of a d-tour.

From Stafford other journey options are possible with a change at Birmingham New Street. You may want to use a direct service to Oxford but if you find these are lacking a change at Brum should give you much more choice. It is a short 5 minute walk from Stafford to the town centre (out of the station and cut across the park) which is very pleasant and a lot of options.

 

[AnkleBoots]

I am confused with this National Rail policy, I have been asking around and received a few different answers. Hope I can finally clear my doubt here.

This forum has to be the best source of information on such matters - better than tripadvisor forums, National Rail Enquiries helpline, and some station staff!

a change at Brum should give you much more choice

Brum means Birmingham, for any tourists reading!

Can you upload a picture of the ticket with any personally identifying details redacted (name, collection reference etc.)?

The image appears to be an e-ticket - is it the consensus that a traditional orange ticket is better when there are multi breaks of journey? as staff can more easily see (from the headcodes) which trains have been used en route.

 

[extendedpaul]

Two weeks ago I travelled Rainham to High Wycombe on an off peak return ticket. I used the return part on the day of issue to travel from High Wycombe to Marylebone and then Marylebone to Charing Cross on the underground

I then used Oyster several hours later to travel to Dartford from where I was picked up. I knew I would need a single journey from Victoria to Rainham today and the Oyster fare to Dartford was much less than a single from Victoria to Rainham so it made sense. However when I tried to use the ticket tonight at Victoria to get back to Rainham it was rejected by the gateline with a 134 error message. The staff member glanced at the number and ticket and opened the gate.

Was I wrong to try to use the ticket from Victoria instead of Charing Cross ?

 

[Hadders]

Your ticket was equally valid at both Charing Cross and Victoria. Barriers can reject tickets for many reasons it doesn't necessarily mean that the tickets are not valid.

I had the return portion of an East Kilbride - Stevenage ticket rejected by the barriers at Glasgow Central earlier today. Normal off peak return, no railcards about as simple as a long distance ticket can get. SHowed it to the barrier attendant who just let me through.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Your ticket was equally valid at both Charing Cross and Victoria. Barriers can reject tickets for many reasons it doesn't necessarily mean that the tickets are not valid.

I had the return portion of an East Kilbride - Stevenage ticket rejected by the barriers at Glasgow Central earlier today. Normal off peak return, no railcards about as simple as a long distance ticket can get. SHowed it to the barrier attendant who just let me through.

Indeed. Something a lot of people don't know is that barriers have to be manually programmed to allow any tickets other than tickets to or from the station where the barriers are located. So it's no surprise that only the more frequently seen tickets are programmed in.

 

[Deerfold]

The image appears to be an e-ticket - is it the consensus that a traditional orange ticket is better when there are multi breaks of journey? as staff can more easily see (from the headcodes) which trains have been used en route.

They can if the headcode is on a stamp on the ticket. I can't remember the last time I had a ticket clipped, never mind actually stamped.

 

[CPTeoh]

I will be travelling tomorrow. I believe my ticket is valid for route below?

Out from Edinburgh, according to National Rail website, I have 2 choices.

Transennie Express, it is slow (4:02), but arrive by 2pm


OR
Virgin train, it is fast (3:26) but arrive by 2:34pm



Then, from Stafford by 8:28pm, to Oxford

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I will be travelling tomorrow. I believe my ticket is valid for route below?

Out from Edinburgh, according to National Rail website, I have 2 choices.

Transennie Express, it is slow (4:02), but arrive by 2pm
View attachment 65344

OR
Virgin train, it is fast (3:26) but arrive by 2:34pm
View attachment 65345


Then, from Stafford by 8:28pm, to Oxford
View attachment 65346

Yes, this is a valid route.

 

[CPTeoh]

Yes, this is a valid route.

thanks!

 

[alistairlees]

I will be travelling tomorrow. I believe my ticket is valid for route below?

Out from Edinburgh, according to National Rail website, I have 2 choices.

Transennie Express, it is slow (4:02), but arrive by 2pm
View attachment 65344

OR
Virgin train, it is fast (3:26) but arrive by 2:34pm
View attachment 65345


Then, from Stafford by 8:28pm, to Oxford
View attachment 65346

Change at Preston and Crewe and you will be in Stafford at 13.34

09.16 Edinburgh to Preston 11.46
12.17 Preston to Crewe 12.59
13.16 Crewe to Stafford 13.34