Industrial Action affecting Super Off Peak fare validity?

[seradane]

So I am needing to travel from Chichester to London tomorrow. Normally I can just purchase a Super Off Peak fare. However due to the industrial action this week I went to look to see whether the trains would be disrupted. Looks like will need to change trains at Horsham, but otherwise looking ok.

However looking at the fares available, it somehow isn't permitting use of a super off peak fare until the 12:39 train in the afternoon. But everything I can see about the fare conditions for the super off peak means it should be valid for any train arriving into London after 10:45am. So why is this? If I just buy a SOP at the station will this still be valid?

Utterly baffled by the fare logic of the trains once again....

 

[MrJeeves]

That will probably be down to a restriction in the electronic data...

If we find the ticket on BRFares: https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=CCH&dest=VIC&rte=777&tkt=PDR

We can scroll down to look at the restriction and the data that represents how journey planners should implement this restriction.

This rule is probably what's causing it if your route is via Horsham and up through Three Bridges:

Not valid to arrive​

HORSHAM​

0430–1230​

on any TOC​

If you buy your ticket in-person or for that later service, you can use it on any of the trains that meet the "not arriving in London pre-1045" restriction that it should be.

I assume this exists to prevent people using Thameslink trains from the north into London which terminate at Horsham, but if that's the case, it should probably have a "on Thameslink" clause on it, or (realistically) it would be caught by the rules for the London Termini anyway.

 

[Iggy12a]

I would just be inclined to buy the Super Off Peak online, by pretending to travel on the 12:39, but turn up at Chi for the 09:40.

Interestingly, if you specify via Hove in your ticket selection, the SOP is valid on the 08:04 Chichester to Littlehampton, and changing there for the 09:16 departure, arriving Victoria at 10:58

 

[MrJeeves]

Interestingly, if you specify via Hove in your ticket selection, the SOP is valid on the 08:04 Chichester to Littlehampton, and changing there for the 09:16 departure, arriving Victoria at 10:58

That backs up my theory then

 

[seradane]

That will probably be down to a restriction in the electronic data...

If we find the ticket on BRFares: https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=CCH&dest=VIC&rte=777&tkt=PDR

We can scroll down to look at the restriction and the data that represents how journey planners should implement this restriction.

This rule is probably what's causing it if your route is via Horsham and up through Three Bridges:

Not valid to arrive​

HORSHAM​

0430–1230​

on any TOC​

If you buy your ticket in-person or for that later service, you can use it on any of the trains that meet the "not arriving in London pre-1045" restriction that it should be.

I assume this exists to prevent people using Thameslink trains from the north into London which terminate at Horsham, but if that's the case, it should probably have a "on Thameslink" clause on it, or (realistically) it would be caught by the rules for the London Termini anyway.

Aha! Yes I think that's it, excellent sleuthing.

So it seems to me to be safe enough to just go ahead and purchase/use the SOP fare as normal then.

Thank you