My friend came to visit me over the weekend and was confused (as I have become since looking at the FGW and National Rail websites).
Journey details: Leaving London at or after 18:30 on a Friday evening returning around 12:00 on Sunday. Travel on the route via Ascot is fine as the ultimate start/end point is Streatham (though my friend will normally use Oyster for journeys within the Oyster zone).
Passenger details: one adult with 16-25 Railcard.
FGW tells me that, from Paddington, the first super-off peak (£23 - no railcard used in search) return ticket is available on the 19:12 with off peak returns being generally useable from 19:18. I was told that the screens at PAD were showing a note on trains up to (but not including) the 19:00 that off peak tickets could not be used on those trains.
National Rail offers me off peak returns at £40 (no railcard used in search) on the 18:33, 18:45 & 18:41 but not on 18:45, 19:00 and 19:15 trains. In fact, no return tickets seem to be available using the second 3 services.
Looking at the Ascot route the cheap tickets (£23) seem to be available all the way through the FGW peak.
Is anyone able to explain the FGW peak restrictions as the FGW website just says to use an online journey planner.
Many thanks to anyone who helps me to understand how and why the ticket availablity seems to be so odd...
Journey details: Leaving London at or after 18:30 on a Friday evening returning around 12:00 on Sunday. Travel on the route via Ascot is fine as the ultimate start/end point is Streatham (though my friend will normally use Oyster for journeys within the Oyster zone).
Passenger details: one adult with 16-25 Railcard.
FGW tells me that, from Paddington, the first super-off peak (£23 - no railcard used in search) return ticket is available on the 19:12 with off peak returns being generally useable from 19:18. I was told that the screens at PAD were showing a note on trains up to (but not including) the 19:00 that off peak tickets could not be used on those trains.
National Rail offers me off peak returns at £40 (no railcard used in search) on the 18:33, 18:45 & 18:41 but not on 18:45, 19:00 and 19:15 trains. In fact, no return tickets seem to be available using the second 3 services.
Looking at the Ascot route the cheap tickets (£23) seem to be available all the way through the FGW peak.
Is anyone able to explain the FGW peak restrictions as the FGW website just says to use an online journey planner.
Many thanks to anyone who helps me to understand how and why the ticket availablity seems to be so odd...