Off Peak Return Preston-Carlisle

[dave87016]

Hi all without going into specific details I was talking to a Guard I know who works for Virgin this morning I had a Off Peak Return from Preston - Carlisle he said that if I purchase that ticket from Preston ticket office I can use it on any Virgin Trains service to Carlisle even before 9:30am. Now it doesnt show it on Virgin Website can anyone else who is in the know confirm this as I intend to go Carlisle again in a couple of weeks but dont fancy a confrontation with a guard as I have the utmost respect for railway staff

 

[LexyBoy]

If you have a Railcard, Off Peak Returns/Singles are valid on any train, provided that all travel is with Virgin Trains.

edit: The Preston-Carlisle Off Peak Return takes restriction code 2T - valid at or after 0415, so it's valid on any nearly any train - not specifically Virgin.
The Preston-Carlisle Off Peak Day Return takes B1 - valid at or after 0930. AFAIK Virgin's easement for Railcard holders doesn't apply to "Day" tickets, only SVR/SVS tickets.

(These restrictions are seperate to the Virgin Railcard easement, which is entirely separate and may not even apply to you).

 

[First class]

If you're travelling after 08:45, and coming back the same day, the North West Round Robin is the cheapest ticket at £34.50 or £22.75 with a railcard.

Otherwise:

FOR R 76.40 - Valid by any train.
FDS S 40.20 - Valid by any train.
SOR R 37.40 - Valid by any train.
SDS S 32.00 - Valid by any train.
SVR 2T R 35.10 - Not valid via Barrow or before 04:15am
CDS B1 S 20.80 - Not valid via Barrow or before 09:30am
CDR B1 R 20.90 - Not valid via Barrow or before 09:30am

 

[Kilmarnocklad]

Apologies for hijacking this thread, does the Virgin easement apply to two Together railcards too?
The T&C's for the two together state you can only use this railcard after 0930.

 

[AlterEgo]

Apologies for hijacking this thread, does the Virgin easement apply to two Together railcards too?
The T&C's for the two together state you can only use this railcard after 0930.

In a word - no.

Sorry.

 

[Kilmarnocklad]

Just out of interest, which railcards ARE valid for this easement then? Can't find anything on VT website about the easement.

 

[Welshman]

You're right - there's nothing at all on the VT website or any VT publicity about it.

You simply have to use the journey planner, and see what fares are offered. I know from experience that Senior Railcards qualify, but I'm not sure about any others.

And it would appear that not all VT conductors know about the easement, either. My wife recently travelled from North Wales to Euston on the 0450 off Holyhead, and as the booking-office was still closed, sought to buy a ticket on the train. The conductor was adamant that Senior Railcard-discounted fares were not valid on that service, and insisted she buy a full-price ticket. However, she stood her ground, and he eventually checked his machine and to his surpise, found that fare was indeed available. "You've been lucky this time" he cheekily said, with no hint of apology.

Since then, if she knows in advance she intends to travel on that early service, she buys the ticket online to save having an argument with the conductor.

 

[SS4]

You're right - there's nothing at all on the VT website or any VT publicity about it.

You simply have to use the journey planner, and see what fares are offered. I know from experience that Senior Railcards qualify, but I'm not sure about any others.

And it would appear that not all VT conductors know about the easement, either. My wife recently travelled from North Wales to Euston on the 0450 of Holyhead, and as the booking-office was still closed, sought to buy a ticket on the train. The conductor was adamant that Senior Railcard-discounted fares were not valid on that service, and insisted she buy a full-price ticket. However, she stood her ground, and he eventually checked his machine and to his surpise, found that fare was indeed valid. "You've been lucky this time" he cheekily said, with no hint of apology.

Since then, if she knows in advance she intends to travel on that early service, she buys the ticket online to save having an argument with the conductor.

16-25 qualifies too. I think it's all of them except for F&F and Two Together

 

[calc7]

I've had quite a few VT guards announce over the intercom before the start of the journey along with the other stuff like "please make sure your ticket is for the xx: xx departure, London Midland only tickets not accepted" that "off-peak tickets are not valid unless accompanied by a valid railcard"
It would be interesting to see how far somebody would get with a F&F or TT railcard.

 

[First class]

Family Railcard is fine.

Holders of Off-Peak ticket types SVS/SVR which are discounted using a Family & Friends Railcard can travel on Virgin Train services at any time, provided that all travel is on Virgin Trains services only. (This easement is not permitted for travel between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston).

 

[tony_mac]

The Family and Friends railcard is fine also.

(Didn't type quickly enough!)

 

[First class]

You're right - there's nothing at all on the VT website or any VT publicity about it.

You simply have to use the journey planner, and see what fares are offered. I know from experience that Senior Railcards qualify, but I'm not sure about any others.

And it would appear that not all VT conductors know about the easement, either. My wife recently travelled from North Wales to Euston on the 0450 off Holyhead, and as the booking-office was still closed, sought to buy a ticket on the train. The conductor was adamant that Senior Railcard-discounted fares were not valid on that service, and insisted she buy a full-price ticket. However, she stood her ground, and he eventually checked his machine and to his surpise, found that fare was indeed available. "You've been lucky this time" he cheekily said, with no hint of apology.

Since then, if she knows in advance she intends to travel on that early service, she buys the ticket online to save having an argument with the conductor.

It isn't always the case. 100% of the journey has to be on Virgin. For example, she couldn't buy a Holyhead to Bache ticket with Senior Railcard, but she could buy a Holyhead to Chester ticket, providing she stayed on the train.

However, North Wales to Euston would have been fine.

If there is a self-service ticket machine at the station then she was VERY lucky.

 

[John @ home]

16-25 qualifies too. I think it's all of them except for F&F and Two Together

It would be interesting to see how far somebody would get with a F&F or TT railcard.

With a Family & Friends Railcard, up to 401 miles.

The Manual -> Railcards & Concessionary Travel -> Family & Friends Railcard -> Time restrictions

Holders of Off-Peak ticket types SVS/SVR which are discounted using a Family & Friends Railcard can travel on Virgin Train services at any time, provided that all travel is on Virgin Trains services only. (This easement is not permitted for travel between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston).

 

[calc7]

With a Family & Friends Railcard, up to 401 miles.

I was going on what the above poster said about F&F.
They could also stretch that by going via Birmingham

 

[Welshman]

It isn't always the case. 100% of the journey has to be on Virgin. For example, she couldn't buy a Holyhead to Bache ticket with Senior Railcard, but she could buy a Holyhead to Chester ticket, providing she stayed on the train.

However, North Wales to Euston would have been fine.

If there is a self-service ticket machine at the station then she was VERY lucky.

The journey was on the 0549 from Rhyl, and is indeed a Virgin train throughout. She is aware she cannot use the early ATW services to Chester and change there. [I've told her that enough times!].

There is a self-service ticket machine in the station, and she would have used that. However, it is in the station entrance hall near the barriers, and the entrance hall is locked from the outside and the platform until 0620 [before then, you use a side gate giving direct access on to the platform instead].

So, as I said earlier, if she knows she's going to be travelling, she now buys the ticket online, then usually sends me to the station the day before to collect it from the machine. All to avoid having to argue with the VT conductor!!

 

[First class]

The journey was on the 0549 from Rhyl, and is indeed a Virgin train throughout. She is aware she cannot use the early ATW services to Chester and change there. [I've told her that enough times!].

There is a self-service ticket machine in the station, and she would have used that. However, it is in the station entrance hall near the barriers, and the entrance hall is locked from the outside and the platform until 0620 [you use a side gate giving direct access on to the platform instead].

In that case I hope she raised this issue with Virgin!

 

[Welshman]

Indeed she did.
Unfortunately the person at Customer Services couldn't find any reference to the easement in his records or online [which provoked my original comment on here in the first place], and insisted the ticket was not available on that service. When she said she could book it online, he simply said "then do that!"

Not the most productive of communications! :roll:

 

[calc7]

Virgin customer services should give you a letter-headed confirmation as to the validity - might be worth your wife carrying that in her quiver.