Over "night" Break of Journey on Super Off-Peak Ticket

[hkstudent]

I discover that my Super Off-peak Return ticket to somewhere further down the line is cheaper than to a station which is closer.
However, there is a restriction on the break of journeys on the outward journey section, but no restrictions on the return portion.

Would it be possible for me to get to the far station and return immediately to the station I intended to get to, and break the journey with the return portion of the ticket for multiple days?
(And how long can I stay there?)

 

[alistairlees]

I discover that my Super Off-peak Return ticket to somewhere further down the line is cheaper than to a station which is closer.
However, there is a restriction on the break of journeys on the outward journey section, but no restrictions on the return portion.

Would it be possible for me to get to the far station and return immediately to the station I intended to get to, and break the journey with the return portion of the ticket for multiple days?
(And how long can I stay there?)

On the limited info you have provided:
1. Yes
2. A month

 

[hkstudent]

On the limited info you have provided:
1. Yes
2. A month

By not mentioning the name of the stations, the code of the ticket is PU

 

[Bletchleyite]

The one exception to this is if the ticket has restriction code 8A which is mostly journeys on Transport for Wales these days.

 

[CyrusWuff]

No break of journey restriction is mentioned on the NRE page for that restriction code, and I'm reasonably confident that you'd have no issues with Chiltern staff as long as you complied with the time restrictions, though it may not work the barriers at intermediate stations.

My suspicion is that BRFares may be showing that such a restriction exists as the ticket type (OPS/OPR) is the same as London Northwestern use for their Super Off-Peak tickets.

 

[hkstudent]

No break of journey restriction is mentioned on the NRE page for that restriction code, and I'm reasonably confident that you'd have no issues with Chiltern staff as long as you complied with the time restrictions, though it may not work the barriers at intermediate stations.

My suspicion is that BRFares may be showing that such a restriction exists as the ticket type (OPS/OPR) is the same as London Northwestern use for their Super Off-Peak tickets.

The restriction does pop up when I search the journey on CH website.
Seems the information on ticket sales and National Rail Journey Planner are conflicting...

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

The restriction does pop up when I search the journey on CH website.
Seems the information on ticket sales and National Rail Journey Planner are conflicting...

But it is not what would be shown on the NRE link printed on the ticket. In the case of any conflicting terms, the interpretation most favourable to the consumer prevails - i.e. you can break your journey.

Buy the ticket at a ticket office or ticket machine if you prefer; you won't ever be informed of these inexistent break of journey restrictions that way.

In my experience Chiltern barriers are relatively well programmed to deal with breaks of journey on the flows they price.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The restriction does pop up when I search the journey on CH website.
Seems the information on ticket sales and National Rail Journey Planner are conflicting...

There appears to be a difference of opinion, depending on which site you look at: Chiltern and sister company Grand Central (who both use ACE) both say that BoJ is prohibited on the outward, as does Govia's booking engine. c2c, LNER, Atos WebTIS and Trainline all say there's no BoJ restriction unless specifically stated in the restriction text.

 

[Bletchleyite]

To put this post in the correct thread.

First of all I think the OP was talking about continuing to the destination then coming back and breaking the return? That is definitely permitted.

There are two ticket types (may be more) for Super Off Peak Returns. SSR does not bar break of journey at ticket type level. OPR does on the outward only.

However, there is another factor. You cannot be penalised (PF, prosecution or excess to a fare that allows it i.e. Anytime) for asking if you can do something, only for actually doing it. So if you stop off on the outward (changing trains is not considered BoJ, though this isn't written down anywhere any more), go to the barrier and ask to be let out, most likely you will be. At worst, it will be questioned and you could just ask "are you sure you want me to go to X and back and break my return journey instead, as I will if I need to" and only the most stubborn staff would insist you did. If they do insist, you just go and do that and you're in the clear.

It's only with Advances that you can actually get stuck in that way because there isn't an option to reboard.

 

[hkstudent]

To put this post in the correct thread.

First of all I think the OP was talking about continuing to the destination then coming back and breaking the return? That is definitely permitted.

There are two ticket types (may be more) for Super Off Peak Returns. SSR does not bar break of journey at ticket type level. OPR does on the outward only.

However, there is another factor. You cannot be penalised (PF, prosecution or excess to a fare that allows it i.e. Anytime) for asking if you can do something, only for actually doing it. So if you stop off on the outward (changing trains is not considered BoJ, though this isn't written down anywhere any more), go to the barrier and ask to be let out, most likely you will be. At worst, it will be questioned and you could just ask "are you sure you want me to go to X and back and break my return journey instead, as I will if I need to" and only the most stubborn staff would insist you did. If they do insist, you just go and do that and you're in the clear.

It's only with Advances that you can actually get stuck in that way because there isn't an option to reboard.

Thanks for putting into the correct direction.
I do have confidence in the "un-stubbornness" of Chiltern staff, especially for stations in the Chilterns. Should be fine I think...

 

[kieron]

The fare data contains a restriction to the effect that OPS and OPR tickets forbid break of journey on the outbound leg. I suspect the Chiltern site takes there information from that, whereas (for example) the page on nre.co.uk was created manually.

As different sources say different things, I'd just leave the station at my intended destination. If anyone did question it, I'd just explain which industry web site told me I could.

And, if anyone was wondering why this isn't in the restriction code, the PU restriction is also used for some day tickets (such as the super off peak day return from London to Aylesbury) which don't forbid break of journey.