restrictions on break and resume journey

[icantdrive]

I was reading tony_macs thread re unusual journeys and have a related question.

An Anytime Return ticket allows for "break and resume" journey at any station.
Does anyone know whether there is any time restriction on the break or resumption of the journey, other than the general time period printed on the ticket to show that an Anytime Return is valid for one month from the outward journey?

I have been told that any journey must be completed within 24 hours, but can't see anything on the ticket or in the National Conditions that requires this, so if you can help, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

 

[First class]

2am the next day. Or did I make that up?!

Unless its a very long journey, e.g. Penzance to Wick and you have to stay overnight somewhere. That case it is 12pm next day.

If the validity of the ticket you are using expires during your journey (for example,
your train does not reach its destination until after midnight), you will still be
allowed to complete that journey. However, in these circumstances, you may not
break your journey unless your train is extensively delayed.

(ii) to stay in overnight accommodation when you cannot reasonably
complete your journey within one day, or

 

[A60K]

2am the next day. Or did I make that up?!

Unless its a very long journey, e.g. Penzance to Wick and you have to stay overnight somewhere. That case it is 12pm next day.

At the moment there's an experimental easement to allow 5 days to complete the Out portion of an Anytime Return. This was introduced around March, and will be reviewed at some point - there's a previous thread with info. The 'simplification' exercise had reduced the Out validity (from one month) as described by ste above, but someone within the industry seems to feel that was too drastic.



--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Actually, re-reading the OP, if it's the Return leg them you can break as many times as you want for as long as you like until expiry. It's worth explaining your plans to conductors however, to avoid any thought that you're re-using the ticket. I ask for the date and CRS codes of the two stations I am travelling between to be endorsed on the ticket, along with the conductor's stamp, and have never had any problems.

 

[icantdrive]

Thanks for both of your replies. There seems to be some confusion about this, and I think that from now on I will travel with the NRCoC at all times, and will follow A60K's helpful advice re explaining the intended route to the ticket inspector.

I had often broken the return journey from Edinburgh, staying over with a friend in Durham for a couple of nights before heading south, as I always thought that a break of journey allowed that.

It is only recently ( on a totally different network) that I have been told that a journey must be completed within 24 hours because "its common sense" and it doesn't need to be written down anywhere. I just wondered whether anybody had seen anything in writing.

Thanks for your help.

 

[EltonRoad]

It's quite sad really how many rail staff don't actually know the rules. What sort of training do they receive? Honestly how difficult is it to understand? Railways are a hobby for me and I think I understand all this business about breaking your journeys; however for some people it's their job and they still don't seem to get it! I just think it's a sad indictment when you feel you have to travel with the NRCoC and in effect are having to tell people how to do their own job!

 

[First class]

Typically, a company will tell staff about their own rules and usually about other TOCs local to the area. However, a member of the staff dealing with a customer at Plymouth with a Penzance-Sugar Loaf ticket might not know the restriction is 8A, as it set my a TOC that calls nowhere near the station the customer is making the journey.

Staff on Merseyrail know the Y7 and Y9 restriction, which most of you 'enthusiasts' won't even know. They also know the 8A, 2C, B1,B2,B3 restrictions. These staff have to make split second calls on whether a ticket is valid for BoJ or not. They have to find your journey details and look up the restriction code. At the likes of Merseyrail and C2C where the barrier staff don't have ticket machines, this is difficult to do.

Most of the time, it is the passengers fault. The 24hour thing would have been correct until recently. And it was common sense because the OUT ticket would have had 'Valid to' on it, which would have been the same date!! From what he writes, the guard didn't say he couldn't break his journey, as long as he had got to his destination by the end of the day.

 

[tony_mac]

From what he writes, the guard didn't say he couldn't break his journey, as long as he had got to his destination by the end of the day.

He did actually say that he was breaking his return journey.
If it's not easy for the staff to find out if a journey can be broken, it isn't easy for the passengers either!

I didn't know out about Y9 until recently, I had though that 'Merseyrail' services didn't have an evening peak restriction, having not travelled much on the 'city line' - although I don't really know what the status of the city line actually is - the Merseytravel website says its part of Merseyrail, the Merseyrail website doesn't mention it! It seems daft that Edge Hill to Southport at 5pm costs more than Chester to Southport. (although, technically, Chester to Southport is permitted via Edge Hill, but I wouldn't want to push that!)
Sorry, I digressed somewhat - it would make life easier for everyone if they could print this information to go with (or on) the ticket.