Restriction : 2A
OUTWARD TRAVEL
You may travel on any train
that is scheduled to ARRIVE as
shown below:
ARRIVE: LONDON MARYLEBONE
At or after 1026
So, as long as the train you get to Marylebone arrives after 1026 it is valid on that basis. The 0733 is not relevant as there is no restriction on how early you can leave. If you prefer to get a HST into Paddington, then you need to be on a train arriving after 1044. At Euston it's 1100.
I can't find an 0931 Banbury-Marylebone. I see 0912 (arrives 1032), a stopper at 0928 (arriving 1056) and a non-stop service at 0950 (1100). All valid on any normal weekday.
On the other hand, if you have a railcard, you can use Virgin Trains at any time without restriction on the direct route, although on this occasion that involves a bus due to engineering works..
However I do believe all the above is irrelevant for your journey anyway, as I am pretty sure there are no restrictions for your ticket over the Christmas period. I did struggle to find it documented anywhere but I did find this on the ATOC site: "To make travel easier for passengers and to ensure value walk on train tickets are available throughout the holiday period, long distance train operators (CrossCountry, East Midlands Trains, First Great Western, National Express East Coast, One and Virgin Trains) have all lifted peak time restrictions on the use of Saver tickets from the evening of 21st December and all day until 31st December inclusive." It is Virgin Trains who set the Stoke-London restrictions, so if they say the restrictions are lifted then other TOCs have to abide by that. So you can actually get any train at any time if you feel like going earlier!
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With a young persons railcard on a Virgin priced saver (I think that's right) - all restrictions are relaxed so you can use any train.
Wrong. You can use any
Virgin train, which does not help with a journey to Marylebone! In any case what he wants to do is valid but not for the reason you state.