Thames Rover

[kar3emosman]

From what I am reading, the Thames Rover is for use after 9.30am.

If I was to buy a normal priced ticket from PAD-SLO, and got on the:

0921 London Paddington to Worcester Foregate Street, would I be able to use the Thames Rover from Slough, at which it will 9.36am, and stay onto the train to Moreton-in-Marsh using the Thames Rover?

I've been buying Off-Peak Day Return's at £20.15 and today I find out I can get a 3-day Thames Rover for £26.40! Got to thank the helpful guard for that tip

 

[yorkie]

Yes, of course, as per NRCoC Condition 19.

As you are using a Rover that is valid for 3 days or more, the train does not need to call at Slough, however this train does call anyway.

 

[kar3emosman]

That's fantastic!

There has been a lot of news about expensive train ticket's but I've just saved about £54 per week if I get a 7-day pass (Not including, the fare from PAD-SLO). Nonetheless, a saving is a saving!

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[LexyBoy]

That's fantastic!

There has been a lot of news about expensive train ticket's but I've just saved about £54 per week if I get a 7-day pass (Not including, the fare from PAD-SLO). Nonetheless, a saving is a saving!

Thanks for the quick reply.

Are you making the journey every day? If so you'll save more if you buy a Season ticket for the PAD-SLO leg. You may also want to consids a Travelcard Season which would cover any travel in London (I'm guessing you're not based in Paddington).

You can buy Seasons for 7 days or any period between a month and a year.

With this combination the train would have to stop at Slough, but most on your route do. Change at Reading for a train stopping at Slough if needed.

 

[FGWman]

Thats wrong Im afraid. As th OP will be travelling on the 0921 CDR is available at £8.40 so 5 days would be £42.00 as against £56.20 for a weekly season.

 

[Norman]

Thats wrong Im afraid. As th OP will be travelling on the 0921 CDR is available at £8.40 so 5 days would be £42.00 as against £56.20 for a weekly season.

Well, if a CDR is available for the Paddington to Slough leg then the Rover is valid all the way from Paddington to Moreton and a seperate ticket to Slough is not needed. The Thames Rover is valid whenever a CDR is valid.

'Available after 0930 (Monday-Fridays) or when Cheap Day Return is valid (whichever is earlier.)

Available all day Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.'

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/pr8b1e090a040002006976d6b4091c35/details.html

 

[LexyBoy]

Oops, I was thinking the OP was buying a CDR from Slough already and an SDR for the PAD-SLO leg. You're quite correct, the CDR is valid on the 0921 for PAD-SLO (no Railcard discount as it's before 1000 and under the minimum fare).

 

[John @ home]

the CDR is valid on the 0921 for PAD-SLO (no Railcard discount as it's before 1000 and under the minimum fare).

Not necessarily no Railcard discount. We know the OP has been buying £20.15 Railcard Off-Peak Day Returns, but we have no indication which Railcard is held.

Disabled or Senior Railcards would allow a discounted Paddington - Slough CDR on the 0921 departure. 16-25, Forces or Network Railcards would not.

 

[autotank]

I work in London off-peak and use this rover quite a lot. Amazed that they aren't more popular as they are great value! The ticket man at Henley said he'd never issued one before when I bought one the other day and they struggled to issue me one at Twyford the other week as well!

It has just gone up to £27.70 with a railcard, but is still excellent value! You can go as far as Bedwyn, Banbury, Bicester Town, Moreton-in-Marsh, Basingstoke, Redhill and all the Thames Valley branches.

 

[Norman]

Not necessarily no Railcard discount. We know the OP has been buying £20.15 Railcard Off-Peak Day Returns, but we have no indication which Railcard is held.

Disabled or Senior Railcards would allow a discounted Paddington - Slough CDR on the 0921 departure. 16-25, Forces or Network Railcards would not.

Which surely is irrelevant in this instance as no CDR is needed between Paddington and Slough as the Thames Rover is valid after 0930 or whenever CDRs are valid!

 

[LexyBoy]

Not necessarily no Railcard discount. We know the OP has been buying £20.15 Railcard Off-Peak Day Returns, but we have no indication which Railcard is held.

True, I didn't word that very well - plus, I understood the wording:

Senior Railcard holders cannot get discounts on tickets for morning peak services wholly within this area on Monday to Fridays

to mean "before 1000" which I thought was the case for the Family & Friends Railcard (in fact the same wording is used).

In any case, as Norman has pointed out, the Rover is valid for the complete journey anyway (and is indeed extremely good value).

 

[kar3emosman]

My railcard is a 16-25. I live on the 159 London Bus route which goes to Paddington Basin, so I only need to pay bus fare to get to PAD.

which surely is irrelevant in this instance as no cdr is needed between paddington and slough as the thames rover is valid after 0930 or whenever cdrs are valid!

in any case, as norman has pointed out, the rover is valid for the complete journey anyway (and is indeed extremely good value).

Oh my. Thank you so much to you two for the responses. You have saved me even MORE money! I still can not believe I am only paying £26.40 for a 3-day pass! Works out at an amazing price of £8.80 a day. I'm pretty happy right now

I work in London off-peak and use this rover quite a lot. Amazed that they aren't more popular as they are great value! The ticket man at Henley said he'd never issued one before when I bought one the other day and they struggled to issue me one at Twyford the other week as well!

It has just gone up to £27.70 with a railcard, but is still excellent value! You can go as far as Bedwyn, Banbury, Bicester Town, Moreton-in-Marsh, Basingstoke, Redhill and all the Thames Valley branches.

The other half likes to do shopping in Bicester Town, and we usually drive. That will save more money not having to take the car!

I've never been to places like Basingstoke, Redhill....so I might as well do some exploring!

 

[anthony263]

I might be going a overnight trip to Reading & London next week (most likely Monday).

The plan is for me to get the 19:00 train from Bridgend to Reading (Arr 21:00).

I am planning on doing a bit of night photography at Reading & Slough etc before getting to Paddington for around 3am to do a bit of night bus bashing.

The question I want to ask what is the latest service I can get from Reading to London Paddington as the last time I did this back in 2010 it was the 01:10 Reading - London Paddington (Arr 02:00). Someone did tell me the day now ends at 04:29 with regards to fares such as that on the TFL network.

 

[dzug2]

The day does end at 0429, yes - but you still need to comply with off peak restrictions and I'm not sure what they are for this ticket the way you want to use it.

The National Rail website offers one for sale on the 0224 - but not the 0354 or later. But that's for the next day, not completion of the previous day


So pass, sorry

 

[bb21]

Looking at train times for Tuesday morning from Reading, you can use your Rover on the 0224 train to Paddington, however you will not be able to use the Rover for the complete journey on the 0354 as the day ends at 0429 but it arrives at Paddington at 0447. You need a ticket from Hayes and Harlington (calling at 0427) to London Terminals if you want to travel direct into Paddington.

 

[coxy]

Hi,

Several weeks ago I hatched a plan to use this 3 day rover on a Friday - Sunday.

The idea was to buy the ticket at my local station, using a Network Railcard to get the dicsount available, then buy an Anytime single to Reading which would mean I was then able to catch the 08:20 to Guildford, which appears to be an off peak service when I looked at the ticket prices on the FGW website, and therefore the Rover would be valid.

Unfortunately the plan failed as soon as I tried to buy the ticket. I was informed that the computer would not issue the ticket until 09:30 that morning, and I could not use my Railcard until 10:00. I tried to explain that I only want to buy the ticket, but not use it until later in the day and was going to buy an Anytime to Reading anyway - but no, rules are rules and I could not buy the ticket.

Just wondering if anybody has had a similar experience ? How can a ticket that is quite valid on certain services before 09:30 not be available for sale until 09:30 ?

 

[bnm]

You should be able to purchase any valid ticket requested for future travel at any time from a manned station.

Staff should make you aware of time and railcard restrictions but should not refuse the sale.

 

[island]

Wouldn't the NSE discount only be available after 1000?

 

[bb21]

There are two separate issues involved here.

Firstly there is the time restriction on the Rover itself, which according to National Rail Enquiries is

Available after 0930 (Monday-Fridays) or when Cheap Day Return is valid (whichever is earlier.)

The Off-Peak Day Return fare (previously Cheap Day Return) between Reading and Guildford is valid after 0815 Mondays - Fridays so the Rover is definitely valid on it by itself.

The other thing is the Network Railcard validity. Bear in mind that Network Railcard is not valid before 1000 Mondays - Fridays, barring a few easements, listed here. I cannot see your intended journey at 0820 being included.

I conclude from the above that an undiscounted Thames Rover is valid on the 0820 Reading - Guildford service on a Friday, whereas a Network Railcard-discounted one is not.

 

[wintonian]

You should be able to purchase any valid ticket requested for future travel at any time from a manned station.

Staff should make you aware of time and railcard restrictions but should not refuse the sale.

Your theory is correct however I have found this often to not be the case in practice, where I have asked to an off peak (day) ticket that is unrestricted if traveling via a certain route and have been spun the line that the machine will not physically issue such a ticket until 09:30 when it become valid.

There seems to be a belief in ticket offices that if a tickets validity is not expressly and exclusively 08:30 for example then it must not be valid until 09:30 or maybe this belief only occurs when the actual restriction is not clear.

Either way if I ask for a ticket that doesn't i involve traveling north from London or via Birmingham, then if their understanding of the restriction is different to mine there's is always that it is not valid before 09:30 so there is definitely a myth here.

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