We have had no reports of on-train staff rejecting genuine tickets when accompanied by a valid seat reservation for the train in which the passenger is travelling.
Yes, that's the crucial thing: get a reservation.
We've had reports of passengers being denied travel when the passenger is valid, by badly trained staff, particularly on EMT who appear to have a particular dislike of their customers as a company. However I believe even the disgraceful EMT would have to honour a seat reservation. If they didn't, they know it could so easily end up in the papers.
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Its a Super Off Peak Day Travelcard on FGW into Paddington valid on early morning fast trains from Taunton for £65
Restriction : XC
JOURNEYS TO/FROM/VIA LONDON/
READING
Available as listed below
MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS (by any
train on Saturdays, Sundays
and Bank Holiday Mondays).
TOWARDS LONDON
Available on the following
trains and all later services:
From:
Swansea ________________0845
(also valid between 0200&0430)
Neath 0855
(also valid between 0200&0430)
Port Talbot Parkway ____0905
(also valid between 0200&0445)
Bridgend _______________0915
(also valid between 0200&0500)
Cardiff Central ________0940
(also valid between 0200&0530)
Newport_________________1000
(also valid between 0200&0545)
Bristol Parkway_________1015
(also valid between 0200&0530)
Avoncliff ______________0940
Bradford on Avon________0935
Freshford __________0940
Trowbridge______________0930
Nailsea & Backwell______0930
Yatton__________________0925
Weston-Super-Mare ______0920
Bristol Temple Meads____0945
(also valid between 0200&0510)
Bath Spa _______________1000
Chippenham______________1010
Swindon 1030
(also valid between 0200&0545)
Cheltenham Spa 0930*
Gloucester 0930*
Stonehouse______________0955
Stroud _________________1000
Kemble _________________1015
* When travelling via Bristol
Parkway on tickets routed
'Any Permitted', the
restriction time shown above
for Bristol Parkway also
applies
FROM LONDON
See Note A below
Note A
Valid on services departing
London Paddington or London
Waterloo between 1010 and 1459
, or after 1859 (departing
Reading, heading west (i.e.
services passing through
Didcot Parkway, Oxford
or Newbury ONLY) between 1030
and 1525, or after 1859)
SUPER-OFF-PEAK TICKETS FROM
STATIONS NOT LISTED ARE VALID
FOR CONNECTIONS INTO THE ABOVE
TRAINS.
This is valid on very early morning trains on the South Wales corridor route. If you were to travel via Bristol you'd not be able to leave BRI until the 0945. However if you are getting a train that avoids Bristol, I cannot see anything there that restricts you, unless I am missing something (there is a load of waffle after that but I do not think it applies). My interpretation is that it is unrestricted and this also appears to be the interpretation of the NXEC website. I suggest booking it and ensure you get a reservation, get your reserved train, sit in your reserved seat. Bring a complaints form with you just in case.
If challenged, explain it is valid and produce the above documentation from the Avantix CD-ROM. If the guard refuses to accept this, then fill in the form, asking politely for the guard's name and fill in the headcode[1] and other details. Also state you will be writing to Passenger Focus, your MP, and your local radio, TV & newspaper companies, pointing out that if a customer holds a reservation booked at the time of purchasing the ticket that it would be extremely newsworthy if you were denied the right to travel on that ticket/ reservation. You could also ask for documentation to prove that your service is invalid on that ticket, and you could then argue that, even if the ticket is invalid (which I believe it isn't), the fact that you booked a reservation at the time of booking and stuck to your booked train means it must be honoured as a contract has been agreed.
[1]
0617 - 1A73
0719 - 1A74
0817 - 1A76