TOC validity of a London St. Pancras to Bedford Super Off Peak Day Return ( with network card)

[General Zod]

I'm looking to buy an STP to Bedford super off peak day return for Sunday from the Trainsplit site. I'm offered a London Thameslink to Bedford ticket for £11.25 ( Network card discount ) but the itinerary suggests that I take an EMR train. Will the said ticket be valid on EMR trains or will I have to use Thameslink ?

 

[plugwash]

My understanding is that "London Thameslink" is just an origin/destination used to collectively cover the stations on the "Thameslink core" (exactly which stations it covers seems to depend on which line you are on ). Not a route/operator restriction of any kind.

 

[Watershed]

I'm looking to buy an STP to Bedford super off peak day return for Sunday from the Trainsplit site. I'm offered a London Thameslink to Bedford ticket for £11.25 ( Network card discount ) but the itinerary suggests that I take an EMR train. Will the said ticket be valid on EMR trains or will I have to use Thameslink ?

Yes; London Thameslink is just the origin of the ticket, a station group that incorporates all the stations along the Thameslink 'core' from Elephant & Castle and London Bridge up to St Pancras.

As the route is 'any permitted' it's valid on all operators that run services along the permitted routes. And therefore valid on EMR.

It's worth noting that as a matter of consumer and contract law, you are always entitled to travel in accordance with the itinerary you're offered when buying your ticket - so even if this had been a mistake, you would still be allowed to travel as shown.

 

[General Zod]

So I can use it from St Pancras on an East Midlands train which terminates at Nottingham ?

 

[Watershed]

So I can use it from St Pancras on an East Midlands train which terminates at Nottingham ?

Yes, that's fine, if it's one that stops at Bedford - or you are using it in combination with a rover/ranger/season ticket etc. north of Bedford.

 

[Starmill]

So I can use it from St Pancras on an East Midlands train which terminates at Nottingham ?

If it's calling at Bedford, yes. Unless you are using more than one ticket?

 

[General Zod]

If it's calling at Bedford, yes. Unless you are using more than one ticket?

My final destination is Leicester. I need a flexible ticket and Trainsplit suggests splitting at Bedford and Kettering. Along with my STP-BDM super off peak return I intend to buy a Bedford - Kettering cheap day return and Kettering - Leicester cheap day return.

 

[plugwash]

When splitting on normal tickets, your train must stop at all the split points.

This is not a massive issue when splitting on advance tickets since you are tied into a specific train anyway but it may reduce your flexibility when splitting on flexible tickets.

 

[General Zod]

Yes, the train I will catch from STP to Leicester stops at Bedford and Kettering

 

[miklcct]

My final destination is Leicester. I need a flexible ticket and Trainsplit suggests splitting at Bedford and Kettering. Along with my STP-BDM super off peak return I intend to buy a Bedford - Kettering cheap day return and Kettering - Leicester cheap day return.

Yes, the train I will catch from STP to Leicester stops at Bedford and Kettering

I don't think that trains to Leicester will stop at Bedford and Kettering under normal circumstances, so this split is unlikely to be useful.

 

[Haywain]

Yes, the train I will catch from STP to Leicester stops at Bedford and Kettering

There are not many of them.

 

[Alex365Dash]

There are not many of them.

There’s quite a few more on the Sunday than the usual weekday and Saturday timetables, OP’s booked itinerary involving one of them.

Of course though, if OP wants to leave Leicester before 20:30, they’ll have to change at Kettering on the return.