When is a Rugby-Birmingham Off Peak Day Return valid?

[jbb]

Hello, I have a question about ticket validity.

I have a Rugby-London season ticket but tomorrow evening I want to travel to Birmingham instead of Rugby(and then back to Rugby late evening). So I bought tickets from Rugby to Birmingham planning to get my usual train to Rugby and then get the next train to Birmingham.

However it would be much quicker to get a direct train from London to Birmingham. The train I would need doesn't stop at Rugby though, but I've learned from searching here that because I have a season ticket it would be valid anyway. Is that correct?

However my Rugby-Birmingham ticket is marked "Off-Peak Day R" and I want to leave London at "Peak" time. So my question is, because my season ticket is valid at peak time, and the rugby to birmingham part isn't peak time, is this valid? Or do I need the Rugby-Birmingham part to be peak time too as I'm starting my journey in london at peak time?

I hope this makes sense.

 

[All Line Rover]

An Off-Peak ticket from Rugby to Birmingham only has the following restriction: "By any train except those timed to depart before 0900 or depart Birmingham New Street between 1635 and 1800 inclusive." The Off-Peak restrictions for London to Rugby/Birmingham tickets have no bearing on your journey.

So providing your London to Birmingham train passes through Rugby after 0900, your combination of tickets will be valid on any London to Birmingham that goes via Rugby, which includes all Virgin trains. There is no requirement for the train to stop at Rugby, as one of your tickets is a season and one is not.

This entitlement is mentioned in Condition 19c of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, which are available to view here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/galleries/download/misc/NRCOC.pdf.

 

[jbb]

Thank you, that's what I'd hoped.

It's just that every day when my train leaves Euston I hear "Off peak tickets are not valid on this train without a railcard" and while I didnt think that applied in this case, I thought I'd better check. can't be too careful

 

[yorkie]

It's just that every day when my train leaves Euston I hear "Off peak tickets are not valid on this train without a railcard" and while I didnt think that applied in this case, I thought I'd better check. can't be too careful

They mean Off Peak tickets from London (and via London).

Information about tickets commencing from places the train has not yet reached will not be given because a comprehensive announcement about all ticket validities was made, they'd still be announcing it as the train arrived into Birmingham New Street

Each Off Peak ticket has to be checked for a validity restriction which determines when it can/can't be used. They're not all the same (despite some publicity leading passengers to believe they are).

 

[All Line Rover]

Thank you, that's what I'd hoped.

It's just that every day when my train leaves Euston I hear "Off peak tickets are not valid on this train without a railcard" and while I didnt think that applied in this case, I thought I'd better check. can't be too careful

It's difficult for Virgin to announce a list of the Off-Peak restrictions for every single type of ticket or combination of tickets that one could use to travel on one of their trains. It probably reaches into the hundreds, if not thousands! I have no problem with the current announcements, although some feel that they could be better worded.

Although you are unlikely to have any problems, for extra reassurance I would recommend printing off Section 19c of the NRCoC, which I linked to earlier, as well as the Off-Peak restrictions for a Rugby to Birmingham ticket, which are available to view here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/pdfs/CDR_DJ.pdf.

 

[jbb]

Hehe indeed. And they usually end the announcement with "if you're not sure, please come and see me before we leave"