Confusion about off peak timings of London trains
I have off peak return ticket from London to Didcot Parkway. Screenshot is attached. I am not sure what timings are allowed on this ticket. I checked this question, according to which travel restriction can by accessed by code FP. However, I am getting confused about what are the train timings which are allowed in this ticket. Can someone help? Also what does 'optional reservation' mean? I can travel at other timings also right?
Best Answer
When you buy train tickets in the UK, there are many ways in which to buy them - you can buy tickets that are restricted to a single journey, tickets which are restricted to a single day, tickets which are only valid for the non-commuting period of the day (off peak) etc etc etc.
Train tickets in the UK sometimes come with required seat reservations, but those are usually the type of ticket which is restricted to a single specific journey.
What you have there are actually two things:
A ticket which is valid for off peak travel - the National Rail page that they link to for restriction code FP shows the times you are NOT allowed to travel with that ticket, as these are considered "peak" times.
A seat reservation for the specific journey you bought the ticket for. This does not actually mean you have to travel on this specific train, as the ticket is more open than that - so long as you do not travel during the restricted times, you can take any train on that route, you just won't have that seat reserved. A seat reservation is not required for this ticket.
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What time are off-peak trains into London?
Exact times vary across routes and train companies, but in general - you'll find off-peak times outside of conventional commuter hours. Transport for London Off-Peak times: Monday to Friday from the first service to 06:30, from 09:30 to 16:00, and after 19:00.What time counts as off-peak on trains?
A general rule of thumb is that Off-Peak will begin at 09:30 Mondays to Fridays in cities and large towns, and 09:00 across the rest of the network. Weekends and Bank Holidays are Off-Peak all day.Can Off-Peak tickets be used any time?
When are they valid? You can travel Off-Peak on weekdays outside busy times. You can also use your Off-Peak train tickets to travel at any time on weekends and bank holidays. The times you can use your tickets vary, so use the journey planner to check for Off-Peak services.What does off-peak train ticket mean?
Ticket name Off-Peak Return. Description. Off-Peak fares are cheaper tickets for travelling on trains that are less busy. You may need to travel at specific times of the day, days of the week and sometimes on specific routes or operators.The Quintessential Rapid Transit System! | London Underground Explained
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Answer 2
When you book a ticket online in the UK, it will almost always give you an itinerary. This is just how the online booking process works — you search for a journey first, then you book a ticket that is valid on that journey. Your ticket is guaranteed to be valid on that itinerary, but since you've bought a flexible ticket, you're not required to travel on it. You have seat reservations on the 19:15 train, but if circumstances require it you can travel on any train allowed by the restriction code FP (as you correctly identified in your question); you will just have to find an unreserved seat to sit in as your seat will obviously not be reserved for you on the other train (alternatively you can change your seat reservation at a ticket office up to the day before travel free of charge). Seat reservations are not compulsory on ordinary UK trains (except for sleeper trains and Eurostar), so you have the option of just boarding and trying to find a seat.
As for restriction code FP, the page you linked is indeed quite confusing. I think the page is trying to list the times between which the ticket is NOT valid, when boarding at various stations. For instance, it's NOT valid for trains timed to leave London Paddington between 04:30 and 09:19. It's quite strange not to have any text explaining this though!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Fijas, Mike B, Dziana Hasanbekava, Pixabay