Permitted Routes

[Zomboid]

Hi all,

Hoping some expertise is available on here to help.

If I bought an Oxford to London 1-6 season ticket, would it be valid for using Oxford Parkway?

I believe that intermediate stations are generally ok, but Oxford Parkway seems to be an odd one, as the only London ticket which seems to be available specifies via High Wycombe. So if I needed to use Paddington (or more likely intermediate stations on the GWML) for any reason, I'd want a ticket that's valid that way as well as on the MYB route.

So would an Oxford - London any permitted do the job, even if OXP is the usual station I'd use?

[ColinK]

Do Oxford and Oxford Parkway count as ‘Oxford Stations’ for ticketing purposes? If they do, then you should be able to travel from either (but there may still be a route restriction).

 

There may be a choice of tickets too, Great Western only, Chiltern only, and all operators.

 

You may need to call in at the booking office to get the answer.

[Gwiwer]

Oxford and Oxford Parkway do not count as "Oxford Stations" so far as I can determine.  I cannot find any fares for "Oxford Stations".

 

A return ticket between Oxford and London Terminals is valid via "Any Permitted Route" (AP) if sold at the Anytime or Off-Peak rates but is specific to a point-to-point journey by the named operator if sold at a greater discount.  Off-peak and Anytime tickets are valid for break of journey therefore they should, again so far as I can determine, be accepted when alighting at Oxford Parkway travelling via High Wycombe but not when travelling via Reading.  The logic being that when travelling from Paddington via Reading one has reached the ticketed destination at Oxford and to travel further (as in to Parkway) is deemed a new journey.  When travelling from Parkway the direct route is via High Wycombe and a different fare applies via Reading.  

 

Paddington - Oxford via Reading is 63 1/2 miles; via High Wycombe it is 66 1/2.  Parkway is 67 miles via Reading but only 63 via High Wycombe.  The difference is slight but will affect pricing.  "AP" tickets often permit a passenger to travel via a longer and (usually) slower route than the direct one should they wish to.  Another example to hand is Victoria or London Bridge to Brighton for which the normal route is via Haywards Heath but AP offers via Crawley and Littlehampton or Ford but not Barnham because of the double-back distance meaning one must travel on the slow portion of Arun Valley trains.  It also permits Victoria - Sutton - Horsham - Littlehampton or Ford - Brighton.  But Southern Only, Thameslink Only or any of the range of heavily discounted tickets available will only be valid via Haywards Heath unless the train booked that way is diverted.

 

As always ticketing is a minefield and one should take the average of three opinions when it comes to ticketing less usual or more complex journeys.  

 

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by Gwiwer

[DY444]

Providing your season is not restricted to just GWR or Chiltern then it is valid into both Paddington and Marylebone.  A season is also valid to/from intermediate stations on a permitted route so you should be fine at Oxford Parkway.  Even journeys like Oxford Parkway to Paddington via Oxford will be fine too as you are remaining entirely on the permitted routes for your ticket.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by DY444