Options for returning from Paddington to Reading

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Today (Tuesday) I travelled from Reading to Paddington on an off-peak day return with a 60+ railcard. (I bought the ticket yesterday.) I travelled up on a mainline train at 10.55. When I bought the ticket I wasn’t sure when I would be returning so I picked an Elizabeth line return at 17.50.
Coming back I got to Paddington much earlier, 3pm, so I thought I could get a mainline train. I got on the Worcester Shrub Hill train. The announcement on the train said off peak tickets were valid, but then they said an advanced ticket naming a different train wasn’t valid. Since my ticket named the Elizabeth Line and I bought the ticket yesterday I got off, and went and caught the Elizabeth Line, which involved sitting on the floor of the station for 20 mins and then standing for the first 20 mins of the 50 min journey.

What is my best strategy for getting a return train I can sit down on, and is it ever possible to return on a mainline train with an off peak ticket that isn’t a specific train you picked in advance?

As an aside, what sort of train ticket would you need to be able to turn up at the station (with a ticket), look at the “next fastest train to” board, and get on the next fastest train to Reading?

Many Thanks

 

[jfollows]

An off-peak day return Reading-London has restriction code O9 which you can look up at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/validity/o9/
Evening restrictions only start at 16:00, so your earlier train was valid.
This ticket is not an advance ticket and you can use it on any train except as listed in the restrictions for the ticket.

If you pay more for an Anytime day return you can use any train.

You did not buy an Advance ticket, which is for a specific train. You were probably confused by being required to specify a train if you were buying online. All this does for an off-peak return is to verify that the ticket is valid for the service you specify, and says nothing about validity on other services.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

An off-peak day return Reading-London has restriction code O9 which you can look up at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/validity/o9/
Evening restrictions only start at 16:00, so your earlier train was valid.
This ticket is not an advance ticket and you can use it on any train except as listed in the restrictions for the ticket.

If you pay more for an Anytime day return you can use any train.

On top of which the ticket can be used on SWR Waterloo-Staines-Reading services (within their time restrictions).

 

[jfollows]

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-and-offers/ticket-types/ gives more details on different ticket types

Times you can use Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets​

In general, Off-Peak hours begin at 09:30 from Monday to Friday in cities and large towns, and at 09:00 everywhere else. If your train is scheduled to depart after this time in the morning, you can usually travel with an Off-Peak ticket, although evening restrictions may apply. Weekends and bank holidays are Off-Peak all day. If an Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket is valid for your journey, journey planners will make them available to purchase. The details of the trains that you can catch and the times that you can travel will depend on the journey you are making, and will be made available when you buy your ticket. Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets will have a Restriction Code that tells you when it is valid for your journey. You can search for your Restriction Code using our Ticket Validity Finder tool.

 

[Fmb232]

An off-peak day return Reading-London has restriction code O9 which you can look up at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/validity/o9/
Evening restrictions only start at 16:00, so your earlier train was valid.
This ticket is not an advance ticket and you can use it on any train except as listed in the restrictions for the ticket.

If you pay more for an Anytime day return you can use any train.

You did not buy an Advance ticket, which is for a specific train. You were probably confused by being required to specify a train if you were buying online. All this does for an off-peak return is to verify that the ticket is valid for the service you specify, and says nothing about validity on other services.

Many thanks for clarifying about the Advanced ticket. I foolishly thought that because I had bought the ticket in advance, that it was an Advanced ticket. Thinking about it, if he had done the announcement the other way round “Advanced tickets not valid, Off peak tickets valid” I might have stayed on the train.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-and-offers/ticket-types/ gives more details on different ticket types

This is very helpful, thank you

 

[jfollows]

Advance tickets are for specific trains, so by definition they are valid on the specified trains and - generally - invalid on other trains.
You can buy the day return ticket on the day, at the station, from a person or a machine if you want. I never personally buy them earlier in case my plans change. But you may prefer to anyway.

 

[Fmb232]

Advance tickets are for specific trains, so by definition they are valid on the specified trains and - generally - invalid on other trains.
You can buy the day return ticket on the day, at the station, from a person or a machine if you want. I never personally buy them earlier in case my plans change. But you may prefer to anyway.

You were right that I was confused by the fact that the app forces you to select a return train. So I thought the ticket was for a specific train. I knew I was allowed to get “another valid train”, but in this circumstance I thought it might mean another Elizabeth Line train. There are so many restrictions and exceptions it’s hard to know what train you are allowed to catch.

 

[jfollows]

You were right that I was confused by the fact that the app forces you to select a return train. So I thought the ticket was for a specific train. I knew I was allowed to get “another valid train”, but in this circumstance I thought it might mean another Elizabeth Line train. There are so many restrictions and exceptions it’s hard to know what train you are allowed to catch.

I sympathise with you and understand what you’re saying. Hopefully we’ve helped clarify for you to help with future trips.

 

[Fmb232]

I sympathise with you and understand what you’re saying. Hopefully we’ve helped clarify for you to help with future trips.

Yes I’m feeling more confident now that I know what to do. Thank you

 

[JonathanH]

From a practical perspective, the return portion of an off-peak day return between Reading and London Paddington can only be used on Elizabeth Line services between 1600 and 1919, other than on the 1850 and 1906 GWR services. However, outside that window GWR and Elizabeth Line services can be used.

 

[Fmb232]

From a practical perspective, the return portion of an off-peak day return between Reading and London Paddington can only be used on Elizabeth Line services between 1600 and 1919, other than on the 1850 and 1906 GWR services. However, outside that window GWR and Elizabeth Line services can be used.

Thank you. I knew it used to be possible to catch the slower mainline trains during peak time, but the last time I arrived at Paddington during peak it just seemed that every train on the board said off peak not valid. I thought perhaps now the Elizabeth line was the only option. I will look out for those two trains.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Thank you. I knew it used to be possible to catch the slower mainline trains during peak time, but the last time I arrived at Paddington during peak it just seemed that every train on the board said off peak not valid. I thought perhaps now the Elizabeth line was the only option. I will look out for those two trains.

It was when the GWR locals to Didcot were speeded up with Slough or Maidenhead the first stop, that they got added to the long list of trains where Paddington or Travelcard Off Peak tickets were not valid. As you say that just leaves Elizabeth Line in the peak. You may want to check their timings to Reading on the Elizabeth as I think there's a train or two that are limited stop and thus a bit faster.

Although Paddington staff seem to struggle with the concept according to reports on the forum, off peak tickets from the other side of London may well still be valid. The restriction code is your friend.

I think in general that within the London commuting area "Advance" tickets restricted to a single train are rare. Tickets bought in advance of travel are not "Advance" unless they say so. I don't think ticker sellers help the confusion by demanding to know what train you want to catch. I'm from an earlier generation where you bought a ticket at a ticket office or machine and then checked to find out when you can use it.