"Valid only via London" & break of journey at destination & without resumption?

[Starmill]

It's always unwise to continue using a ticket after you've arrived at the station it describes as the destination. In rare cases, a convincing argument for its further permitted use could be made, and this might be one such rare case. But I wouldn't bother.

 

[sheff1]

Whatever @Watershed may say about using the ticket after "breaking" the journey at Luton, do not imagine that using it to travel from Luton to London the next day will be possible without difficulty. I cannot imagine that barrier staff at Luton will see such a ticket as valid for entering the station for travel to London.

I imagine that will indeed be the case .... after all, it is not uncommon that barrier staff seek to prevent valid travel in far more straightforward circumstances.

It's always unwise to continue using a ticket after you've arrived at the station it describes as the destination. In rare cases, a convincing argument for its further permitted use could be made, and this might be one such rare case. But I wouldn't bother.

If I had the ticket described and wanted to use it in this fashion I would break/resume my journey at Luton Airport Parkway.

 

[Haywain]

If I had the ticket described and wanted to use it in this fashion I would break/resume my journey at Luton Airport Parkway.

I don't think that would make things any easier.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think that would make things any easier.

Indeed. The reason it seems to exist is mostly so you can go via Euston (it's set by Avanti), but also to take account of the fact that services north from Luton are rather poor if you do want to head via Sheffield (this is the same situation as Watford as someone above pointed out). If you've managed to travel to/from the north without going via London, then it will be seen that the railway has provided what you wanted - getting to Luton, not having a random trip via London.

Thus it might be technically allowed (and I stand corrected on that as above) but you likely will get hassle, possibly even as far as having to appeal a Penalty Fare or even defend a Court case.

 

[yorkie]

Are you suggesting that your "full" journey would then be MAN-NOT, NOT-STP (London St Pancras), then STP-LUT to fulfill the "via London" part, and you would stop short at Luton since the train calls there on the way to St Pancras?

I would hazard a guess of no, since that would be both doubling back, and (by my understanding) your ticket's validity ends when you reach your destination (in this case, when you call at LUT on the NOT-STP leg).

What makes you say that? There is no such blanket rule against doubling back; that's a myth! I suspect you are getting confused about the Routeing guide map stage which disallows doubling back.

The ticket explicitly permits doubling back, as it is routed as such, if the route via Bedford is taken.

However if intending to double back there is an argument that a train should be taken which does not call at the final destination on the ticket; in this case no double back is intended so the ticket can be finished at the destination without completing a double back and there is absolutely no rule against that!

 

[miklcct]

I don't think that would make things any easier.

At least in this case the ticket barrier won't eat the ticket, and it's likely that the ticket can work the barrier as well.

If I explicitly want to double-back in this matter I will buy a ticket which the destination isn't the same as the place I want to break my journey.

 

[sheff1]

I don't think that would make things any easier.

I think it would, as you would not be breaking your journey at the destination station printed on the ticket.

If the OP does make the journey it would be interesting to hear how they get on.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

I think it would, as you would not be breaking your journey at the destination station printed on the ticket.

I think there was a similar query about whether a High Wycombe to Manchester via London return was valid on a Chiltern train from Birmingham stopping at High Wycombe. It may even have been whether it was valid on a Cross Country service via Birmingham.

 

[Watershed]

It's always unwise to continue using a ticket after you've arrived at the station it describes as the destination. In rare cases, a convincing argument for its further permitted use could be made, and this might be one such rare case. But I wouldn't bother.

I guess for the OP there is potentially quite a saving at stake, as they may need to pay as much as £31.60 for an SVR between Luton and London otherwise. I agree that recommencing the journey at Luton Airport Parkway may be a more pragmatic approach though.

I don't think that would make things any easier.

Why wouldn't it? It is unambiguously a valid place to break your journey having gone via London. Barrier staff don't need to know that you actually intend to use the ticket in the other direction; indeed the Luton Airport Parkway barrier staff have seemed rather disinterested and simply waved me through on the multiple occasions that my ticket hasn't operated the barriers.

I think there was a similar query about whether a High Wycombe to Manchester via London return was valid on a Chiltern train from Birmingham stopping at High Wycombe. It may even have been whether it was valid on a Cross Country service via Birmingham.

It would be valid on either.