Travel question: If a train is delayed is my ticket valid for off-peak travel?

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Ticket prices are determined by the scheduled departure time (Getty)

Q Last Thursday I wanted to travel from Oxford to Reading, arriving at about 9.30am. The cheap rate starts at 9.01am. I pitched up at Oxford station at 8.55am, to find a late-running train to Reading, the 8.54am, would be leaving shortly after 9am. How fortunate, I briefly thought, I’ll catch that train. But they wouldn’t let anybody board it with an off-peak ticket because “it’s not an off-peak train”. Were they correct?

Peter K

A Yes, the platform and/or train staff correctly applied the rules for cheaper tickets. The exact restriction is: “Not valid on trains timed to depart before 09:01.” However late the train was running, as it was scheduled to leave Oxford at 9am or earlier then off-peak tickets would not be valid. However petty and annoying that rule might sound, there is logic to it. The 9am restriction is there to avoid too much crowding on rush-hour services.