Train Questions?

Question

1. What are the Peak times on trains?

2. When you buy an off peak day travel card to London can you use it to get on the tube during Peak Times?

3. Is it cheaper to buy your train ticket a few days in advance?

Answer 1

1) There really is no simple answer to this question. During the week, peak time depends on the train company and the exact journey being made. (Journeys made at weekends are always off peak.)

For longish distance journeys to, from, and via London, there are generally "shoulder peak" periods in the late morning and in the afternoon where journeys are cheaper than during the morning peak, but more expensive than off peak.

For other large cities, such as Manchester, there's generally just a morning peak. For smallish cities like Newcastle, all journeys are treated as off peak (unless they start, end or go via Manchester, London etc.)

Needless to say, it can be very confusing and you have to check it on a journey by journey basis.

For journeys made within London (e.g. on the tube), peak time means before 9.30am, Monday to Friday. Everything else is off peak.

2) No. An off peak travel card can only be used at off peak times, which means after 9.30am Monday to Friday or all day on Saturday or Sunday.

3) Usually, yes - if it's a long distance journey. Advance tickets (valid on specific trains) are normally available up to one day before travel and these can be a lot cheaper than tickets bought on the day. The further ahead you book, the more you can save - to get the very cheapest tickets, you normally have to book several weeks in advance and travel on an off peak train.