Why some commuters don’t need to wait until 9:30am for cheaper train tickets
Every morning after the main rush hour, people can be seen loitering outside tube stations waiting for the 9:30am off-peak prices to kick in — but not every station is the same.
Some stations on the edges of London could have a lengthy wait for the first train to leave after 9:30am, so they have different rules for when the off-peak prices can apply.
But only for people making several trips during the day.
At some stations, a person tapping in before 9:30am will still be charged a standard peak fare for the trip. But, the daily cap on how much they will pay for their fares all day will be calculated as if they had tapped in after 9:30am.
For example, a person travelling from Chalfont & Latimer in Zone 8 to central London could catch a train at 9:28am if they don’t mind paying peak rates, but to get off-peak rates, they’d have to wait until 9:41am.
Normally, if they tap in to start their journey before 9:30am, they would see their total fare for the whole day capped at £20.10. However, thanks to the variation at some edge of London stations, that same customer can catch the 9:28am train and their daily cap will be the off-peak rate of £15.60.
So for people making at least three trips in the day — say into central London and then around town a couple of times, the slightly early off-peak fare cap can be a useful time saving.
As only some off-peak travellers would benefit from the savings, it also helps reduce the crowding a bit on the first off-peak train. People making just a simple there and back return not would need to wait until after 9:30am, whereas day trippers making several hops around London could catch the earlier train.
Off-peak caps at different times
If you travel from a station listed below on a weekday, between the touch in time and 09:30, you’re charged a peak pay as you go fare. However, your journey will count towards an off-peak cap.
| Station | Touch in from | First train they can catch | First train after 9:30am |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chalfont & Latimer | 09:20 | 09:28 | 09:41 |
| Amersham | 09:10 | 09:10 | 09:41 |
| Chesham | 09:10 | 09:31 | 09:31 |
| Bushey | 09:20 | 09:27 | 09:36 |
| Carpenders Park | 09:20 | 09:23 | 09:38 |
| Enfield Chase | 09:20 | 09:31 | 10:01 |
| Hertford North | 09:20 | 09:44 | 09:44 |
| Watford High Street | 09:10 | 09:18 | 09:33 |
| Burnham (contactless only) | 09:10 | 09:20 | 09:34 |
| Slough (contactless only) | 09:20 | 09:24 | 09:38 |
| Taplow (contactless only) | 09:10 | 09:17 | 09:43 |
| Maidenhead (contactless only) | 09:18 | 09:24 | 09:40 |
| Twyford (contactless only) | 09:10 | 09:15 | 09:33 |
Also, on the Marlow GWR branch where TfL contactless is accepted – so passengers can catch the 9:24am Maidenhead train into London.
| Station | Touch in from | First train they can catch | First train after 9:30am |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow | 08:50 | 08:58 | 10:00 |
| Bourne End | 08:50 | 09:09 | 10:11 |
| Cookham | 09:00 | 09:13 | 10:14 |
| Furze Platt | 09:00 | 09:16 | 10:18 |
TfL give a few minutes’ grace period at every station – three minutes before off-peak starts, and five minutes after peak starts.
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-1798-1718
Minor typo, an extra “not” that should not be there?
People making just a simple there and back return not would need to wait until after 9:30am
Is it still correct that the Off peak actually starts at 09.27 to allow for variations in time?
I’ve always tried to steer clear of peak fares, but could someone clarify if the touch out time has any impact? Is the only thing defining the rate of charge the touch-in time? e.g. is travel starting at 15:55 charged at off peak if touch out is 18:45 because you stopped for food/drink whilst transmitting Liverpool Street station?
Mark, that depends on the stop you’re making at Liverpool Street, if you’re changing trains, underground to NR then it’s the same journey so touch in time is all that matters. If you leave and re-enter the same service, or don’t keep to maximum interchange times, then it’s 2 separate journeys and each touch in is charged accordingly
Smiliar variation for the Network rail card – but a lot of these are far more than a few minutes of easment!
List available on this page
https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/about-the-railcard/using-your-railcard/
If only tfl would focus on increasing capacity, or even just not letting issues like degraded rolling stock decrease capacity. The basics of public transportation have been lost with their bells & whistles pursuit of “every journey matters”.
Hi – for Slough, the next train into London Paddington is the GWR 09.31 so I’m guessing you can use that too. Correct re next Elizabeth Line is 09.38
Also thanks for the useful info
Only if you can run from the station entrance and over the footbridge to the other side of the station in less than a minute. Which is why I excluded that one from the calculation.
What about Watford Met, Croxley and Rickmansworth? Do they have an earlier off peak time?
I love watching the Clapham Junction 9.27 Pensioners sprint event. Rather than all starting in a straight line, as in the Olympics, they form an arc to permit maximum jostling when the clock on the display clicks to 9.27 and then they are off like greyhounds. Its an amazing sight and i wonder if their doctors know how fast they can move?
And Freedom Passes and Over 60’s Oyster? At Enfield Chase it’s 09:27 for the barriers to open automatically for the 09:31 to Moorgate, unless the staff open the barriers to let through the rampaging hordes of we older types filling the entrance – and the train is *busy!*
This was a constant issue with GWR ticket machines at Paddington. Turn-up-and-go off-peak and some Railcard fares were not available to purchase until 10AM, with valid trains leaving only a few minutes later. Getting a ticket in time was a lottery. You could join the queue in the ticket office (never well-staffed) and waste 20 minutes. Or wait an hour for the next train, reducing the actual “off-peak” period by an hour
The ticket machines were actually programmed to accept your input of Railcard and/or off-peak, but then only sell a more expensive ticket (with no indication the discount(s) had not been applied). GWR must have raked in millions from unsuspecting casual users and tourists
It’s better with the app