Buying Advance tickets and reserving seats...
Changes to train times
Changes to the timetable can sometimes be made at weekends and bank holidays to allow essential engineering work to be carried out. Trains may be retimed or re-routed. Occasionally the journey may involve travelling on a bus service. We have a dedicated area of our website which gives details about future engineering work.
Train Companies and Network Rail aim to provide information about changes to train times twelve weeks in advance.
Until the changes to the timetable are confirmed it is not always possible to buy Advance tickets or to make seat reservations on train services that may be affected by engineering work. Information about buying tickets.
When can I buy Advance Tickets and make seat reservations?
Below is a summary of the farthest travel dates in the future where it is possible to reserve seats today for those Train Companies offering seat reservations and Advance tickets .
Advance tickets are generally not available earlier than 12 weeks before the date of travel.
Once train times are confirmed, Advance tickets will begin to appear in our Journey Planner. You will be able to find full details of availability and choose to buy them from your preferred retailer.
| Train Company | Monday to Friday services | Saturday services | Sunday services |
| Arriva Trains Wales | 20 Mar | 21 Mar | 22 Mar |
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Notes: Ship reservations
Reservations are available until 22 Mar |
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| CrossCountry | 20 Mar | 07 Feb | 08 Feb |
| Liverpool / Norwich routes | 13 Mar | 14 Mar | 08 Mar |
| London routes | 13 Mar | 07 Mar | 08Mar |
| First Great Western | 18 Mar | 14 Mar | 15 Mar |
| First Transpennine Express | 20 Mar | 14 Mar | 15 Mar |
| Hull Trains | 13 Mar | 07 Mar | 08 Mar |
| London Midland | 03 Apr | 04 Apr | 29 Mar |
| National Express East Anglia | 27 Mar | 14 Mar | 15 Mar |
| National Express East Coast | 20 Mar | 14 Mar | 15 Mar |
| ScotRail | 27 Mar | 21 Mar | 22 Mar |
| Notes: Sleeper reservations are available until 27 Mar | |||
| South West Trains | 27 Mar | 28 Mar | 29 Mar |
| Except Weymouth route | 21 Mar | 22Mar | |
| Virgin Trains | 20 Mar | 14 mar | 08 Feb |
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Notes: Virgin Trains reservations are not available on North Wales / Chester routes Saturdays 07 & 21 Feb Sundays 01 & 08 Feb Mon-Fri 03 to19 Mar |
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Last updated: 8January 2009 |
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Special Events
The availability of Advance tickets could be affected by special event taking place along the route of the journey. Please check before travelling.