Buying Advance tickets and reserving seats
Changes to train times
Sometimes, there can be changes to train times 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 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.
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.
Advance tickets are sold in limited numbers, and so subject to availability.
Information about buying tickets
| Train Company | Monday to Friday services | Saturday services | Sunday services |
| Arriva Trains Wales | 29 January | 12 December | 06 December |
| Arriva Trains Wales are not open for reservations on Friday 8 January 2010 | |||
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Ferry reservations to Ireland open until 30 January 2010 From Monday 5 October there will be only one fast craft sailing in each direction between Holyhead and Dublin Ferryport. To get options for your journey, please view this timetable |
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| CrossCountry | 29 January | 30 January | 31 January |
| Liverpool - Norwich route | 29 January | 23 January | 24 January |
| London route | 29 January | 23 January | 24 January |
| East Midlands Trains are not open on Saturday 2 January on the London Route | |||
| First Great Western | 29 January | 23 January | 24 January |
| First Hull Trains | 29 January | 23 January | 17 January |
| First TransPennine Express | 29 January | 30 January | 31 January |
| London Midland | 29 January | 30 January | 31 January |
| National Express East Anglia | 29 January | 02 January | 03 January |
| National Express East Coast | 29 January | 30 January | 31 January |
| ScotRail | 29 January | 23 January | 24 January |
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ScotRail Sleeper services are open up to Friday 29 January 2010 |
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| South West Trains | 29 January | 23 January | 24 January |
| South West Trains are open up to Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January on the London Waterloo - Weymouth route | |||
| Virgin Trains | 27 January | 23 January | 24 January |
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Last updated: 6 November 2009 |
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Special Events
The availability of Advance tickets could be affected by special events taking place along the route of the journey. Please check before travelling.
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