National Rail Conditions of Travel - Part D: Using your Ticket

16. Break of Journey

Information
Most Tickets allow you to break your journey. This means that you do not have to make the whole of your journey at the same time or, where allowed, on the same day. Please note that Advance Tickets do not permit a break of journey. The special conditions for Advance Tickets can be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk/advancetickets. Other national Ticket types normally allow break of journey with the exception of the outward portion of some longer distance Off-Peak Returns. Where this is the case, it is made clear in the restrictions applying to those Tickets.

Information

Most Tickets allow you to break your journey. This means that you do not have to make the whole of your journey at the same time or, where allowed, on the same day. Please note that Advance Tickets do not permit a break of journey. The special conditions for Advance Tickets can be found at www.nationalrail.co.uk/advancetickets.

Other national Ticket types normally allow break of journey with the exception of the outward portion of some longer distance Off-Peak Returns. Where this is the case, it is made clear in the restrictions applying to those Tickets.

16.1 Where break of journey is allowed, there is no limit to the number of times that you can do so within a Ticket’s period of validity, until the journey is completed.

16.2 Unless excluded as part of a specific Ticket's terms and conditions you may start, or break and resume, a journey (in either direction in the case of a return Ticket) at any intermediate station, except as shown in Condition 16.3 below, provided that the Ticket you hold is valid for the trains you want to use. You may also end your journey (in either direction in the case of a return Ticket) before the destination shown on the Ticket.

16.3 Where a train service makes a circular journey and can be used in either direction to reach the destination on your Ticket you can travel either way regardless of the length of the journey - you do not need to take the shortest route. However, if you take the longer route, you cannot leave that service at an intermediate station where the fare would have been higher. If you do so, clause 16.4 will apply.

16.4 If you start, break or resume your journey at an intermediate station where you are not entitled to do so, you will be liable to pay an excess fare. The price for this will be the difference between the amount paid for the Ticket you hold and the lowest price Ticket available for immediate travel that would have entitled you to start, break or resume your journey at the station concerned.

16.5 Tickets valid for travel across London using Transport for London services do not entitle you to break your journey on London Underground, the Elizabeth line between London Paddington and Stratford and between London Padding and Abbey Wood and/or the Docklands Light Railway, unless your Ticket is a Season Ticket or a travelcard covering the Zones in which you are travelling.