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Advance Tickets and 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 for each available service, and so are subject to availability.
Information about buying tickets
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.
Advance ticket & reservation information last updated 20 November 2020
Temporary Timetable Change
Normally, the timetable for any particular day is confirmed 12 weeks in advance. For a temporary period Network Rail isn’t able to do this, instead confirming timetables 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Please check here for further information
Caledonian Sleeper
These can be booked 12 months in advance.
Chiltern Railways - between Birmingham and London Marylebone
Saturday service:
6 February
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
12 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes:
Advance tickets are not available on the following dates: 22 November
and 27 December to 1 January
Chiltern Railways - between Oxford and London Marylebone
Saturday service:
6 February
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
12 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes:
Advance tickets are not available on the following dates: 22 November
and 27 December to 1 January
CrossCountry - East to West routes
Routes:
Between Nottingham and Cardiff via Birmingham, Stansted Airport and Birmingham New Street via Leicester.
Saturday service:
12 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
11 December
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 21:00 the day before travel but some routes may close earlier.
Notes:
Reservations are closed for the following dates: 21-22 November and 28-29 November.
CrossCountry - North to South routes
Routes:
Between Scotland and South West, Newcastle and Southampton, Manchester and Bournemouth / Bristol.
Saturday service:
12 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
11 December
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 15 minutes before customers board the train when booked through CrossCountry's website or app, and at a select number of online retailers / travel agents.
Notes:
Reservations are closed for the following dates: 21-22 November and 28-29 November.
East Midlands Railway - Between Liverpool and Norwich
Saturday service:
2 January
Sunday service:
7 February
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
Train times will be amended at short notice as a result of the current Covid-19 outbreak, please check train times before travelling.
Reservations are closed for the following dates: 10 / 17 / 24 / 31 January.
East Midlands Railway - London route
Saturday service:
6 February
Sunday service:
27 December
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Notes:
Train times will be amended at short notice as a result of the current Covid-19 outbreak, please check train times before travelling.
Reservations can be made up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Reservations are closed for the following dates: 13 December
Grand Central
Saturday service:
19 December
Sunday service:
20 December
Monday to Friday service:
12 February
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 4 hours before departing origin point.
Notes:
Great Western Railway
Saturday service:
19 December
Sunday service:
27 December
Monday to Friday service:
29 January
Latest time of reservation:
Up until 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes:
Reservations are currently closed on Sunday 13 December
Night Rivera Sleeper reservations (both seats and berths) are available for Monday to Friday dates up to 11 December.
Greater Anglia / Stansted Express
Saturday service:
6 February
Sunday service:
7 February
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
Closed on the Norwich route on 27 Dec - 3 Jan and 9 / 10 / 16 / 17 / 23 / 24 / 30 / 31 January and 6 / 7 February.
Closed on the Clacton route on 27 Dec - 3 Jan and 9 / 10 / 16 / 17 / 23 / 24 / 30 / 31 January and 6 / 7 February.
Hull Trains
Saturday service:
19 December
Sunday service:
20 December
Monday to Friday service:
24 December
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 15:00 day before travel for early morning services.
Other services up to 4 hours before departing point of origin.
Up to Wednesday 2 December, no Hull trains services will run as a result of Covid19 changes.
LNER
Saturday service:
5 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
18 December
Notes:
Reservations are closed for the following dates:
12 / 13 December.
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 23:59 day before travel for some early morning trains.
Up to 40 minutes before departing point of origin.
Tickets are available further in advance for most weekday journeys between London and the stations north of York, including Newcastle and Edinburgh. Subject to exceptions, such as Bank Holiday periods.
Northern
Saturday service:
13 February
Sunday service:
14 February
Monday to Friday service:
19 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
Northern do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
Due to alterations made because of Covid19, some routes are not currently available to book.
ScotRail
Saturday service:
12 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
11 December
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 23:59 day before travel for some early morning trains.
Up to 2 hours before departing point of origin.
Notes:
The following routes are closed.
Southeastern
Saturday service:
5 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
11 December
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 18:00 the day before.
Notes:
Southeastern do not offer a specific seat allocation but use quota controls for controlling Advance tickets.
Weekend services will only be opened once train times have been confirmed.
Advance tickets are currently unavailable from 21 December to 1 January, and midweek reservations are currently unavailable in November and December.
Southern
Saturday service:
2 January
Sunday service:
3 January
Monday to Friday service:
12 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes:
Southern do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
Advance tickets are not currently open for 12 /13 / 19 / 20 December.
For Saturdays and Sundays, advance fares for Southern services will be released approximately seven days after the amended timetable has been uploaded to journey planners. Details of when the amended timetables will be uploaded are available here.
Advance tickets will not be available between 25 December and 3 January as a result of engineering work in the Gatwick Airport area.
South Western Railway - Between London Waterloo and Weymouth
Saturday service:
5 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
South Western Railway do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
Reservations are closed between 23 December and 1 January inclusive.
South Western Railway - West of England
Saturday service:
5 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
South Western Railway do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
Reservations are closed between 23 December and 1 January inclusive.
South Western Railway - Portsmouth route, Isle of Wight
Saturday service:
12 December
Sunday service:
6 December
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
South Western Railway do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
Reservations are closed on 5 December, and between 23 December and 1 January inclusive.
TransPennine Express
Saturday service:
6 February
Sunday service:
7 February
Monday to Friday service:
5 February
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes:
North Route:
Liverpool – Manchester – Leeds – York – Newcastle
Manchester Airport – Manchester – Leeds – York – Middlesbrough – Redcar Central
York – Scarborough
Manchester – Leeds – Hull
Stopping services between Manchester & Huddersfield, Huddersfield & Leeds
• Sunday 24th January 2021. Services that operate to/from Liverpool are currently unavailable due to engineering work between Manchester and Liverpool.
• Sunday 31st January 2021. All North route services currently unavailable due to engineering work taking place at multiple locations across the route.
• Sunday 7th February 2021. Manchester – Hull services currently unavailable due to engineering work between Leeds and Selby & Manchester and Stalybridge.
Anglo Scottish Route:
Manchester Airport – Manchester – Preston – Carlisle – Edinburgh / Glasgow
Liverpool – Preston – Carlisle - Glasgow
Please note TPE are not currently taking reservations or selling Advance tickets for First Class on the Anglo Scottish route until further notice.
• New Years Day – Friday 1st January 2021. Services currently unavailable due to engineering work between Manchester and Preston
• Weekends 9th – 17th January 2021. Services currently unavailable due to engineering work north of Preston.
• Sunday 31st January 2021. Services currently unavailable due to engineering work in the Bolton area.
South Route:
Manchester Airport – Manchester – Sheffield – Doncaster – Cleethorpes
• Sundays 10th – 24th January 2021. Services Currently unavailable due to engineering work between Manchester and Sheffield.
Transport for Wales
Saturday service:
Closed
Sunday service:
Closed
Monday to Friday service:
Closed
Latest time of reservation:
Up to 19:00 day before travel for some early morning trains.
Other services up to 4 hours before departure point of origin.
Notes:
All advance ticket sales are closed as a result of Covid-19.
Ferry reservations to Ireland are closed.
West Midlands Trains
Saturday service:
19 December
Sunday service:
20 December
Monday to Friday service:
25 December
Latest time of reservation:
Information will be added when available.
Notes:
Special Events
Please note: NO trains will operate on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day some Train Operating Companies will run a very limited service.
The availability of Advance tickets could be affected by special events taking place along the route of the journey. Please check before travelling.
- Avanti West Coast,
- c2c,
- Chiltern Railways,
- CrossCountry,
- East Midlands Railway,
- Eurostar,
- Gatwick Express,
- Grand Central,
- Great Western Railway,
- Greater Anglia,
- Heathrow Connect,
- Heathrow Express,
- Hull Trains,
- Island Line,
- London North Eastern Railway,
- London Overground,
- Merseyrail,
- National Rail,
- Northern,
- Rail Delivery Group,
- ScotRail,
- South Western Railway,
- Southeastern,
- Southern,
- Stansted Express,
- TfL Rail,
- TransPennine Express,
- Transport for Wales,
- West Midlands Trains
Last updated: 20 November 2020
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