Advance Booking Dates
Find out how far in the future you can book your Advance tickets and seat reservations
Booking Horizons
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.
Normally, the timetable for any particular day is confirmed 12 weeks in advance. However there may be exceptions to this, where timetables and Advance tickets are not yet available 12 weeks in advance. This could be due to engineering work, special events, Bank Holidays, short notice changes to the timetable and many other reasons. Please check the Timetable Information page for further information.
Not all train companies offer Advance tickets or seat reservations. But for those that do, you can find details below.
Avanti West Coast
Saturday service: 9 January
Sunday service: 10 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Customers can make a seat reservation up to 10 minutes before departure from a station on all services (subject to availability).
Notes
None.
Caledonian Sleeper
These can be booked 12 months in advance.
Chiltern Railways: between Birmingham and London Marylebone
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes
None.
Chiltern Railways: between Oxford and London Marylebone
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes
None.
CrossCountry
Saturday service: 6 February
Sunday service: 7 February
Monday to Friday service: 16 April
Latest time of reservation
Up to 10 minutes before booked departure time.
Notes
Some service are open further than these dates via the CrossCountry website.
East Midlands Railway
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
None.
Grand Central
Saturday service: 9 January
Sunday service: 10 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes
Some services are open further than these dates via the Grand Central website.
Great Northern
Saturday service: 2 January
Sunday service: 3 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
Great Northern do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
For Saturdays and Sundays, advance fares for Great Northern services will be released approximately seven days after the amended timetable has been uploaded to journey planners. Check here for when the amended timetables will be uploaded.
Great Northern are currently closed for reservations on Sunday 27 December.
Great Western Railway (GWR)
Saturday service: 6 February
Sunday service: 7 February
Monday to Friday service: 12 February
Latest time of reservation
Up to 2 minutes before travel at any station on Great Western Railway routes.
Notes
Some tickets may be available beyond these dates for Monday to Friday dates on the Great Western Railway website.
Greater Anglia / Stansted Express
Saturday service: 9 January
Sunday service: 10 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
None.
Heathrow Express
Advance single fares are available to book up to 12 months before the travel date. To receive the discounted fare, you must book at least 30 days in advance of travel.
Hull Trains
Saturday service: 9 January
Sunday service: 27 December
Monday to Friday service: 9 April
Latest time of reservation
Up to 15:00 the day before travel for early morning services. Other services up to 4 hours before departing point of origin.
Notes
None.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 40 minutes before departing point of origin.
Tickets are available further in advance via the LNER website for most weekday journeys between London and the stations north of York, including Newcastle and Edinburgh. Subject to exceptions, such as Bank Holiday periods. You can also create a ticket alert for a future trip.
Notes
None.
London Northwestern Railway
Saturday service: 12 December
Sunday service: 13 December
Monday to Friday service: 18 December
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes
None.
Lumo
London Kings Cross - Edinburgh / Glasgow Queen Street
Saturday service: 9 January
Sunday service: 10 January
Monday to Friday service: 29 January
Latest time of reservation
Seats are reserved at time of booking, train operator does not allow seat reservations outside of the booking process.
Notes:
Some tickets may be available beyond these dates on the Lumo website.
Lumo Stirling
London Euston - Stirling
Saturday service: 26 December
Sunday service: 27 December
Monday to Friday service: 31 December
Latest time of reservation
Seats are reserved at time of booking, train operator does not allow seat reservations outside of the booking process.
Notes:
Some tickets may be available beyond these dates on the Lumo website.
Northern
Saturday service: 23 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
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.
ScotRail
Saturday service: 8 January
Sunday service: 9 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 2 hours before departing point of origin.
Notes
ScotRail are currently closed on the following routes:
Friday 27 November to Saturday 19 December:
Between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh / Wick
South Western Railway
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Advance tickets are available up to 30 minutes before departure time.
Notes
None.
Southeastern
Saturday service: 30 January
Sunday service: 31 January
Monday to Friday service: 29 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before.
Notes
Southeastern do not offer a specific seat allocation but use quota controls for controlling Advance tickets.
Southern
Saturday service: 2 January
Sunday service: 3 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
Southern do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
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. Check here for when the amended timetables will be uploaded.
Southern are currently closed for reservations on Sunday 27 December.
Thameslink
Saturday service: 2 January
Sunday service: 3 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
Thameslink do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.
For Saturdays and Sundays, advance fares for Thameslink services will be released approximately seven days after the amended timetable has been uploaded to journey planners. Check here for when the amended timetables will be uploaded.
Thameslink are currently closed for reservations on Sunday 27 December.
TransPennine Express
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 22 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
Some services are open further than these dates via the TransPennine Express website.
North Route:
None.
Anglo Scottish West Coast Route:
None.
South Route:
None.
Transport for Wales
Saturday service: 16 January
Sunday service: 17 January
Monday to Friday service: 15 January
Latest time of reservation
Up to 19:00 the day before travel for some early morning trains. Other services up to 4 hours before departure point of origin.
Notes
Ferries to / from Ireland - A limited number of sailings are available up to 12 weeks in advance of travel.
West Midlands Railway
Saturday service: 12 December
Sunday service: 13 December
Monday to Friday service: 18 December
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes
None.
Special Events
Please note: NO trains will operate on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day some train companies will run a very limited service, but most routes are closed.
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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