travel via any permitted route

• Search forums
• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread !
• Fares, Ticketing & Routeing
• Fares Advice & Policy

What does “Any Permitted Route” really mean?

• Thread starter Purple Orange
• Start date 31 May 2021
• 31 May 2021

Purple Orange

On moderation.

I’m hoping to get some guidance on what “Any Permitted” means on the potential route if I buy an open return ticket. Often I have had to travel to more than one destination and I’m not sure if an open return ticket would work or not? Let’s say I’m travelling between Manchester & London, but I need to also go to Sheffield. Does an open return ticket enable me to travel from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, then return from London St. Pancras to Sheffield, then Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly?  

RailUK Forums

Veteran Member

Purple Orange said: I’m hoping to get some guidance on what “Any Permitted” means on the potential route if I buy an open return ticket. Often I have had to travel to more than one destination and I’m not sure if an open return ticket would work or not? Let’s say I’m travelling between Manchester & London, but I need to also go to Sheffield. Does an open return ticket enable me to travel from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, then return from London St. Pancras to Sheffield, then Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly? Click to expand...

Haywain said: Some do, some don’t, it depends on which stations and what routes are permitted for the specific ticket. You’ll need to provide more details to get a better answer. Click to expand...

alistairlees

Established member.

Purple Orange said: That’s the question - what constitutes a permitted route. It’s not immediately obvious in many cases. Click to expand...

Routeing Guide Data This guide shows the full range of permitted routes available for use with tickets on the National Rail network. The content has been approved by the Department for Transport. If you are planning a journey we would strongly advise you to make use of the Journey Planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk . Any ticket indicated for use in conjunction with a particular journey when using the Journey Planner will automatically be valid for the route and service indicated Click to expand...

Forum Staff

Purple Orange said: I’m hoping to get some guidance on what “Any Permitted” means on the potential route if I buy an open return ticket. Often I have had to travel to more than one destination and I’m not sure if an open return ticket would work or not? Click to expand...

13.1. Your Ticket may show that it is valid only on certain train services, such as those of a particular Train Company, or on trains travelling via a certain route or routes. If no specific route or Train Company is shown, then (subject to any time restrictions for the type of fare you have purchased) it will be valid on: 13.1.1. any direct train service between the station(s) shown on your Ticket; 13.1.2. by any services (including any change of trains) over the shortest route which can be used by scheduled passenger services between the stations shown on your Ticket; 13.1.3. any other routes as shown in the ‘National Routeing Guide’. Click to expand...

The easiest way to check for valid routes is to use the journey planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk . You can also check the National Routeing Guide which is available at data.atoc.org/routeing-guide or ask the Ticket seller when you buy your Ticket Click to expand...

Purple Orange said: Let’s say I’m travelling between Manchester & London, but I need to also go to Sheffield. Does an open return ticket enable me to travel from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, then return from London St. Pancras to Sheffield, then Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly? Click to expand...

LNW-GW Joint

The NRE web site can draw you a map of valid routes for your ticket in its journey planner, based on the Routeing Guide. I have very rarely used it, and I suspect it is rather too simplistic and won't show ALL alternative routes. just the most obvious ones. Apart from via Sheffield or Lichfield, Manchester-London Any Permitted includes via Birmingham, Oxford/High Wycombe, including many alternative routes through the West Midlands, with any operator on the line of route. If you put the desired route into the NRE journey planner, it will tell you if the fare is valid by that route (or if not it will say you need multiple tickets for that journey). Also beware that "route restrictions" can also double as "operator restrictions" even though it may not say that on the ticket. eg A long distance ticket to London "Via Peterborough" pretty much forces you onto LNER, and "Via Rugby" onto Avanti. "Via High Wycombe" puts you on Chiltern, "Via Cheltenham" onto XC, "Via Hereford" onto TfW. Possibly all this ticketing subtlety will vanish or be much "simplified" under GBR, but the hints are that tickets will still be "Regionalised" in some way (as BR was).  

LNW-GW Joint said: Also beware that "route restrictions" can also double as "operator restrictions" even though it may not say that on the ticket. eg A long distance ticket to London "Via Peterborough" pretty much forces you onto LNER, and "Via Rugby" onto Avanti. Click to expand...

LNW-GW Joint said: The NRE web site can draw you a map of valid routes for your ticket in its journey planner, based on the Routeing Guide. Click to expand...

Some very informative responses there. Thanks everyone!  

RJ said: The more you know about what your ticket entitles you to, the more value you can get out of it. Click to expand...

Bob M said: Can you explain how to do this please? Click to expand...

cosmo said: Very true. I've had an off-peak return from York to Harrogate before, that takes 35 minutes to get there via Knaresborough, but the 1h20 route via Burley Park and Leeds is also a "permitted route" even though it's considerably longer... suffice it to say that was my return journey Click to expand...

JB_B said: How did you establish that the route via Leeds is a permitted route ( for a York-Harrogate off peak return route . ) ? I didn't think it was. Click to expand...

alistairlees said: It’s not Click to expand...

Any Permitted? Route Direct? What those confusing words on your train ticket really mean

• National Rail
• Friday 10 August 2018 at 7:52am

The rail industry is cracking down on ticket jargon which is confusing passengers.

Unnecessary or potentially misleading language such as “Route Direct” and “Any Permitted” is being removed or clarified to help passengers, but what do those phrases actually mean?

Here are the definitions:

Any Permitted

This is intended to tell passengers their ticket can be used for travel via any permitted route and they should refer to the National Rail routeing guide to identify their options.

But it is being used on journeys with only one route valid, meaning it adds no information and can create confusion.

Route Direct

This will be eradicated by next month after being used to mean a variety of things which had little meaning to customers.

For example, it was included on tickets from Gleneagles to Markinch despite passengers having to change trains.

London Terminals

This indicates that a passenger can use several stations in the capital for the origin or destination of their journey.

But it is used for some routes where only one specific station is valid, such as a ticket from York to London Terminals which can only be used to London King’s Cross.

Group Stations

As with London Terminals, some tickets are stated as being valid to or from a number of stations within a group, such as “Birmingham Group” which includes three Birmingham stations.

This is despite some tickets only being valid to one station.

Plus Connections

This is being used inconsistently to indicate that a customer must use additional services to complete their journey, but without the additional information necessary to tell them which services they can use.

These tickets have restrictions on when they can be used but the complexity of the fares system means some of the descriptions of when they can be used are convoluted.

Crackdown on rail jargon for half a million routes

Routeing Guide Data

This guide shows the full range of permitted routes available for use with tickets on the National Rail network. The content has been approved by the Department for Transport. If you are planning a journey we would strongly advise you to make use of the Journey Planner at www.nationalrail.co.uk . Any ticket indicated for use in conjunction with a particular journey when using the Journey Planner will automatically be valid for the route and service indicated.

PLEASE NOTE this guide is of necessity a complex document and the Journey Planner should be used to validate any intended route (including relevant ‘via’ points) to ensure that it can be used with your ticket. This is especially necessary if using this guide to identify whether an indirect or unusual route is valid for use.

TO USE THIS GUIDE: Follow the steps below to identify the permitted routes for the journey that you wish to make. Please ensure that you read the instructions on how to use the National Routeing Guide before you begin the search.

• Timetable Data
• London Terminals
• Licence Restrictions
• Member Login
• Data Download
• Licence Renewal

What confusing train ticket terms really mean as rail chiefs announce plan for simple tickets

Rail chiefs are getting rid of phrases like 'route direct' and 'London Terminals' and replacing them with a much clearer term

• 13:00, 10 AUG 2018
• Updated 13:14, 10 AUG 2018

Sign up for free to get the latest North East news and updates delivered straight to your inbox

We have more newsletters

It could be the end of the line for confusing train ticket as rail chiefs have announced they are removing misleading rail jargon.

Currently, tickets carry terms like 'route direct' or 'London Terminals' which are designed to let passengers know which route they can take to their destination. But they pose problems for passengers, as the jargon is not always clear. A ticket with the phrase 'London Terminals' may only be valid for a journey to one London station , like Kings Cross, instead of them all.

But next month tickets should be much clearer.

The phrases will be replaced with “via” to indicate stations where passengers should change, or to specify a major station which their train passes through.

If a passenger is entitled to travel via multiple routes, the acceptable itineraries will be available on the National Rail website.

Changes to ticket wording are part of steps to simplify fares, including the roll out of smart ticketing, clearer information on peak and off-peak times and how people can use their ticket.

What those words on your train ticket actually mean

- Any Permitted

This is intended to tell passengers their ticket can be used for travel via any permitted route and they should refer to the National Rail routeing guide to identify their options.

But it is being used on journeys with only one route valid, meaning it adds no information and can create confusion.

- Route Direct

This will be eradicated by next month after being used to mean a variety of things which had little meaning to customers.

For example, it was included on tickets from Gleneagles to Markinch despite passengers having to change trains.

- London Terminals

This indicates that a passenger can use several stations in the capital for the origin or destination of their journey.

But it is used for some routes where only one specific station is valid, such as a ticket from York to London Terminals which can only be used to London King's Cross.

- Group Stations

As with London Terminals, some tickets are stated as being valid to or from a number of stations within a group, such as "Birmingham Group" which includes three Birmingham stations.

This is despite some tickets only being valid to one station.

- Plus Connections

This is being used inconsistently to indicate that a customer must use additional services to complete their journey, but without the additional information necessary to tell them which services they can use.

These tickets have restrictions on when they can be used but the complexity of the fares system means some of the descriptions of when they can be used are convoluted.

Jason Webb, a deputy managing director at the RDG, said: "We know it can be confusing to buy a ticket on the train and that outdated jargon unique to rail like 'London Terminals' or 'Any Permitted' is part of the problem.

"We are making huge efforts as an industry to make this easier where we can, but to really make fares simpler to understand we need regulatory change. That's why we're running a consultation and asking customers to have their say on what they want from the future fares system."

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said: "Rail passengers find fares and ticketing complex and confusing. Action to remove jargon is a significant step towards a fares system that passengers find easy to use.

"However, over the longer term some more fundamental reforms are still needed if train companies are ever going to enjoy the trust of the travelling public.

"The current consultation will make sure passengers' views are heard as the industry works to reform its complicated fares system."

• Newcastle Central Station
• Traffic & Travel
• Most Recent

• England Tourism
• England Hotels
• England Bed and Breakfast
• England Vacation Rentals
• Flights to England
• England Restaurants
• Things to Do in England
• England Travel Forum
• England Photos
• All England Hotels
• England Hotel Deals
• Last Minute Hotels in England
• Things to Do
• Restaurants
• Vacation Rentals
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

GwR tickets, can we take any train? - England Forum

• Europe    
• United Kingdom (UK)    
• England    

GwR tickets, can we take any train?

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• United Kingdom forums
• England forum

"Any permitted route" is confusing. How can they require an exact train, but alternate routes OK? What does that mean? The GwR site is unclear. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

An off-peak single should be fine on any train. It's usually Advance tickets that are only valid on the train you book. The only restrictions will be that you can't use yours at peak times which is usually a couple of hours during morning and evening rush hour.

Super Off-Peak travel times are normally between around 10:00 to 15:30 and from 19:15 onwards Monday to Friday. You can also travel Super Off-Peak during weekends and bank holidays. If you have a super off peak ticket you can take any service in this time slot - so before your 1430 departure if you wish, but you could not travel at, say, 1545hrs.

Also, if you look at the departures board it usually (but not always) indicates whether certain tickets are not accepted.

Thank you for the quick responses! Wow. We will stop at the help desk to confirm. You answers have been quite helpful.

Just in case you did want to kill time/ buy snacks, there is a food court and a few shops near the escalators down to the underground at Paddington. There are 2 small supermarkets and an unremarkable pub up the escalator

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/passengers/our-stations/london-paddington/

The advantage of catching “your” train is that you will have reserved seats (but a midweek/middle of the day shouldn’t be too busy).

Only if they've made seat reservations, they aren't automatic with flexible tickets such as a Super Off-peak

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

• 3 days in London and surroundings 6:44 pm
• Converting money 6:42 pm
• Transportation from Heathrow to London hotel & Return Trip 6:31 pm
• old harry rocks boat tour vs Durdle door/Lulworth Cove walk 6:01 pm
• Pre Cruise London Hotel 5:51 pm
• Airbnb check 5:35 pm
• Pls suggest Beach side holiday before heading to cotswold 5:12 pm
• Co Op Live Arena 5:06 pm
• cruise port shuttle schedule question 4:53 pm
• Seeking Feedback on My 4-Day London Itinerary & Budget Plan 4:44 pm
• Trip Report: One week in London with teens, March 2024 4:37 pm
• Pay toilets? 4:32 pm
• Wisteria Report? 4:12 pm
• From Heathrow to Soho for Pride in London 29 June 4:12 pm
• Avoid Hotelsclick.com - they use the bait and hook technique 14 replies
• Twin Bed Room & Double Bed Room 3 replies
• Whats the Best Way to Travel Multiple Cities in England? 14 replies
• Ferry from Southampton to France? 5 replies
• Beach towns in England 9 replies
• Scenic drives in England 7 replies
• How many pounds per day? Enough budget? 4 replies
• Warmest place in England? - IN JANUARY 10 replies
• Self-drive Itinerary Ideas? 9 replies
• Voltage Converter 5 replies

England Hotels and Places to Stay

• Where is the best place to post a question about visiting England ?
• Car Rental in UK
• Relocation Questions

How to Travel by Train in the UK (15 Tips by a Local)

UK train travel can be confusing especially when visiting from another country and learning how it all works. I’ll break down the different types of tickets, the best time to buy train tickets, websites to use and much more.

When I first arrived in the UK, I tried to use the railway system. Honestly, I was super frustrated and confused by it all. I would buy the wrong ticket, not really understand how to save money.

Since living here for a few years, I’ve learned tips and tricks to really get the best out of your tickets and railway experience.

Disclaimer: Hi! this post may contain affiliate links which will take you to online retailers that sell products and services. If you click on one and buy something, I may earn a commission, see my  Affiliate Disclosure  for more details.

Things to Look Out for Before Booking

Pick the right station.

Some destinations will have more than one major station and depending on the station it could be walking distance or miles out of the city centre.

For example:

• Kings Cross Station and St Pancras Station are a 5-minute walk from each other and connect by underground tunnels.
• Bristol Temple Meads and Parkway, Temple Meads is within the city centre of Bristol, whereas Parkway is a residential suburb several miles away.

Nothing worse than ending up miles away from where you needed to be. Double-check maps or stations before booking to ensure you have the right place.

Allow Times for Connections

Trying to dash across the station with crowds, bridges, stairways and whatever else is through at you can cause you to miss your connection. Allow enough time for you to be able to reach the platform for your connections.

Any connections you miss on advance tickets means you won’t be able to use it or are eligible for a refund. To legally travel you would have to buy a new ticket.

Book in Advance (No more than 12 Weeks Ahead)

Advanced tickets will be released 8 to 10 weeks before your departure date and these are the cheapest tickets you can buy. It does vary so keep your eye out or sign up for price alerts.

Anytime before this, you will find anytime and off-peak tickets being sold or tickets aren’t available to purchase. There is no need to rush and buy anytime and off-peak as these don’t sell out.

If you find yourself faced with £100 train ticket then wait between 4 to 8 weeks before your departure date to snag the cheaper fares.

Ticket Type s

There are three generic ticket types you can buy. However, depending on different factors like having a Railcard or travelling first or standard will affect the price of the tickets. These factors add another set of price ranges making the product list extensive.

1. Anytime – Fully-flexible.  Any train, any time.

• Anytime fares  are a fully flexible ticket valid any time, any train, any operator and any permitted route. Some train companies are now able to sell these tickets up to 6 months in advance.
• Although, you are unable to reserve a seat booking more than 12 weeks in advance. I basically use the fare for business travel as it’s pretty pricey.
• It offers everything from travelling anytime, to breaking your route (i.e. you can get off at a station before your destination and then get back on the train) and allowing you to travel on any operator.
• These tickets never sell out, even when a train is standing room only!
• It is possible to reserve a seat as an optional choice.
• There are two choices of validity of an anytime ticket. One the day validity and return any time within 1 month.
• The ticket is refundable minus the admin fee.
• If you see tickets available before the 12-week reservation window they will be anytime tickets without seat reservations. The seat reservation system cannot issue seats before 12 weeks and it’s what links the advance fares to the fares base.

2. Off-Peak – Semi-flexible, any train with time restrictions.

• Off-Peak fares  are valid on any train, any time except in the Monday-Friday business peaks. 
• No advance booking is necessary, Off-Peak fares also never sell out and can be bought at the station on the day at the same price you see online. 
• The more affordable flexi ticket. As long as you don’t want to travel in the peak times you can save some significant ££.
• One thing to be careful about with this ticket is different stations have different peak times.
• You can take any train operator’s train, and travel via any permitted route unless a specific operator or route is shown on the ticket. 
• Refundable less an admin fee.

3. Advance – Cheap, inflexible, specific train only.

• Advance fares  are only valid on the specific train, no refunds, limited or no change of travel plans allowed.
• These fares are only sold up to 8 to 10 weeks in advance.
• Advance tickets are the cheapest option.
• Advance tickets must be booked before the day of departure, timings of when these tickets stop being sold is up to the train company.
• Advance tickets come with a seat reservation (if seat reservations are running on that service) automatically included, you can only travel on that specific train which has been reserved for you.
• No break of journey is allowed, so you cannot join the train at a station en route, or get off at a station before the one you’re booked to.

Seat Reservations

I always think it’s a good idea to reserve a seat on anytime and off-peak tickets. They are free of charge and on busy trains they save you standing the long journey. I aim to book for times I think I will get the train and if you don’t take the train then no stress, just sit in a non-reserved seat.

Where to Buy Train Tickets

Currently, there are 28 train companies in operation throughout the UK and they run in different geographic locations. This can make it super confusing where you should buy your ticket.

Personally, I tend to use National Rail Enquiries or Trainline to purchase my tickets.

National Rail Enquiries is like a sky scanner. It aggregates all of the train tickets and then it will hand you off to a train company to complete your purchase.

If you’re purchasing through Trainline , then it’s all through their app or their website and it will just come with a booking fee to complete your purchases.

Other ways you can use the other train company’s website, so you can just pick one and book all your tickets through them as they will sell tickets for the various routes throughout the UK.

If you are purchasing from overseas make sure you select the option for mobile ticketing or collect tickets at the self-service ticket machines to avoid the £7.50 postage fee. Remember that you need the credit card you purchase with and the booking number to collect your tickets.

How to Save on Tickets

Save up to 1/3 off with a railcard.

Railcards are a great way to save . They have a variety of products to offer and this can give you a third off railway fares. The money spent on the railcard can easily be made back if you do more than two long-distance journeys.

There is a great range of Railcards that are available:

• 16-25 Railcard,
• 26-30 Railcard,
• Senior Railcard,
• Family & Friends Railcard,
• Disabled person’s railcard,
• Two Together Railcard
• and Network Railcard.

Check out the Railcard website for more information . It’s so easy to get, all you need to do is download the apps and you will have a digital railcard on your phone.

Even if you don’t live in the UK you can get a railcard which is the perfect way to save money while travelling around.

If you’ve watched my how to travel like a local in London , then you know you can add this to your Oyster card and save fairs throughout the underground.

Split Ticketing

Split ticketing is a method of buying a ticket where you split the journey into sections. You will buy a separate one for each leg of the journey instead of one for the full journey.

You need to make sure your train (even if you don’t get off) calls at each station or have a connection at a station, so the split ticket is valid.

I went from Penge West to Brighton the other day, it was cheaper for me to get a ticket from Penge West to East Croydon and East Croydon and then a full ticket from Penge West to Brighton. As the journey goes through all the stations this made split ticketing an option.

Trying to figure out these tickets can be a little difficult, Trainline is making it super easy and they just tell you when you’re searching for the ticket on their app.

GroupSave Tickets (3 – 9 People)

Travelling with a group of between 3 to 9 people can get you the GroupSave tickets . I find that these generally give you a third off rail fares.

The best way to buy these tickets are either online or when you get to the station, go to the ticket counter as the ticket machines don’t normally have these available. Not all train operating companies have these, but a number of them do.

When Travelling On Trains

Download the apps.

National Rail Enquiries or Trainline both have apps that are great to have on your phone. You will be able to check the online timetables, train information, ticket prices and buy tickets.

Trainline also has the ability to buy Railcard and store it on the app and easy access to your mobile tickets/purchases.

Train Delays and Compensation

Train delays happen but did you know that you can claim compensation for these delays and cancellations ? Train companies are getting better at advertising this today and most train companies now offer ‘Delay Repay’ where daily ticket holders, as well as weekly, monthly and longer Season Tickets, can claim for delayed journeys as and when they occur.

Each train company will have different agreements for compensation so you will need to check their terms and conditions. A rule of thumb is it is 30 minutes or more to claim.

There are two sets of compensation payments, either half of your ticket or a full refund. This is based on the time you were delayed.

For example, if I am travelling to Edinburgh from London and I am 30 minutes delayed I will get half of the price based on the fare I bought. If I was delayed more than 60 minutes then I would receive a full refund on the fare I bought.

Make sure you retain your train ticket and make a note of your journey as both will be required to support any claim for compensation. To make a claim you obtain a form from the station office or look for an application online.

Bring Your Own Food and Drinks

I love having a good train picnic! At major stations, there will be small supermarkets where you can buy food and drinks before your journey. You can also bring on your own alcohol, which you will see a few people having holiday beers on longer distance journies.

Depending on the route you are taking there might be a trolley that comes around the train or a food section. I always find it’s best to come prepared.

Avoid Sitting in Reserved Seats

Being kicked out of a seat isn’t fun! Check if the seat has a reservation or head to the seat you have reserved. If you have passed the station that the reservation is for then all bets are off and you can sit in those seats.

Commuter style trains don’t have seat reservations so you will be fine on these.

Wifi and Charging Points

It’s common to find onboard wifi and charging points – be prepared that these don’t always work well.

Days Out Guide

Days Out Guide operates in various cities across the UK and provides discounts on sightseeing activities. All you need is two of you to be travelling by rail ticket and get a voucher.

I’ve saved 50% on my tickets to visit the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kew Gardens by using the Days Out Guide.

The vouchers can easily be obtained on the website (make sure you print them) or at a National Rail Station. It’s a great incentive to go explore what the regions have to offer.

The UK is full of breathtaking mountain ranges, historic cities and crisp oceanic views. To really take it all in you should travel by train! These DIY train journies I’ve put together will give you a range of places to explore in the UK.

Kat Hi, I'm Kat, an Australian that moved to London in 2013 to start a  new adventure.  What a roller-coaster that was! I love helping others move to the UK  and people  explore the world ! I’d be honoured if you’d say, “Thanks!” with a £3 coffee on Ko-fi.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
• Members Current visitors
• Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• English Only

Travel is allowed via any permitted route.

• Thread starter ginestre
• Start date Apr 14, 2015

Senior Member

• Apr 14, 2015

" Travel is allowed via any permitted route." Am I the only one who finds this form, which is apparently universally used on rail tickets and timetables in Britain, to be entirely meaningless, if not downright misleading? It would seem to me to be absolutely clear that travel is never permitted when it is not allowed, and is always permitted when it is allowed- which is what this odd and tautological utterance declares, to me at least. Or am I missing something?  

There is no wider context: it is a bald phrase printed onto tickets that you buy. But even with context, what could it mean? Surely it's just circular reasoning?  

Moderator Emeritus

It's to do with the way rail fares are calculated in the UK, which results in journeys on some routes being cheaper than those on others (usually slower or more infrequent ones) between the same two places. So depending on how much you've paid, a ticket between Coventry and Brighton for example might say "any permitted route" or "via Reading" or "not valid for travel via London." The situation is further complicated by the fact that the list of "permitted routes" issued by rail companies is a thick manual not generally available to the passengers. So in practice a "permitted route" tends to mean any route between two places where the journey is actually feasible.  

I remember being baffled by this sentence when I visited the UK a couple of years ago and saw this phrase on my train ticket. I looked it up a few months after my visit and it turns out that permitted route is a complicated legal definition used by train companies (based on something called a routeing guide ) but mostly it seems to refer to to any route between the start and the destination stations printed on your ticket.  

Annual Not available

Available from 25 April , edit your start date to allow time for delivery.

Reading Or Reading West

Travel is allowed via any permitted route.

Select a ticket to continue

• © Roadtrippers
• © Mapbox
• © OpenStreetMap
• Improve this map

• Travel Planning Center
• Ticket Changes & Refunds
• Airline Partners
• Check-in & Security
• Delta Sky Club®
• Airport Maps & Locations
• Flight Deals
• Flight Schedules
• Destinations
• Onboard Experience
• Delta Cruises
• Delta Vacations
• Delta Car Rentals
• Delta Stays
• Onboard Wi-Fi
• Delta Trip Protection
• How to Earn Miles
• How to Use Miles
• Buy or Transfer Miles
• Travel with Miles
• SkyMiles Partners & Offers
• SkyMiles Award Deals
• SkyMiles Credit Cards
• SkyMiles Airline Partners
• SkyMiles Program Overview​
• How to Get Medallion Status​
• Benefits at Each Tier
• News & Updates
• Help Center
• Travel Planning FAQs
• Certificates & eCredits
• Accessible Travel Services
• Child & Infant Travel
• Special Circumstances
• SkyMiles Help
• Investor Relations
• Business Travel
• Travel Agents
• Comment/Complaint
• Browser Compatibility
• Accessibility
• Booking Information
• Customer Commitment
• Tarmac Delay Plan
• Sustainability
• Contract of Carriage
• Cookies, Privacy & Security
• Human Trafficking Statement (PDF)