Advance Booking Dates

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. For a temporary period Network Rail isn’t able to do this, instead confirming timetables up to 8 weeks in advance. Please check the Temporary Timetable Changes page for further information.

Not all train companies offer Advance tickets or seat reservations. But for those that do, you can find details below.

Advance ticket and reservation information last updated Friday 26 April 2024.

Avanti West Coast

• Saturday service: 15 June

• Sunday service: 16 June

• Monday to Friday service: 18 July

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

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Caledonian Sleeper

These can be booked 12 months in advance.

Chiltern Railways: between Birmingham and London Marylebone

• Saturday service: 6 July

• Sunday service: 9 June

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

Notes

Currently closed on 4 / 5 / 12 / 18 / 19 / 25 / 26 / 27 May and 7 / 8 / 15 / 21 / 22 / 24 / 29 June and 3 July.

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Chiltern Railways: between Oxford and London Marylebone

• Saturday service: 6 July

• Sunday service: 9 June

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.

Notes

Currently closed on 4 / 5 / 12 / 18 / 19 / 25 / 26 / 27 May and 7 / 8 / 15 / 21 / 22 / 24 / 29 June and 3 July.

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

CrossCountry: East to West routes

Between Nottingham and Cardiff via Birmingham, Stansted Airport and Birmingham New Street via Leicester.

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Up to 21:00 the day before travel but some routes may close earlier.

Notes

None.

CrossCountry: North to South routes

Between Scotland and South West, Newcastle and Southampton, Manchester and Bournemouth / Bristol.

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

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

None.

East Midlands Railway: between Liverpool and Norwich plus to / from Skegness

• Saturday service: 20 July

• Sunday service: 21 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

East Midlands Railway: London route

• Saturday service: 20 July

• Sunday service: 21 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Up to 23:59 the day before travel.

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Grand Central

• Saturday service: 28 September

• Sunday service: 29 September

• Monday to Friday service: 18 October

Latest time of reservation

Not available.

Notes

Reservations are currently closed on 7 and 29 September on the West Riding route, and on all routes on 8 September.

Great Western Railway (GWR)

• Saturday service: 20 July

• Sunday service: 21 July

• Monday to Friday service: 6 September

Latest time of reservation

Up to 2 minutes before travel at any station on Great Western Railway routes.

Notes

• Services operating between London and Exeter / Paignton / Plymouth / Newquay and Penzance via Westbury and between Cardiff and Taunton / Plymouth / Newquay / Penzance are not currently open for sales / reservations Wednesday 7 August until Monday 12 August inclusive.

• Services operating between London and Oxford / Worcester and Hereford (North Cots line) are not currently open for sales / reservations Monday 12 August until Thursday 15 August inclusive.

Greater Anglia / Stansted Express

• Saturday service: 29 June

• Sunday service: 30 June

• Monday to Friday service: 5 July

Latest time of reservation

Up to 23:59 the day before travel. 

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Hull Trains

• Saturday service: 28 September

• Sunday service: 29 September

• Monday to Friday service: 21 October

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.

Notes

Reservations are currently closed on 24 / 25 August, 8 September and 5 / 6 / 12 / 13 / 19 / 20 October.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

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 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.

Notes

None.

Lumo

• Saturday service: 7 September

• Sunday service: 8 September

• Monday to Friday service: 21 October

Latest time of reservation

Not available.

Notes

Reservations are currently closed on 7 July and 24 / 25 August.

Northern

• Saturday service: 22 June

• Sunday service: 16 June

• Monday to Friday service: 21 June

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: 20 July

• Sunday service: 21 July

• Monday to Friday service: 26 July

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

South Western Railway: between London Waterloo and Weymouth

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel. 

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

South Western Railway: West of England

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel. 

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

South Western Railway: Portsmouth route, Isle of Wight

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 23:59 the day before travel. 

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Southeastern

• Saturday service: 13 July

• Sunday service: 14 July

• Monday to Friday service: 15 July

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.

For journeys more than 8 weeks ahead, reservations are currently closed on weekday services running after 23:00 each evening.

Southern

• Saturday service: 15 June

• Sunday service: 16 June

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

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.

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.

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Thameslink

• Saturday service: 15 June

• Sunday service: 16 June

• Monday to Friday service: 19 July

Latest time of reservation

Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel. 

Notes

Thameslink do not offer seat reservations but have quota controlled advance purchase products.

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

TransPennine Express

• Saturday service: 31 August

• Sunday service: 1 September

• Monday to Friday service: 6 September

Latest time of reservation

Up to 23:59 the day before travel. 

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales advance tickets are available 6 weeks in advance of travel.

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

Ferries to / from Ireland - A limited number of sailings are available up to 6 weeks in advance of travel.

West Midlands Trains

• Saturday service: 29 June

• Sunday service: 30 June

• Monday to Friday service: 5 July

Latest time of reservation

Not available.

Notes

Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.

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.