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. For a temporary period Network Rail isn’t able to do this, instead confirming timetables up to 11 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 2 August 2024.
Avanti West Coast
Saturday service: 28 September
Sunday service: 29 September
Monday to Friday service: 18 October
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: 12 October
Sunday service: 13 October
Monday to Friday service: 18 October
Latest time of reservation
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes
Reservations are only partially open on Tuesday 10 September and Thursday 10 October.
Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.
Chiltern Railways: between Oxford and London Marylebone
Saturday service: 12 October
Sunday service: 13 October
Monday to Friday service: 18 October
Latest time of reservation
Advance tickets are available up to 18:00 the day before travel.
Notes
Reservations are only partially open on Tuesday 10 September and Thursday 10 October.
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 26 October
Sunday service: 27 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 26 October
Sunday service: 27 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 13 December
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes
Some services for weekend dates after 20 October are available to book via the Grand Central website.
Great Western Railway (GWR)
Saturday service: 16 November
Sunday service: 17 November
Monday to Friday service: 29 November
Latest time of reservation
Up to 2 minutes before travel at any station on Great Western Railway routes.
Notes
None.
Greater Anglia / Stansted Express
Saturday service: 17 August
Sunday service: 18 August
Monday to Friday service: 23 August
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: 13 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.
Notes
Some services for weekend dates after 29 September are available to book via the Hull Trains website.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
Saturday service: 5 October
Sunday service: 6 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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.
London Northwestern Railway
Saturday service: 28 September
Sunday service: 29 September
Monday to Friday service: 4 October
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes
Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.
Lumo
Saturday service: 12 October
Sunday service: 13 October
Monday to Friday service: 13 December
Latest time of reservation
Not available.
Notes:
Northern
Saturday service: 12 October
Sunday service: 6 October
Monday to Friday service: 11 October
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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
Closed on the following routes on Sunday 13 October:
Glasgow Queen Street - Aberdeen
Glasgow Queen Street - Inverness / Elgin
Glasgow Queen Street - Dundee
Edinburgh - Aberdeen
Edinburgh - Inverness
Edinburgh - Perth / Dundee
Aberdeen - Inverness.
Closed on the following routes on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October:
Glasgow Queen Street – Fort William / Mallaig
Glasgow Queen Street – Oban
South Western Railway: between London Waterloo and Weymouth
Saturday service: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 19 October
Sunday service: 20 October
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 12 October
Sunday service: 13 October
Monday to Friday service: 23 October
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: 14 September
Sunday service: 15 September
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 21 September
Sunday service: 22 September
Monday to Friday service: 25 October
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: 12 October
Sunday service: 13 October
Monday to Friday service: 18 October
Latest time of reservation
Up to 23:59 the day before travel.
Notes
Some Monday to Friday dates are available beyond 18 October via the TransPennine Express website. Closed on all dates affected by industrial action.
Transport for Wales
Saturday service: 28 September
Sunday service: 29 September
Monday to Friday service: 27 September
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 8 weeks in advance of travel.
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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