No, it is well out of order to suggest that a customer holding a valid ticket can be penalty fared.
As for the "newby" comment, what happened in the 1980s or even the 1990s is largely irrelevant to the present day. Interesting, of course, but doesn't determine validity.
As for precedents, what are they exactly? Details please?
I've only ever heard of people being charged for the journey from the previous stop, but that cannot be done if a valid ticket for that is already held!!!
If I got to EUS and present an ALR that is of course perfectly valid to Crewe, there is nothing anyone can do when I get off at MKC, this is different to having a ticket only to MKC. Charging someone with a ticket to MKC the excess to Crewe is dubiously legal, but I accept it may have been done, and may still be done today. That doesn't make it legal, but I am not saying it is illegal - just that it could easily be contested. However the only 'punishment' they can do is issue a ticket to Crewe. They cannot imprison you. So if a ticket to Crewe is held then they cannot do anything!
I once got off a sleeper at a station that was not advertised to set-down, I made sure I had a ticket that was valid to the next stop. There's no way someone could have then tried to justify taking more money off me, as my ticket was perfectly valid and is exactly what they would excess someone to, who held a ticket to the 'barred' stop.
You did not answer the question about what option a PF would be issued under. I gave the list earlier. None of them are applicable. Can you say which one applies?
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Ok, thanks for the help old Timer, I think I might just not risk it.
What is the risk? It's your choice but if I had an ALR I would do it.
BTW on a side note to Set Down Only trains come onto the arrival/departure screens at Stratford? If so, couldnt someone just say they didnt know?
I've not looked for years but I'm sure in 2005/2006 they appeared on the screens , which were dual arrival/departure screens, it said from Norwich to London. These screens may have been replaced or they may have changed since then.
If you did it on a Travelcard (which we did with nothing said about them not being valid) then they could theoretically charge you from Chelmsford. But you have a ticket that is valid from Chelmsford - so what can they do? You are valid!