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Network Railcard - same ticket for everyone?

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EM2

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As I'm sure most members know, up to three other adults can benefit from discounted travel when travelling with a Network Railcard holder.
But does everyone need to have the same ticket?

It just so happens that a friend and I are intending to go to London on the same day for different reasons. She needs to go to the British Library to do some research, whereas I want to do some shopping.
As we're arriving into Euston, a return ticket will be fine for my friend, but I will need a Travelcard.

Can we both benefit from my Network Railcard discount? If so, how would I go about purchasing the tickets? Would it be best to buy online?
 
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Bletchleyite

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I can't see why that would be a massive issue provided the Railcard holder has the one with the largest validity (i.e. at all times, including on the station, any non-holder is accompanied by the holder).

You can buy them anywhere you like - online, TVM or ticket office. The latter is probably least recommended in case someone does question it.
 
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button_boxer

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Additional accompanying passengers for whom discounted tickets are purchased must travel with the Railcard holder throughout the journey.
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Their journey or the holder's journey?
 
ForTheLoveOf

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button_boxer said:
Their journey or the holder's journey?
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Exactly: how is a ticket inspection going to uncover that "you're not travelling with the other passengers who bought discounted tickets for travel with you. That'll be a new Anytime Single!" ;)
 
EM2

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ForTheLoveOf said:
Exactly: how is a ticket inspection going to uncover that "you're not travelling with the other passengers who bought discounted tickets for travel with you. That'll be a new Anytime Single!" ;)
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We'll be travelling there and back together, but one ticket will be a Travelcard and one will be a return, both showing a discount but only one railcard. If I were checking tickets, that would set alarm bells ringing for me.
 
ForTheLoveOf

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EM2 said:
We'll be travelling there and back together, but one ticket will be a Travelcard and one will be a return, both showing a discount but only one railcard. If I were checking tickets, that would set alarm bells ringing for me.
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At the end of the day, if you think it's too risky, you'll have to buy the same ticket for both of you.
 
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They've every opportunity to explicitly forbid what you're doing, yet they've written an unclear rule. They can hardly decide to charge you more without first clarifying...
 
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Bletchleyite

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EM2 said:
We'll be travelling there and back together, but one ticket will be a Travelcard and one will be a return, both showing a discount but only one railcard. If I were checking tickets, that would set alarm bells ringing for me.
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Er, why? The Railcard is permitted to be used by multiple passengers, as long as the holder is there as well. Indeed, the wording doesn't even make it explicit that the holder has to buy a ticket, just that they have to be present! (Though "additional" implies it, and only the Gold Card has an explicit term allowing this sort of use).

I've done what was described above before and it was not questioned.
 
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andrewkeith5

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So long as it’s the network railcard holder that is the one with the travel card, and the holder of the other ticket never travels alone without a network railcard, I don’t really understand how this situation would be against either the wording or the principle of the terms?

I interpret it that the railcard holder must be present when anyone who isn’t a railcard holder is using a discounted tickets; but that would be the case in this example. However if the non-railcard holder were the one with the travelcard, it would be a problem (although only if they actually used it without the network railcard holder present?)
 
EM2

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andrewkeith5 said:
So long as it’s the network railcard holder that is the one with the travel card, and the holder of the other ticket never travels alone without a network railcard, I don’t really understand how this situation would be against either the wording or the principle of the terms?

I interpret it that the railcard holder must be present when anyone who isn’t a railcard holder is using a discounted tickets; but that would be the case in this example. However if the non-railcard holder were the one with the travelcard, it would be a problem (although only if they actually used it without the network railcard holder present?)
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I must admit that that is how I read it, however in my experience everything on the railway can be swiftly followed with 'but...' :D
 
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andrewkeith5

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EM2 said:
I must admit that that is how I read it, however in my experience everything on the railway can be swiftly followed with 'but...' :D
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That is true! If not the corporate view, I’m sure it wouldn’t take me too long to find a member of the frontline railways staff who’d find an obscure or invented reason to make sure the customer was wrong!
 
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swt_passenger

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andrewkeith5 said:
That is true! If not the corporate view, I’m sure it wouldn’t take me too long to find a member of the frontline railways staff who’d find an obscure or invented reason to make sure the customer was wrong!
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Just try and avoid Paddington and you should be ok...
 
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The Ham

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Depending on how many journeys you are looking to make it could be cheaper to use your contactless card for travel around London (often two journeys is cheaper than having a travel card), especially if you are looking to play it safe and hold the same ticket type.
 
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andrewkeith5

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The Ham said:
Depending on how many journeys you are looking to make it could be cheaper to use your contactless card for travel around London (often two journeys is cheaper than having a travel card), especially if you are looking to play it safe and hold the same ticket type.
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True although much less often the case with outboundary travelcards
 
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