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Validity of 1 month return ticket

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Terry Tait

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If the return portion of a ticket is valid for a month after the outward journey would it be acceptable to use it more than once, for example, one had a lift in a car to the destination and used the return ticket to come back.
 
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studio_two

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You can use the outbound ticket once (on the date stated), and the return portion once.

When you use the return portion, the conductor will normally scribble the date on the ticket (to prevent you from continually reusing it). Of course, if the return ticket is not marked by the conductor, I'm not sure how the TOC can determine if it has been used before - so maybe that is their loss.
 

maxbarnish

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When you use the return portion, the conductor will normally scribble the date on the ticket (to prevent you from continually reusing it).

However, many return tickets permit break of journey, so this would not necessarily be a safeguard against multiple use as the start date of the return journey doesn't have to be the end date
 

Fawkes Cat

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So you use an A-B monthly return to travel by train as follows?

A to B
B to A
(road A to B)
B to A


Simple answer - no.

I was about to refer to the part of the National Conditions of Travel that says this, but curiously there doesn't seem to be a condition that explicitly states this (although it's probably possible to infer it from things like the special conditions for season tickets which explicitly allow unlimited travel between specific stations). But in my view it is true to state that implicitly a ticket is valid for one journey only (or one return journey only) unless (e.g. season tickets) something else is stated.
 

studio_two

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However, many return tickets permit break of journey, so this would not necessarily be a safeguard against multiple use as the start date of the return journey doesn't have to be the end date

That's an excellent point. I wasn't aware of that. So, it really is down to trust in most circumstances?
 

maniacmartin

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Absolutely not valid to re-use the ticket. Its a return ticket, not a season ticket.
 

mikeg

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Ageed. You would be committing an offence under section 5 of the regulation of railways act 1889 as you would be travelling without paying your fare.
However I'm not sure I understand your question in full. You can use it for one journey in each direction and you also can't use the return portion before the outward one as this invalidates the outward portion. You may generally break your journey (make it in multiple part) however may only make the journey once.
 

Terry Tait

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Thanks for the replies, I will buy a single ticket when I return, I have no intention of breaking the law.
 

Haywain

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However, many return tickets permit break of journey, so this would not necessarily be a safeguard against multiple use as the start date of the return journey doesn't have to be the end date
It's a pretty good safeguard against regularly boarding at the starting point named on the ticket.
 

maxbarnish

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It's a pretty good safeguard against regularly boarding at the starting point named on the ticket.

Agree about that - just not necessarily repeating sections in the middle of the ticket - so it will make it more difficult to use it as a season ticket but still possible to use for various short journeys over the same section of line - not permitted, but I am sure it happens.
 

SussexMan

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You can use it for one journey in each direction and you also can't use the return portion before the outward one as this invalidates the outward portion.

To be precise, you can use the return portion before the outward one, but by doing so, you invalidate the outward portion,
 
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