You should, if you ask to do this, be offered the cheaper route Ascot and then be given an excess for route Slough.
This is an odd one. The CDR for Boundary 6 - Reading route Ascot is actually more expensive than the route Slough version whereas with the SDR the Ascot alternative is the cheaper :? how that quite works I dunno.
(SDSs are roughly the same, but the Slough CDS is cheaper).
List of fares obtained from NRE (using last zone 6 station as opposed to Boundary Zone 6 which it does not recognise - Avantix 95 would have it, though, that these fares are pretty much the same):
Feltham - Reading (equivalent to BZ6-RDG via Ascot)
SDS: £9.70
SDR: £10.10
CDS: £9.60
CDR: £9.70
West Drayton - Reading (equivalent to BZ6-RDG via Slough)
SDS: £9.90
SDR: £15.80
CDS: £8.60
CDR: £8.70
The routeing guide is rather sketchy as to what to do in this situation.
NRG said:
Where a journey is undertaken by an alternative route to that for which the ticket was originally purchased, and for which a higher fare applies, additional payment is required to enable the customer to make or complete their revised travel arrangements.
NRG said:
DUAL ROUTE AVAILABILITY
Where two or more permitted routes are available for a specific journey, customers may wish to travel out by one route and return by another. If a higher fare applies for the return leg of the journey the customer should be issued with a ticket for the more direct route and an excess fare issued to cover the difference in fare for the return routeing. This option should be made available to customers who wish to pre-book a dual routed ticket prior to travel.
The alternative journey MUST relate to the same routeing points for the origin and destination stations.
Let's assume then that Boundary Zone 6 is an invisible routeing point (the NRG neither proves nor disproves this) so that we can use the 'Dual route availability' advice given.
Only problem is (assuming a CDR is required) is that the OUTWARD leg is the more expensive - here the routeing guide offers no advice whatsoever, so would it be fair (probably not but more naive) to assume that if the higher priced return is issued it is valid for both routes?
Of course, you could easily avoid this problem by getting the SDR (explicitly asking for it) and having it excessed for the return as yorkie has said already.
Failing that (at a cost of being twice as expensive), you could get the Feltham to Reading and the Reading to West Drayton singles (although for the latter that would restrict the services you could use back to those stopping at West Drayton - not a problem outward as all SWT Reading services will call at Feltham IIRC).
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Thinking about this a bit more, say a route Ascot CDR was held and a fast FGW to Paddington was taken back.
A guard comes up and checks the ticket and says 'this isn't valid on this route' so then Jordy asks them to excess it for him. They tap away on their machine and then a sheer look of horror appears on their face. Jordy asks what the matter is and they say 'this route is actually cheaper - I can't excess it' ...
At which point Jordy should say he wants some money back then :razz:
