Bridgend to Paddington ticket validity question

[tiptoptaff]

Hello,

Tomorrow morning, my father needs to travel from Bridgend to Paddington. He has a Bridgend to London Terminals Off Peak return, and would usually travel on the 0802 service direct, arriving at 1037.

He has had a meeting put in a short notice, and needs to be in Paddington a bit earlier. He proposes to travel to Swindon on the 0730 from Bridgend, arriving 0859 (a peak arrival at London Paddington) and change there for the 0913 Swindon to Paddington, an off-peak arrival, thus at Paddington approx 1010 and giving him the extra time he needs to get across London.

I suspect his off peak return will be valid on the Swindon-Paddington train as a valid break of journey on the outward leg. Is this correct?
the only fare available for Bridgend to Swindon is an Anytime Single (at least that's what's offered on all AM departures to Swindon from Bridgend on the GWR website. I am aware he could split but that just complicates things and this will be an expenses claim anyway)
He doesn't want to excess to an anytime return as the difference is £100 plus and doesn't need to avoid peak restrictions coming back.

Thanks,
TTT

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hello,

Tomorrow morning, my father needs to travel from Bridgend to Paddington. He has a Bridgend to London Terminals Off Peak return, and would usually travel on the 0802 service direct, arriving at 1037.

He has had a meeting put in a short notice, and needs to be in Paddington a bit earlier. He proposes to travel to Swindon on the 0730 from Bridgend, arriving 0859 (a peak arrival at London Paddington) and change there for the 0913 Swindon to Paddington, an off-peak arrival, thus at Paddington approx 1010 and giving him the extra time he needs to get across London.

I suspect his off peak return will be valid on the Swindon-Paddington train as a valid break of journey on the outward leg. Is this correct?
the only fare available for Bridgend to Swindon is an Anytime Single (at least that's what's offered on all AM departures to Swindon from Bridgend on the GWR website. I am aware he could split but that just complicates things and this will be an expenses claim anyway)
He doesn't want to excess to an anytime return as the difference is £100 plus and doesn't need to avoid peak restrictions coming back.

Thanks,
TTT

That ticket does not have any break of journey restrictions. However, it does bar departing Bridgend before 07:35 (see nre.co.uk/WV), so your father would not be permitted to use the 07:32 from Bridgend (I think that's the one you meant!) without paying the excess to the Anytime Return. Unfortunately there is no non-overtaken way to get to Paddington after the 07:32, before the 08:02 direct train.

It is unclear whether the ticket your father holds restricts, or is intended to restrict, using a train that is barred at one station (e.g. Bridgend) later on in its journey - e.g. at Swindon, where the text does not specify any restriction.

If we are to assume that the text only restricts boarding at the specific named stations (a conclusion which could be seen as being backed up by the next in the notes of the description: "Off-Peak tickets from stations not listed are valid for connections into trains departing as shown above."), then an Anytime Single from Bridgend to Swindon would appear to be the simplest way of 'regularising' the situation, at least with tickets that are likely to be approved on expenses*. But there may be some guards who would object to that!

The least controversial but also most expensive option is obviously simply to excess the whole ticket to an Anytime Return. (In my view, if work requires your father to be in London that early in the morning, considering the distance he will have travelled, then they can go and pay for it themselves at the 'market rate'!)

So, unless I'm missing something really obvious I think your father is, metaphorically, between a rock and a hard place. I'm afraid that's simply the cost of taking the specific train that suits your needs!

*There are a variety of tickets which would enable travel for the entire journey for much less than an excess or new ticket, but suffice to say they are extremely unlikely to appear legitimate to train managers or expenses auditors!

 

[tiptoptaff]

Thanks for the reply. The TM on the train home confirmed he needs a ticket for the 0730 to get him to Swindon (ie anytime single) and then is off peak return will be valid from Swindon on the 0913

 

[tiptoptaff]

I dont think the restriction on departing Bridgend would apply as he'll not travel from Bridgend on that ticket

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I dont think the restriction on departing Bridgend would apply as he'll not travel from Bridgend on that ticket

The restriction code's wording is ambiguous as to whether the restriction on departing Bridgend (and Cardiff, Newport etc.) applies for services from there throughout their entire journey, or just to boarding at Bridgend etc. I would tentatively suggest that Section 69 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 dictates that any such unclear term must be interpreted in the consumer's favour (i.e. that starting at Swindon is permitted at any time), but when this is on expenses anyway and the "penalty" could be a hefty excess (whether correctly imposed or not!), I'm not sure that that's an argument I'd willingly enter in to.

 

[sheff1]

The simplest way to do the journey on tickets nobody should* have issue with is
Bridgend to Swindon Anytime Return @ £42.30 + Swindon to London Off Peak Return @ £63.20.

* I say "should" because the total fare using that combination is £105.50. Add in the £10 admin charge to refund the through Off Peak Return held (which, as already explained, is not valid for travel on the 0732) and it is still less than half the price of an Anytime Return from Bridgend to London ...... but it requires the expense authoriser to understand that company money is being saved and personal experience suggests that may not be the case.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Perhaps the OP's fathers company would like to pay for an overnight stay in London so he can travel off peak both ways?

As Sheffield 1 says there's a split option but it involves a bit of jigging about. All depends how switched on the company's accounts department are which given how many company's give corporate accounts to the likes of Evolvii who just supply the full price ticket but in a convenient monthly statement.........

My advice charge the excess to anytime to the person who moved the goalposts at short notice.

 

[Hadders]

My employer uses Evolvii for corporate rail travel. Interestingly Evolvii produced a guide to split ticketing - we are not barred from using splits we simply have to select 'Split Ticket' as the reason if an individual ticket in the combination is not the cheapest option for that component of the journey.

 

[tiptoptaff]

He just excessed it in the end. Thanks all anyway!!

 

[Gareth Marston]

He just excessed it in the end. Thanks all anyway!!

at such short notice not a lot else could be done- lets hope they reimburse him quickly.