Evening fares

[Craig]

Last week I needed to travel from Newcastle to Hexham. As I knew that I would be driving back I only needed to buy a single ticket. When I went to buy my ticket from the machine at Newcastle I was presented with two choices. A standard day single for £5, or an evening cheap day return for £2.55. Obviously I bought the return ticket as it was nearly half the price of the single alternative.

This raises a few questions:

Was it ok to buy the return ticket knowing full well I wouldn't be using the return portion? The train I used was early enough for me to claim to be taking a late train back if questioned.

If so then why did the machine still offer me the standard day single?

Why isn't an evening single ticket available?

 

[Nym]

Don't know, I think it might be a PTE sponsered ticket, because in GMPTA area we have an Evening Rtn. (£1.20) same to any station in the Grand Masters' ****ing Transport Away area. I think it's a going out to get ****ed type thing ticket...

 

[yorkie]

Restriction : FE
EC - CHEAP EVENING RETURN 
 
VALIDITY CODE FE
 
GENERAL 
 
Cheap Evening Return ticket 
allows half price Adult cheap 
day return fares. The fare is 
50% of the Adult Cheap Day 
Return fare. 
Available for travel on 
TransPennine Express, Arriva 
Trains Wales, Virgin Trains, 
Northern, Midland Mainline 
and Central Trains services. 
 
IT IS VALID 
 
Outward Travel 
Any train between 1830 and 
2100 daily. 
 
 
Return Travel 
Any train the same evening up 
0230 the following morning, 
where services are available. 
 
 
 
Railcard / Child 
No further discounts are 
available. 
 
Refund Arrangements 
Normal refund arrangements 
apply. 
 
Excess Arrangements 
Customers wishing to travel 
prior to 1830 should be 
charged the difference 
between the fare charged 
and the normal Cheap Day 
Return fare.

it appears to be the same as a CDR except travelling after 1830, so I see no reason why you can't abandon the RTN portion.

CDSs (where available) are generally 5p or so less than CDRs, so if there was an evening CDS it'd only be 5p less so it's not worth the hassle introducing one, I guess.

 

[me123]

They can't exactly monitor the use of a return ticket, so I don't see why you can't use it. They do it on FSR all the time (AP singles aren't available for some odd reason), and no-one seems to care.

 

[gordonthemoron]

In the days of BR, I was advised (by the booking clerk) to use CDR Nottingham-Leicester rather than a single