Excess Bath to Waltham Cross return portion.

[Going South]

I have a super-offpeak return ticket from Bath spa to Waltham Cross. I'd like to return from Castle Cary instead on an offpeak (rather than superoffpeak) train (0941 to London). Can I excess my existing ticket a) at CLC ticket office or b) on the train?
Thanks in advance.

 

[yorkie]

Note that for some excess tickets you must obtain the excess at the first available opportunity otherwise you willl be excessed to the full Anytime fare with no railcard discounts OR a new ticket from your original destination to the new destination (whichever is cheaper). That includes over-distance excess!

There are other exceesses which are the same price on board even if there was opportunity to buy before boarding, such as change of route, but that does NOT apply to over-distance.

That said, if you ask the guard BEFORE you reach the last station at which your original ticket is valid, then they may well apply common sense and excess you to the cheaper, 'appropriate' fare.

Note that many staff struggle to issue excesses 'correctly'. I tried to get an excess today and failed to do so due to lack of training. Allow yourself plenty of time and be prepred to 'shop around' to obtain the excess.

I will send a PM shortly.

 

[Going South]

Thanks. If the booking office at CLC can't do it I'll buy a new off peak return ticket - I'm travelling the route a few times this month.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I rather suspect you'd be better off buying a new ticket, but if the ticket office will change the Bath Spa-Waltham Cross ticket to a Castle Cary-Waltham Cross ticket then go for that.

Bear in mind, officially, 'change of route to a new destination' is the same onboard as it is before travel, a ticket to cover the part of the journey not covered by the ticket held, although at the ticket office you'd get the cheapest one, onboard you might have to pay the Anytime fare.