Getting an awkward excess

[tony_mac]

I'm looking at excessing the return portion of a Liverpool to London off-peak return to Shotton or Rhyl (primarily to avoid the evening peak restrictions)
Is this likely to be a difficult thing to do at Euston? How do they decide what a valid route to excess is?
Shotton to London via Chester then Liverpool is ok on the routeing guide, and NRES website also shows it is ok - are the systems they use in the ticket office likely to agree?

If that isn't possible, what about doing two-stage excesses? Firstly from Liverpool - London to Burscough - London, then Burscough - London to Lancaster - London. Is there any chance that would work?

This isn't actually for me, I have a railcard, but any help would be appreciated!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

My fastis says tickets to shotton are valid via Liverpool, all ticket issueing machines and websites are given the same information about routeing, so you should get given an 'over-riding' excess for the return portion. Provided you do not travel on the 1610 from Euston, it shouldn't cost you anything.

 

[mathmo]

If you have a railcard then I believe all Off-Peak tickets are valid at any time on Virgin services!

 

[tony_mac]

Thanks for looking it up!

all ticket issueing machines and websites are given the same information about routeing

Obviously I don't know about machines, but the websites do give different information about routeing. I can't get thetrainline to give the Shotton to London via Liverpool route, but NXEC and nationalrail both do.
thetrainline does give a ticket for Flint to London via Liverpool.

So I wondered what the machines (or staff!) in the ticket office might say; are they likely to look at the map and point out that it's a crazy route, or just accept what the computer tells them? Or possibly say 'what's an excess?'

The ticket isn't for me, as I can travel at peak time with my railcard, but it might get me some brownie points if I can work something out

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....So I wondered what the machines (or staff!) in the ticket office might say; are they likely to look at the map and point out that it's a crazy route, or just accept what the computer tells them? Or possibly say 'what's an excess?'....

There is always the possibility of the latter, but at a mainline station they should know what one is.

The machines and websites get the same information from ATOC, they might interpret it differently.

The staff will likely type the route into their ticket machines first and see if it is valid via Liverpool. Printing the National Rail enquiries web page that allows it and showing it to them *might* help you.

 

[yorkie]

They should issue it, but sometimes you come across staff who know what you are trying to do so refuse to issue it on those grounds, even though you are not breaking any rules and they are obliged to sell it! But these people make up their own rules and live in a world that the customer is always wrong. Hopefully you won't encounter someome like that but if you do, shop around and try other places like St Pancras or Paddington. King's Cross may do it but I've heard some bad reports of rudeness from some NXEC staff in the main ticket office.