Very shortly I’m about to qualify for a senior railcard. I also hold a two together railcard, that covers myself and my wife. If I purchase a pair of tickets covered by the two together card, and for whatever reason my wife could not travel, would my ticket still be valid by virtue of me holding a senior railcard?
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Holding both senior and two together rail cards
- Thread starter jthjth
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R
RailUK Forums
No.
You would need to get a refund for the tickets issued with the Two Together Railcard and buy a replacement with your Senior Railcard.
In practice you'd find that most staff would be pragmatic about it and wouldn't pull you up for travelling without your wife, provided you can show both tickets. However, there is always the chance of encountering a "jobsworth" who enforces the requirement for both cardholders to actually travel.
Better to play it safe - in the first instance, ask the retailer you bought your tickets from whether they're willing to to give a fee-free refund on your original tickets if you buy new undiscounted ones. If they say no, try asking the TOC(s) you'll be using whether they'll give you permission to travel on your own. You could also try excessing away the Railcard on your original ticket at a ticket office.
Unfortunately all of these involve discretion, and there's no guarantee of this being exercised. If none of the above work out, you'll just have to buy a new ticket and see if you can get a refund on the old one (this will depend on whether it's an Advance or walk-up ticket, and if the latter, whether the ticket is worth more than the admin fee of up to £10 that the retailer may charge).
Bear in mind that one thing you definitely are entitled to, regardless of whether you have an Advance or walk-up ticket, is to change your journey to another date of your convenience. This would attract an admin fee of up to £10 depending on the retailer, and you'd have to pay any fare difference. But it should at least mean that you don't totally waste the value of your ticket if you have an Advance.
Better to play it safe - in the first instance, ask the retailer you bought your tickets from whether they're willing to to give a fee-free refund on your original tickets if you buy new undiscounted ones. If they say no, try asking the TOC(s) you'll be using whether they'll give you permission to travel on your own. You could also try excessing away the Railcard on your original ticket at a ticket office.
Unfortunately all of these involve discretion, and there's no guarantee of this being exercised. If none of the above work out, you'll just have to buy a new ticket and see if you can get a refund on the old one (this will depend on whether it's an Advance or walk-up ticket, and if the latter, whether the ticket is worth more than the admin fee of up to £10 that the retailer may charge).
Bear in mind that one thing you definitely are entitled to, regardless of whether you have an Advance or walk-up ticket, is to change your journey to another date of your convenience. This would attract an admin fee of up to £10 depending on the retailer, and you'd have to pay any fare difference. But it should at least mean that you don't totally waste the value of your ticket if you have an Advance.
Are you taking a view that the OP would be looked at more sympathetically by rail staff as the holder of a Senior Railcard, and therefore no difference in fare being due, than if they were someone who could only be entitled to that particular fare as a Two Together Railcard holder?
There is clearly no guarantee of this approach being taken, as you have noted.
No.
The ticket specifies the type of railcard against which it has been purchased.
I have both types of railcard and would not think of doing what you propose.
I don't think it's specifically to do with being a Senior Railcard holder, though there might be a subconscious element of (positive) age discrimination based on the stereotype of younger people being more likely to be "trying it on".
It's just that if you can show both tickets and Railcards, you can demonstrate that you've not gained any financial advantage through what you've done, and that the other cardholder couldn't be doing the same on their own.
I agree. However it's far from unheard of for booking office staff who mistakenly issue a ticket with the wrong Railcard applied to say don't worry, the discount is the same.
Indeed, though I'd want to have a record of that permission (e.g. an endorsement) in case I later got "pulled up".
So would l.... But how often will they do it?
JBuchananGB
Member
It has been known for me to be issued with tickets marked "Two Together" when I requested 2 tickets with "Senior Railcard" and presented 2 such railcards. Fortunately I was not then checked during the journey. The culprit on that occasion was MerseyRail at Liverpool Central. Probably don't get asked for "Senior Railcard" tickets very often as anyone who lives in Merseyside and is aged 60+ is issued with a Travel Pass. I did not then, and still do not, live in Merseyside, but MerseyRail is my local TOC.
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