London to Peterborough

[Capybara]

I want to do King's Cross to Peterborough travelling out around 16:00 and back later in the evening. National Rail gives me the £24 fare which I assume is a FCC only day return - I know East Coast isn't an option at that time without breaking the bank. However, I would like the option of returning on East Coast which the FCC only won't allow. Can I get a ticket which will allow me to do that? I see there is a £28 off-peak by travelling East Coast earlier which I assume is an 'Any Permitted'. Would I be able to buy one of those or similar and use it on a FCC outward during the East Coast peak and so have the option of returning on a fast train?

 

[LexyBoy]

Surely you can just excess the ticket from a route-restricted to an Any Permitted on the return... oh, wait

Unfortunately the £28 Day Return (routed Any Permitted) won't be any good, since it takes restriction E9 which bars all trains out of London between 1555 and 1901 (the last before this period is the 1530 EC service).

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Thinking about it, the £28 ticket might be usable on evening peak FCC services. The correct procedure for travel at a time not allowed on the ticket is to excess to the cheapest fare available for immediate travel. This can be a TOC-specific fare if appropriate - thus you could buy the £28 day return and ask for the outbound to be excessed to travel during the evening peak. I don't know how savvy the ticket clerks at KGX are, but they might need 'reminding' of the FCC Only fare not to excess it to the Anytime fare. The excess would of course be £0.

 

[Capybara]

Thanks. Not looking great. Might have to try and get there in time to catch the 15:30 and if I just miss it catch the 15:36 FCC. It's the late night slow train on return I want to avoid if at all possible.