Travelling at the wrong time on an Off-Peak ticket

[WillPS]

My Googling skills are doing me a disservice today - I'm sure this has been discussed before but - what is the correct course of action for a passenger travelling on a train with an off-peak ticket valid for the route but not at that time?

Excess?

New full Anytime Single without discount?

I ask because a friend of mine was told that he could be Penalty Fare'd but he was being "let off" by an RPI (I'll let you guess the TOC...!).

 

[RJ]

My Googling skills are doing me a disservice today - I'm sure this has been discussed before but - what is the correct course of action for a passenger travelling on a train with an off-peak ticket valid for the route but not at that time?

Excess?

New full Anytime Single without discount?

I ask because a friend of mine was told that he could be Penalty Fare'd but he was being "let off" by an RPI (I'll let you guess the TOC...!).

Could either be excessed, have to buy a new ticket or a witness statement taken if it can be proven that it's a wilful attempt to avoid paying an appropriate fare.

 

[AlterEgo]

An excess should be sold to the cheapest available ticket for immediate travel. This is usually an Anytime.

In some cases it's cheaper to sell an Anytime Single than excess a SVR to the full SOR. In which case - the new ticket should be sold.

As RJ said, a witness statement could be taken if there's evidence the traveller is deliberately attempting to avoid the fare. This is very rare, however.

 

[SS4]

Condition 12 of the CoC says excess although, as ever, the RPI can use discretion

12. Restrictions on when you can travel
Restrictions apply to the use of some tickets (including those bought with a Railcard) such
as the dates, days, and times when you can use them, and the trains in which they can
be used. These restrictions are set out in the notices and other publications of the Train
Companies whose trains you are entitled to use. If a restriction applies and the ticket you
are using is not valid for the train you are travelling in, then:

(a) you will be liable to pay an excess fare (the difference between the price

paid for the ticket you hold and the price of the lowest priced ticket

available for immediate travel that would have entitled you to travel in that

train for the journey shown on the ticket); or

(b) in the case of some types of discounted tickets (as indicated in the notices and

publications) the relevant parts of Condition 2 or 4 will apply.

 

[AlterEgo]

The Manual instructs staff to sell a full price single ticket if it is cheaper than the excess.

 

[WillPS]

So an excess should be offered? My friend was sold an Anytime Single with no railcard discount, although an excess would certainly have been cheaper. As I say, he was told that he should really have been PFd but it was implied the RPI was using their discretion in issuing a single.

I don't see anywhere which suggests a PF would be applicable.

Unfortunately the fare was paid in cash and I think it'd be a waste of time trying to get EMT to shell out, but knowledge is power!

Congrats GNER 373 - your two fortnights in February should be with you in about 12 days.

 

[AlterEgo]

What were the tickets in question exactly?

 

[bb21]

What's the TOC in question?

One cannot be Penalty Fared for being on a time-restricted ticket. If that's what the RPI said then he is not very well trained to say the least.

 

[route101]

Ive used an Off Peak return back to Glasgow from Edinburgh a few times on XC and Airdrie Bathgate services . One time i used the barriers and ticket was rejected and i had to pay excess , i completely forgot it was an off peak.

 

[GNER 373]

Congrats GNER 373 - your two fortnights in February should be with you in about 12 days.

??? Not sure what you mean?

 

[AlterEgo]

I think he meant you were correct in guessing the TOC was EMT.

 

[GNER 373]

Aaaah ok! Just know that they do penalty fares that's all! Apologies also to those who read my previous post (now deleted) as it was me reading the original post wrong! Must learn to take my time in future!

 

[stut]

I've often wondered what's the best thing to do.

Quite often, I have to go to London during the day (FCC GN route), and have no idea when I'll get back. So I buy an Off-Peak Day return, with the intention of excessing it if I need to travel between 1630 and 1900. This used to be fine when the FCC portakabin existed - you'd have the excess in your hand in seconds.

Now, however, it's a nightmare. The queues at the GNER travelcentre are at least 15 minutes' long, and the FCC booth at St Pancras had no idea how to do an excess, and it took so long that I missed the train I was going for. With that kind of delay, I've always been half-tempted just to take the train anyway (which usually goes from unbarriered platform 8), although I know that there's rarely RPIs on the train, and my station is unmanned in the evening.

So, do I now need to queue for 15/20 minutes every time I want to be honest?

 

[John @ home]

I buy an Off-Peak Day return, with the intention of excessing it if I need to travel between 1630 and 1900.

... do I now need to queue for 15/20 minutes every time I want to be honest?

No. See post #4 in this thread for the rules.

The tickets where 12(b) applies are mainly Advance tickets, Reader Offers and the like. Off-Peak Day returns are not tickets where 12(b) applies, so12(a) applies and you are allowed to pay an Excess Fare in the train.

 

[stut]

No. See post #4 in this thread for the rules.

The tickets where 12(b) applies are mainly Advance tickets, Reader Offers and the like. Off-Peak Day returns are not tickets where 12(b) applies, so12(a) applies and you are allowed to pay an Excess Fare in the train.

OK, sounds good (although I do expect FCC to try it on).

If it goes from a barriered platform, however, I'm assuming I'll get turned away and have to queue.