Zero fare excess

[curtly]

hi there

I’m currently travelling from ulverston to appley bridge (currently at Lancaster)

Force of habit made me get an ulverston to Wigan ticket
It’s the same price as an appley bridge ticket- I just tried to excess it at Lancaster and they said they can’t do it because they have a new system. Will I be able to get this done in Wigan? Or will I have to pay the 3.10 for a single to appley bridge?
Would I have an success trying to just ask the guard? Thanks In advance

Curtly

 

[Intermodal]

They can't do it at Lancaster because they don't know how.

I would advise you ask the guard on the train, explain your situation, and if he is unable to issue the excess I would ask for him to endorse your ticket for further travel rather than issue the excess.

If all this fails, I would advise you buy the single ticket, and then write to Virgin Trains and request a refund for such after the event, explaining your efforts to reasonably obtain an excess at a station that has an obligation to sell the full range of tickets.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

hi there

I’m currently travelling from ulverston to appley bridge (currently at Lancaster)

Force of habit made me get an ulverston to Wigan ticket
It’s the same price as an appley bridge ticket- I just tried to excess it at Lancaster and they said they can’t do it because they have a new system. Will I be able to get this done in Wigan? Or will I have to pay the 3.10 for a single to appley bridge?
Would I have an success trying to just ask the guard? Thanks In advance

Curtly

If you could not excess your ticket at Lancaster (or your origin) then in my view you have not had an opportunity to purchase a ticket before boarding. To then charge you extra for Wigan to Appley Bridge is therefore entirely wrong - you should be able to zero fare excess your ticket onboard the train or otherwise at your destination.

 

[curtly]

Update- I basically asked at Wallgate- they let me through the barriers. And then spoke to the guard who just said- yeah hop on no worries it fine.

I’ll probsbly be returning from Wigan on Monday- but will I be okay going for Appley bridge on my Wigan ticket

 

[Intermodal]

I always would just seek the excess or at least permission first. If you don't you risk being branded a fare evader with all the hassle that entails, although the member of staff would have to be having a particularly bad day to proceed with that I think.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Overdistance excesses are not an entitlement, I believe. FWIW I have never successfully obtained one at zero fare, only at a paid fare. I think I did get a technically zero fare one once but they charged me £0.05 for it!

 

[yorkie]

x
I’ll probsbly be returning from Wigan on Monday- but will I be okay going for Appley bridge on my Wigan ticket

From Appley Bridge? That depends. What ticket issuing facilities are at that station, and what methods of payment do they accept?

If there is no facility for you to buy any ticket from there, with your chosen valid payment method, you are entitled to ask the Guard.

But if there is a facility there then one line of argument is that, as there is no entitlement to this particular type of excess, you'd have to buy a ticket. It's not clear-cut though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’ll probsbly be returning from Wigan on Monday- but will I be okay going for Appley bridge on my Wigan ticket

Appley Bridge is unstaffed and has no TVM, right? If so, you'll just be sold a ticket on board at worst case.

Edit: it does, it seems, now have a TVM. Hmm. Perhaps ensure you have cash (not card) for the fare and obtain a Promise to Pay from the TVM which could be used to allow you to pay the fare in cash if anyone is bothered?