Can you get refunds on unused train tickets

[Kmo86]

i regularly get train from Bridlington to Hull and back I have a disabled railcard for I think 30% off the fare. I have to get the ticket before getting the train to get the money off. This means on some occasions I have got the tickets but missed the train due to there being a long queue for tickets not the train companies fault as train do normally run on time. So rather than wait for next train I decide to drive instead of getting train.

I am wondering if this happens again or if I don’t use the train after getting the ticket could I get a refund if I keep the tickets and would I be able to get refund after the date displayed on the tickets. I mean like a few days to a week after.

The train company I use is northern but I buy tickets at the station from person selling them. I’ve read you can get refund for unused tickets but there could be a few to pay for refund which could be upto £10 which in my case would not be worth it as the ticket costs just under £9.

 

[yorkie]

Ask the person who has just issued the ticket for a refund (explaining the reason why); they should be able to non-issue it which avoids the requirement to pay a fee.

Some train companies (eg. LNER) allow you to buy on board with your discount, but I don't know Northern's policy. You could try asking them. I'd be interested to hear their response.

How long are the queues?

 

[Kmo86]

I think it depends on person checking tickets once when ticket office was closed I did pay and get money on train, but sometimes they have announcement saying they will only sell full priced tickets on train. The queue can be up to 10 min.

 

[John @ home]

Some train companies (eg. LNER) allow you to buy on board with your discount, but I don't know Northern's policy.

In addition to being able to obtain a refund from the station ticket office if a train is missed, it seems to me that Kmo86 is likely to be able to buy a Railcard discounted ticket on the train in the circumstances described in post #1.

Making rail accessible - helping older and disabled passengers

Tickets and fares

If you are unable to buy a ticket before your journey, because our facilities are inaccessible or unavailable, you may do so without penalty during the journey or at the destination station and enjoy any reduction to which you are entitled.

We understand that disabilities are not always visible and if you're concerned about purchasing tickets please contact staff on stations or on trains or our Customer Experience Centre for advice.

Disabled Persons Railcard discounts are available on tickets sold by all of our ticket offices, conductors and self-service ticket machines.

If you hold a Disabled Persons Railcard, please remember to show it when purchasing your ticket at a ticket office.

https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/corporate/disabled-people-s-protection-policy

 

[AlterEgo]

Maybe I’ve missed something, but are the ticket issuing facilities inaccessible to the OP because of disability?

 

[K.o.R]

Maybe I’ve missed something, but are the ticket issuing facilities inaccessible to the OP because of disability?

I think the policy on those trains is to only sell full-price tickets, but there may be an exception specifically for the Disabled Persons Railcard.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think the policy on those trains is to only sell full-price tickets, but there may be an exception specifically for the Disabled Persons Railcard.

If you are not a Disabled Railcard holder, and have no disability, then you may only buy on board if ticket facilities are unavailable. It isn't clear whether a long queue means "unavailable".

If you board a train without a ticket where there were facilities to buy tickets before you boarded, then you may be committing a Bylaw offence.

But..

If you have a Disabled Railcard and the ticket issuing facilities are not accessible to you, then you may buy on board without penalty.

It's not clear whether the OP's disability meant the ticket issuing facilities were inaccessible, but it seems as though it was just a long queue.

Bascially we need to know if the OP's disability meant he couldn't buy a ticket before advising.

 

[K.o.R]

I have to get the ticket before getting the train to get the money off.

This would imply (or, at least, OP believes to be the case) that they only sell full-price tickets on-board (which is not unheard-of). Whether that is actually the case, and if there is an exception for the Disabled Persons Railcard, is uncertain at this point.

 

[AlterEgo]

This would imply (or, at least, OP believes to be the case) that they only sell full-price tickets on-board (which is not unheard-of). Whether that is actually the case, and if there is an exception for the Disabled Persons Railcard, is uncertain at this point.

It's not quite the case.

If you board a train without a rail ticket, you may be sold a full-price one on board, but you also run the risk of being caught committing a Bylaw offence. "There was a queue" isn't a defence - opinions vary but I certainly wouldn't want to test that in court.

We need to know if the ticket facilities are inaccessible to the OP, because if they are, then he has a defence both against being sold a full price ticket and a Bylaw conviction. Only a minority of people with a Disabled Railcard will have difficulties with ticket issuing facilities at stations.

 

[smilerish]

SWR operate the 'You must buy a ticket before you board one of our trains' policy, and yet: if you speak to a guard prior to boarding their train, in all liklihood they will sell you the ticket you want including any appropriate discount.

It's often worth asking.

Another option for the Op if it's feasible: could you buy your future ticket in advance? E.g. buy tomorrow's ticket today.

 

[Bertie the bus]

I’m confused why the OP buys a ticket at all when they have missed the train. NRES’s website shows a departure screen on the wall of the ticket office so why not just not buy the ticket if the train has departed? It is obvious that the OP’s disability isn’t related to their vision because they say they sometimes drive instead.

 

[kieron]

Kmo86 said that he bought the ticket and missed the train. I don't think there was anything about the order in which these happened.

It makes more sense to me to buy a ticket and then see the train depart before you get to it, especially if you're not someone who can run for a train if you think it's about to go. In that situation, getting a non-issue would mean joining a long queue again. Personally, I'd approach Northern about this and see what they say.

 

[scrapy]

Northern official policy is that tickets should be bought before boarding unless your disability prevents you from doing so.

As there is nothing on your railcard to indicate the nature of your disability or whether you can access the facilities (some people are unable to hear through the glass or stand in long queues for example even when there are no steps) in practice you should always be able to buy on board especially if you ask the guard on boarding.

 

[E759]

I obtained a refund from LNER from an activated m-ticket purchased on-the-day via the LNER APP (when realising my split tickets didn't match the services I was using on my itinerary; i.e. a service didn't stop at two of my split points - yes a stupid mistake). I applied online two weeks after the journey. I was refunded after a couple of days. I have no idea why the refund sailed through and assume it was a mistake too


[As things transpired (1) I walked so fast from the Nene Valley Railway that when I got to Peterborough there was a nice Horsham ThamesLink waiting to take me to Hitchin for my connection to Cambridge and (2) the LNER service I had booked was running late and would of been no use to me anyway.]

 

[Wallsendmag]

I obtained a refund from LNER from an activated m-ticket purchased on-the-day via the LNER APP (when realising my split tickets didn't match the services I was using on my itinerary; i.e. a service didn't stop at two of my split points - yes a stupid mistake). I applied online two weeks after the journey. I was refunded after a couple of days. I have no idea why the refund sailed through and assume it was a mistake too


[As things transpired (1) I walked so fast from the Nene Valley Railway that when I got to Peterborough there was a nice Horsham ThamesLink waiting to take me to Hitchin for my connection to Cambridge and (2) the LNER service I had booked was running late and would of been no use to me anyway.]

The delay would have been the reason.

 

[E759]

Ok.........seems a good deal as the delay was less than 30 mins...