Returns cheaper one way but cost more the other

[wintonian]

It doesn't apply when using the return portion at all. There is no requirement to hold an outward ticket when using a return ticket.

Sorry I ment having the RTN swallowed/ retained before traveling on the OUT.

Here is the reverse of one of the tickets I last bought on 17.02.10 at WIN, which only refers to the NRCOC and conditions of carriage of other operators, without saying what these extra condition are called.

 

[yorkie]

Sorry I ment having the RTN swallowed/ retained before traveling on the OUT..

That shouldn't happen, unless you do the journey in reverse, or you put the wrong ticket in the barrier and it swallows it.

 

[wintonian]

On SWT when you reach the destination as stated on the ticket (OUT or RTN) the barriers will swallow it as in theory you don't need it any more, though waterloo is the exeption when the barrier staff will just retain it if it is not valid zones U1 etc. or * but the barriers themselves will give it to back.

 

[yorkie]

Yep, but at Waterloo the ticket isn't retained automatically because you have not reached the final destination that the ticket is valid for: Charing Cross, or London Bridge via Waterloo East. (or even Blackfriars/City Thameslink I guess, by changing twice!) You can, of course, choose to hand your ticket in or throw it away if you do not require it to travel beyond Waterloo.

 

[wintonian]

I think we are kind of saying the same thing.

Are you also saying that a ticket from Southampton/ Winchester etc. to London treminals is still valid beyond Waterloo if you use NR to another London terminal?

 

[yorkie]

Yes, any ticket to London Terminals into Waterloo can certainly be used to Charing Cross. I'm pretty sure it can be used to London Bridge/Blackfriars/Canon St/City Thameslink too.

 

[wintonian]

But not to get off to break/ end your journey anywhere en route I assume?

 

[clagmonster]

Firstly, just to clarify, when you travel beyond Waterloo, you may only use BR services, the ticket is not valid on anything operated by LT.
Also, many of the routeing guide maps specifically show Waterloo, rather than London group. In these cases, as far as I can see travel beyond Waterloo is only valid when you are using the shortest route in distance from your origin station to your destination station in London. I can't see that being a problem from the likes of Winchester, but it probably will be a problem from places like Epsom as the shortest route will be via the South Central division.
Thirdly, I don't see any problem, assuming the ticket restriction doesn't prohibit it, of having a break of journey at London Bridge when travelling to Cannon St, Blackfriars or City Thameslink, or at Blackfriars when travelling to City Thameslink.

 

[Bedpan]

And at Waterloo and presumably the terminus platforms at London Bridge (although I haven't used them) you have to put your ticket into the machine even if you're not breaking your journey but just changing trains to get to Charing Cross etc.

Back to the previous discussion though - I have never been asked to show my return ticket when presenting the outward one, but there again on the outward journey I keep the two halves together and have to check myself to see which is the outward one to show to the ticket inspector, so he will see that I have two tickets.

As for having to show the outward part on the return journey, surely if they wanted you to do this they'd print just one ticket, which would be spitted out by the machine at your outbound destination, rather than two separate tickets.

In fact when I was a lad and tickets were printed on Edmundson Cards, you only ever got one ticket for a return journey, which had "A to B" on the left hand half and "B to A" on the right hand side. then, when you completed the outbound journey, you tore the ticket in half and handed the left hand half to the ticket collector. So it was impossible to use ticket the wrong way round ie return before outward.

 

[yorkie]

And at Waterloo and presumably the terminus platforms at London Bridge (although I haven't used them) you have to put your ticket into the machine even if you're not breaking your journey but just changing trains to get to Charing Cross etc.

You can put your tickets in the machine and not break your journey if you are using station facilities, however I do not know if the machines will give the ticket back or not. If you were not using station facilities or breaking your journey then you would use the footbridge, and there is no barrier between the platforms.

Back to the previous discussion though - I have never been asked to show my return ticket when presenting the outward one, but there again on the outward journey I keep the two halves together and have to check myself to see which is the outward one to show to the ticket inspector, so he will see that I have two tickets.

Unless you've used an Anytime (outward) on a day after the first day of validity, I would be very surprised if you had ever been asked.

As for having to show the outward part on the return journey, surely if they wanted you to do this they'd print just one ticket, which would be spitted out by the machine at your outbound destination, rather than two separate tickets.

In fact when I was a lad and tickets were printed on Edmundson Cards, you only ever got one ticket for a return journey, which had "A to B" on the left hand half and "B to A" on the right hand side. then, when you completed the outbound journey, you tore the ticket in half and handed the left hand half to the ticket collector. So it was impossible to use ticket the wrong way round ie return before outward.

I wonder if journeys were not priced to be so much cheaper in some cases if done a certain way round? I suspect not, as the railways have become more 'market priced' over time.

 

[Bedpan]

If you were not using station facilities or breaking your journey then you would use the footbridge, and there is no barrier between the platforms.

I was thinking more of arriving at Waterloo from the SW main line and then walking across the concourse and over the bridge to Waterloo East, to proceed on to Charing Cross. I haven't done this since the ticket barrier machines were installed though. Similarly IIRC the footbridge at London Bridge only crosses the through platforms and then drops to the concourse for the terminal platforms.

I wonder if journeys were not priced to be so much cheaper in some cases if done a certain way round? I suspect not, as the railways have become more 'market priced' over time.

I agree, I don't know definitely but I think that the fare was worked out on a "pence per mile" basis in the old days.

 

[yorkie]

There's a bridge you don't know about - Map of London Bridge station.

 

[Bedpan]

Heavens, so there is! Sorry, I must be starting to have senior moments and getting mixed up with the subway at the north end of the station.

 

[yorkie]

No problem!

Although I think of the station as being more west to east than north to south!