Scarborough to Beaconsfield Super Off-Peak ticket

[AlterEgo]

Glad to hear it was sorted, although I hope they really will properly brief their staff..!

 

[Haywain]

I heard back from a manager at Chiltern this morning and they confirmed what everyone here said which is that the ticket was indeed valid.

They apologised for the inconvenience at Marylebone and that I had been given incorrect information by staff both at Marylebone and at head office.

They said that a brief would be issued to front line staff about varying restriction codes.

I was offered a voucher as a gesture of goodwill, which, while appreciated, was much less important to me than the validity of the ticket being confirmed in writing by a Chiltern manager, as I will be making this journey again and may need it.

I’m not sure if my case got escalated to a manager through my own efforts or due to third party intervention after I posted this thread. In any event I am thankful for all the help from the users here.

It's good to hear that they have recognised and accepted that they were wrong, and that they have offered you something by way of apology.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Glad to hear it was sorted, although I hope they really will properly brief their staff..!

Having seen a copy of the brief in question (courtesy of the proverbial bloke in a trenchcoat), it makes it clear that restrictions depend on the ticket held, and not the train.

Whether it'll be read and understood by those who need to do so most is another matter, but at least they've tried.

 

[AdamWW]

Whether it'll be read and understood by those who need to do so most is another matter, but at least they've tried.

They have indeed tried, and I imagine this is the best outcome that could be expected.

Though personally I'd like to see posters at Marylebone and Paddington stating that restrictions apply to tickets not trains that a passenger could point to when faced with the "Ah but we get to make up our own rules" brigade. Probably wouldn't help much either but I can't see what harm it would do.

 

[All Line Rover]

So they've told their staff to please read the restriction information printed on their own tickets? It's a start, I guess.

 

[Tallguy]

Having seen a copy of the brief in question (courtesy of the proverbial bloke in a trenchcoat), it makes it clear that restrictions depend on the ticket held, and not the train.

Whether it'll be read and understood by those who need to do so most is another matter, but at least they've tried.

Care to share that document to this forum?

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Care to share that document to this forum?

I second that.
If I ever found myself in the same situation, being able to show such a letter would be very useful.
(I would know I’m in the right, but dealing with poorly-trained staff could cause the missing of a train)

 

[yorkie]

I heard back from a manager at Chiltern this morning and they confirmed what everyone here said which is that the ticket was indeed valid.

They apologised for the inconvenience at Marylebone and that I had been given incorrect information by staff both at Marylebone and at head office.

They said that a brief would be issued to front line staff about varying restriction codes.

I was offered a voucher as a gesture of goodwill, which, while appreciated, was much less important to me than the validity of the ticket being confirmed in writing by a Chiltern manager, as I will be making this journey again and may need it.]

Thanks for confirming

I’m not sure if my case got escalated to a manager through my own efforts or due to third party intervention after I posted this thread. In any event I am thankful for all the help from the users here.

I think it's safe to say that Chiltern managers have seen this thread.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Care to share that document to this forum?

Suitably redacted document attached, though they've oversimplified the first example as it's a Project Oval journey, so swapping the Return for a combination of two Singles may be cheaper than the Excess.

 

[Adam Williams]

A reasonably good brief, though thinking about this more generally than OP's case:

If you’re not sure if a given ticket is valid for the journey being made, check the entire journey for the following weekday on the Chiltern website or mobile app

This isn't a bad litmus test, but only works if the (electronic) restrictions have not changed since the time of booking.

I'd have liked to have seen an explicit:

If you remain in doubt, or in all cases where the customer can produce an itinerary they are following for the tickets they hold, the customer should be permitted to travel.

I think half the battle is getting across that there's no such thing as a peak or off-peak train though, and Chiltern have made more of an effort here to do this than I've seen from some other TOCs. I agree with @CyrusWuff that they deserve some credit for this, though it's a shame it took as long as it did to get to this.

 

[Tallguy]

Interesting how Chiltern used an example of a single ticket from Scarborough to High Wycombe. Thanks for sharing this, without question someone high up in Chiltern has seen this thread.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Suitably redacted document attached, though they've oversimplified the first example as it's a Project Oval journey, so swapping the Return for a combination of two Singles may be cheaper than the Excess.

Interesting that there's different rules at the local stations between a day return to London Terminals and a One-Day Travelcard. If you aren't intending to make much use of TfL services then "London Terminals" + Oyster or contactless may be cheaper. However if the Travelcard allows peak evening trains, this may tip the balance. But surely people use Travelcards for day trips to London, so passengers with off peak tickets on "peak" trains would be a regular occurrence?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Interesting that there's different rules at the local stations between a day return to London Terminals and a One-Day Travelcard. If you aren't intending to make much use of TfL services then "London Terminals" + Oyster or contactless may be cheaper. However if the Travelcard allows peak evening trains, this may tip the balance. But surely people use Travelcards for day trips to London, so passengers with off peak tickets on "peak" trains would be a regular occurrence?

Given Seer Green & Jordans is one of the six Chiltern stations where pay as you go with contactless is going live at the end of June (Denham - High Wycombe inclusive), it's presumably for consistency with how daily capping will work. Namely if all your travel is after 09:30, an Off-Peak cap applies.

If all you're doing is travelling to Marylebone and back, two Singles will be the cheapest option - either on CPAY or as a traditional ticket. Add a tube journey each way, and a Travelcard or Daily Cap may work out cheaper and you don't have to worry about the PM peak restriction.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Given Seer Green & Jordans is one of the six Chiltern stations where pay as you go with contactless is going live at the end of June (Denham - High Wycombe inclusive), it's presumably for consistency with how daily capping will work. Namely if all your travel is after 09:30, an Off-Peak cap applies.

By contrast on the Marlow branch which has had contactless readers for some time, the off peak travelcard doesn't allow use of the fast GWR services from Paddington to Maidenhead. Presumably with contactless, you would have to use the readers at the main station enabling peak fares to be charged. If you go downstairs to the slower Elizabeth Line services I believe the off peak travelcard remains valid.

 

[Haywain]

Presumably with contactless, you would have to use the readers at the main station enabling peak fares to be charged.

With contactless you would be subject to the relevant daily cap, or fares according to the time of travel.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Good and the bad on gwr today.

An rpi (yes an rpi) told someone whose ticket was rejected at the gsteline that they just need to check the ticket code.
The rpi then looked at something on his phone.

An rpi on the 1650 from padd told someone that its a peak time train.

 

[Watershed]

Good and the bad on gwr today.

An rpi (yes an rpi) told someone whose ticket was rejected at the gsteline that they just need to check the ticket code.

An rpi on the 1650 told someone that its a peak time train.

Whilst the RPI was wrong if they implied it was generically a peak train, it may well have been barred/restricted on the ticket the passenger held. Do you happen to know what ticket that was?

 

[Jamiescott1]

Whilst the RPI was wrong if they implied it was generically a peak train, it may well have been barred/restricted on the ticket the passenger held. Do you happen to know what ticket that was?

I know they were going to Twyford so the chances are it was an off peak from padd or a travel card so not valid on the train.
The rpi issued a new ticket at cost of £18 something.
Should they of excessed it?

 

[Watershed]

I know they were going to Twyford so the chances are it was an off peak from padd or a travel card so not valid on the train.
The rpi issued a new ticket at cost of £18 something.
Should they of excessed it?

If it was a Twyford-Paddington Off-Peak Day Return or Travelcard, then the 16:50 was indeed barred under the applicable restriction code (O9) so the RPI was correct to charge the customer extra.

However they should not be charging £18.20 (that sounds like the cost of a new Anytime Day Single); they should only charge the difference (i.e. excess) to the equivalent Anytime fare, which is £15.00 if an Off-Peak Day Return (route "not via Reading") was held. If an Off-Peak Day Travelcard (route "not via Reading") was held, the excess would be £18.10 so this would still be marginally cheaper than a new ticket.

 

[island]

Some say you can't excess a Travelcard, so that might complicate matters.

 

[Haywain]

Some say you can't excess a Travelcard, so that might complicate matters.

Those who say that are wrong. I have issued such excesses many times.