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If I could still get a refund for the ticket after the day of travel I would just buy the excess in advance by finding the right ticket office that would let me. But the combination of both of these NRCoT changes is particularly annoying here.
If I could still get a refund for the ticket after the day of travel I would just buy the excess in advance by finding the right ticket office that would let me. But the combination of both of these NRCoT changes is particularly annoying here.
Yeah, given the new NRCoT I would be trying to buy the ticket and excess the outward leg in the same transaction, at a ticket office. And if they can't or won't do it, buy the more expensive Any Permitted ticket under protest, perhaps after discretely recording the conversation, and then write in to the TOC's customer services seeking a refund of the amount overcharged.
Otherwise, the risk of buying a ticket that isn't valid for the desired route in the outbound direction would be that you just can't travel, or can't travel by the desired route, or you have to buy a second ticket.
In my experience it's more likely that they will do the excess but incorrectly do it as the full difference rather than half of it. In my experience however customer services tend to refund that fairly readily.
Is the break of journey restriction on the original super off peak ticket in effect if I excess the outbound leg? The any permitted off peak ticket has no such restriction.
Is the break of journey restriction on the original super off peak ticket in effect if I excess the outbound leg? The any permitted off peak ticket has no such restriction.
Indeed if you do break your journey when not allowed on a walk up ticket (can't remember about Advances) the remedy is an excess to the cheapest ticket for your journey that would permit it.
Indeed if you do break your journey when not allowed on a walk up ticket (can't remember about Advances) the remedy is an excess to the cheapest ticket for your journey that would permit it.
What about Dartford to Reading breaking at Canary Wharf? No break of journey restriction on the ticket, but one has been inserted into the NRCoT regardless of the ticket held. So, if I hold a CDR what's the excess?
What about Dartford to Reading breaking at Canary Wharf? No break of journey restriction on the ticket, but one has been inserted into the NRCoT regardless of the ticket held. So, if I hold a CDR what's the excess?
Ah, forgot about the Liz core issue where it's treated like a Tube transfer. That should probably be delved into on the dedicated thread as it's not "normal".
Indeed if you do break your journey when not allowed on a walk up ticket (can't remember about Advances) the remedy is an excess to the cheapest ticket for your journey that would permit it.
Well I was right to be worried. Made the outbound journey today. I had asked about getting the excess at canley ticket office in advance so I knew they could do it (though it took a lot of encouragement and suggestions from me!). Unfortunately their printer was broken so they were unable to print me any tickets and gave me an authority to travel to attempt buying at Coventry.
At Coventry the clerk took seemingly multiple minutes to find the base ticket I wanted (before I'd even asked about the excess) then point blank refused to sell the excess because "Avanti don't do super off peak so you can't excess from it". I told him I'd seen the TIS at canley so I knew it could be done but he was having none of it. When I asked to speak to someone else his colleague told me "he's been doing this for 20 years" like that means he's competent. In the end I bought only the base ticket intending to excess on board.
I couldn't find the guard on the LNWR train I boarded so I left the train at rugby and finally found a ticket office that would sell me the excess. Props to the guy there who seemingly had to fight through 3 separate data entry screens to issue it (and interestingly scanned the mini Aztec on my CCST).
I will be complaining (again) about the Coventry ticket office staff but thankfully I am moving next week so I will probably never have to interact with them again.
What really gets to me is they seem to be offended at me questioning them. It seems to never cross their mind they might be wrong. I guess it comes from dealing with clueless passengers all day.
What really gets to me is they seem to be offended at me questioning them. It seems to never cross their mind they might be wrong. I guess it comes from dealing with clueless passengers all day.
I've had them tell me how many weeks of training they've had. In some cases one wonders what they've covered.
But anyway, there's no reason to suppose their training would have focussed on the specific journey I now want to make and the specific tickets I now want to buy, so it's hardly surprising that having researched the matter in advance, I may know something they don't about my intended journey and ticket(s). I'm not claiming to know more than them about anything else.
Well I was right to be worried. Made the outbound journey today. I had asked about getting the excess at canley ticket office in advance so I knew they could do it (though it took a lot of encouragement and suggestions from me!). Unfortunately their printer was broken so they were unable to print me any tickets and gave me an authority to travel to attempt buying at Coventry.
At Coventry the clerk took seemingly multiple minutes to find the base ticket I wanted (before I'd even asked about the excess) then point blank refused to sell the excess because "Avanti don't do super off peak so you can't excess from it". I told him I'd seen the TIS at canley so I knew it could be done but he was having none of it. When I asked to speak to someone else his colleague told me "he's been doing this for 20 years" like that means he's competent. In the end I bought only the base ticket intending to excess on board.
I'll say it right now: the booking clerk you encountered at Coventry is utterly incompetent. That they've been doing the job for 20 years means they have no reasonable excuse for their incompetence.
I suggest you lodge a complaint (not that I trust Avanti to do anything with it; they are unable to control the behaviour of their ticket office staff!)
Very rare to see a Guard on West Midlands Trains (who operate LNR brand) services, so this doesn't surprise me. I'd be shocked if you had a ticket check on WMT, though it can happen very occasionally.
I boarded so I left the train at rugby and finally found a ticket office that would sell me the excess. Props to the guy there who seemingly had to fight through 3 separate data entry screens to issue it (and interestingly scanned the mini Aztec on my CCST).
I will be complaining (again) about the Coventry ticket office staff but thankfully I am moving next week so I will probably never have to interact with them again.
Please do let us know how you get on. If Avanti do not give a decent response, you can escalate the matter to the Rail Ombudsman (not that they are any good, and not that Avanti would be remotely bothered about being referred to the Ombudsman; they really couldn't care less!)
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Indeed; I am so glad that in 2026 I rarely have to interact with ticket offices. I do not look back fondly on being mislead, mistreated, missold and refused sales by ticket offices on dozens of occasions throughout the years.
Bring on the day that all fares - including excesses - can be bought online and I never have to deal with them ever again.
I suggest you lodge a complaint (not that I trust Avanti to do anything with it; they are unable to control the behaviour of their ticket office staff!)
Very rare to see a Guard on West Midlands Trains (who operate LNR brand) services, so this doesn't surprise me. I'd be shocked if you had a ticket check on WMT, though it can happen very occasionally.
I assumed they would be hiding in the back cab so I boarded at the rear and actually knocked on the door. When I got off at rugby though they seemed to be in the middle of the front unit so I think they may have actually been checking tickets.
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