Buying Return Ticket but only using one leg?

[ravenik45]

Is it valid if I buy a return ticket but I would only use one leg of the journey?

While this seems strange, I've worked it out that it's cheaper to get 2 x Reading to London Zones 1-6 Off Peak Day Travelcard rather than 1 x Reading to London Terminals Off Peak Return (return within 1 month), then use Oyster Card to travel around London. I have a 16-25 Railcard.

My tentative work schedule is as follows:
Day 1: Leave Reading in Off-Peak hours, heading to London Paddington. I will be going around London during the day so it would be wise to get the off peak day travelcard. Overnight stay in London.

Day 2: I will be going around London during the day (getting an Off Peak Day Travelcard would be wise here as well), before heading to Paddington then getting the train back to Reading.

Computation:
2 x Reading-London Off Peak Day Travelcard = £15.05 x 2 = £30.10

1 x Reading-London Off Peak Return + 2 x adult cap for Zone 1-4 Oyster = £17.75 + (2 x £9.30) = £36.35

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[najaB]

You can use the OUT leg of a ticket and then throw away the RTN portion - though you do need to carry it with you while on the outbound journey. Technically you're not supposed use the RTN portion of a ticket without first using the OUT portion, however as with many ticketing rules it would be impossible to detect (and likely would be ignored in any case).

 

[LexyBoy]

Yes, that's absolutely fine - there's no requirement to use both legs (and for most tickets, this included, you may start or stop "short" on the outward and/or return as well). You can't use the outward after the return however.

BTW, you can add your Railcard onto your Oyster card; this will get you a third off off-peak rail & tube travel (including caps: Z1-4 would be £6.15).

 

[ravenik45]

That's great, thanks!

BTW, you can add your Railcard onto your Oyster card; this will get you a third off off-peak rail & tube travel (including caps: Z1-4 would be £6.15).

Oh yes, I'm aware of that, but I will be doing 2 of my Oyster trips just before the peak hours end.... (one around 06:30pm (Day 1) and 9:15am (Day 2)).

Would the cap automatically change to the peak cap if I touched in around those times?

Regards

 

[LexyBoy]

Technically you're not supposed use the RTN portion of a ticket without first using the OUT portion

Where are you getting that from?

Would the cap automatically change to the peak cap if I touched in around those times?

AIUI any journeys charged at the peak rate will contribute only to the peak cap, so you could end up with the off-peak cap plus the cost of the peak journeys, if this is less than the peak cap (off peak journeys - including those made after reaching the off-peak cap - contribute to the peak cap as well). See here.

 

[najaB]

Where are you getting that from?

I may be conflating using the RTN portion before the OUT portion which is a definite no-no.

 

[LexyBoy]

Ah, I did wonder.

I saw a mention that "The Manual" (as was) states that "the return portion of a ticket should not be accepted if none of the outbound journey could have been made, taking into account the time and place the ticket was printed." (here, by island). As other posters in that thread point out though, this is at odds with what is in the NRCoC - which is what the contract between passenger and TOC is based on - and there's no penalty possible for failing to abide by this; in my view refusal of travel would be a breach of contract.

To reassure ravenik45 - there's no chance of this being an issue, it's an academic issue.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Oh yes, I'm aware of that, but I will be doing 2 of my Oyster trips just before the peak hours end.... (one around 06:30pm (Day 1) and 9:15am (Day 2)).

You'll need to use Oyster for the 0915 trip, as your Off Peak Day Travelcard is only valid from 0930.

 

[Paul Kelly]

That's completely normal; I've done it quite a few times. Nothing remotely "dodgy" about it - indeed when I've asked for a Travelcard starting from Oxford at a south-east London suburban station the clerk didn't bat an eyelid.

 

[Reason077]

Oh yes, I'm aware of that, but I will be doing 2 of my Oyster trips just before the peak hours end.... (one around 06:30pm (Day 1) and 9:15am (Day 2)).

For Oyster, the evening peak rate doesn't affect fare capping. i.e. The off-peak fare cap applies to all journeys after 9:30AM.

But this is all irrelevant now for travel within Zones 1-4, since the peak and off-peak fare caps are the same!

Also, remember that your Reading-London off peak Travelcard is only valid for travel after 9:30AM, so you can't use it for travel at 9:15AM on the second day.

 

[ravenik45]

To reassure ravenik45 - there's no chance of this being an issue, it's an academic issue.

Thanks for the reassurance LexyBoy.

Also, remember that your Reading-London off peak Travelcard is only valid for travel after 9:30AM, so you can't use it for travel at 9:15AM on the second day.

I guess I'll just adjust my Oyster trips to begin just after 9:30am!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I may be conflating using the RTN portion before the OUT portion which is a definite no-no.

I think so. Using the RTN portion invalidates the OUT portion, but I'm not aware of any requirement, however much of a technicality, to actually *use* the OUT portion.

 

[Starmill]

I think so. Using the RTN portion invalidates the OUT portion, but I'm not aware of any requirement, however much of a technicality, to actually *use* the OUT portion.

Yes, as has been stated the rule is the OUT is valid only with the unused RTN. So it follows that all you have to do is present an unused Return if asked when travelling on an Out. Once you start to travel on the Return you can no longer satisfy this condition so can make no (further) use of the Out.

 

[John @ home]

We are discussing the use of a Travelcard with origin Reading and destination London Zones 1-6. This is issued as one piece of card. There is no 'outward' or 'return' portion of this ticket.

 

[najaB]

We are discussing the use of a Travelcard with origin Reading and destination London Zones 1-6. This is issued as one piece of card. There is no 'outward' or 'return' portion of this ticket.

The question I was attempting to answer was:

Is it valid if I buy a return ticket but I would only use one leg of the journey?

Without limiting myself to the specific ticket(s) in question.

 

[MikeWh]

For Oyster, the evening peak rate doesn't affect fare capping. i.e. The off-peak fare cap applies to all journeys after 9:30AM.

But this is all irrelevant now for travel within Zones 1-4, since the peak and off-peak fare caps are the same!

They aren't the same if you have a railcard discount.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

2 x Reading-London Off Peak Day Travelcard = £15.05 x 2 = £30.10

1 x Reading-London Off Peak Return + 2 x adult cap for Zone 1-4 Oyster = £17.75 + (2 x £9.30) = £36.35

BTW, you can add your Railcard onto your Oyster card; this will get you a third off off-peak rail & tube travel (including caps: Z1-4 would be £6.15).

Which make the new total £30.05. Do you definitely need zone 4 on both days? If you only use 1-3 it's £5.00 and 1-2 is only £4.30.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

1 x Reading-London Off Peak Return

If it's of any use, you could get a Return to London U1 for £ 21.70

This would cover you for the journey from Paddington on the first day and back to Paddington on the second.

To London U2 appears to be £ 22.20.

It saves a couple of Oyster journeys.

National Rail enquiries will give you prices, just key an Underground station in the Zone you are travelling to.

 

[bb21]

Zone U2? There is no fare between Reading and Zone U2 that I can find. Can you attach a screenshot?

The U12 (if that is what you meant, taking an educated guess) add-on would be the same as the U1 add-on. I find it odd that the U2 add-on, should it exist, be more expensive than the U1 add-on.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Zone U2? There is no fare between Reading and Zone U2 that I can find. Can you attach a screenshot?

I tried Reading to Shepherds Bush, but perhaps that's a National Rail fare.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/RDG/SPB/tomorrow/1130/dep/220116/1330/dep

(Two singles in fact - so no U2)

Oxford Circus
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servi...ford_Circus/tomorrow/1130/dep/220116/1330/dep

 

[bb21]

I tried Reading to Shepherds Bush, but perhaps that's a National Rail fare.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/RDG/SPB/tomorrow/1130/dep/220116/1330/dep

I see. Indeed that is the +Via London point-to-point fare.