Evening Day Return GWR

[devondonkeu]

I've noticed that there seems to be a new Evening Out Day Return on GWR but seems restricted to the Devon Metro? (Paignton, Exmouth, Barnstaple and Okehampton) Restriction is L3 but even the barrier staff (and the gate line machine) didn't know about this. Is this new or some glitch?

 

[alistairlees]

I've noticed that there seems to be a new Evening Out Day Return on GWR but seems restricted to the Devon Metro? (Paignton, Exmouth, Barnstaple and Okehampton) Restriction is L3 but even the barrier staff (and the gate line machine) didn't know about this. Is this new or some glitch?

It’s a new ticket type

 

[devondonkeu]

It’s a new ticket type

Nothing on GWR website and as I said, the gateline didn't even know about it, they even took a picture of my ticket to report it back

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Not seen this one before.

Restrictions, where the Evening Day Return product is available, seem to be as follows...

• Only valid in the evenings.

• Travel must be on trains arriving at your destination at 1800 or later

(Where the journey requires a change of trains, the first train used for the journey must not arrive at the station where you change trains, before 1800.)

• All outward and return travel must be completed on the same evening.

• Restriction applies Monday to Sunday including bank holidays.

 

[Kite159]

So similar to the long standing cheaper evening tickets found in the West Midlands?

Hopefully it won't be an exercise to introduce those evening out tickets whilst at the same time as removing offpeak day return tickets leaving only the anytime day return fare for travel before 18;00

 

[81A]

Another new ticket type!? So much for “simplification”… That said, I prefer this to massive fares hikes (which is often what “simplification” means).

 

[alistairlees]

More new ticket types and complexities are coming...

 

[devondonkeu]

I just wonder that, if it's a new ticket then why isn't it promoted?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2026 ==

Another new ticket type!? So much for “simplification”… That said, I prefer this to massive fares hikes (which is often what “simplification” means.

It makes my evening out cheaper! We are lucky down here with the Devon and Cornwall railcard so prices are really good

 

[JonathanH]

I recall that a previous evening ticket in Devon was abolished some years ago for being "too cheap", but these tickets have a more limited range.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/ride-devon-ticket.181135/#post-3962556

 

[Kilopylae]

Nothing on GWR website and as I said, the gateline didn't even know about it, they even took a picture of my ticket to report it back

Which gateline was this - Newton Abbot?

 

[fandroid]

Different restrictions from the SWR Evening Out ticket.

Edit: Those are restriction code BE, which allows outward travel in the afternoons.

 

[devondonkeu]

Which gateline was this - Newton Abbot?

Yes

 

[AY1975]

I've noticed that there seems to be a new Evening Out Day Return on GWR but seems restricted to the Devon Metro? (Paignton, Exmouth, Barnstaple and Okehampton) Restriction is L3 but even the barrier staff (and the gate line machine) didn't know about this. Is this new or some glitch?

Where is that screenshot from? It's listed on brfares.com but if you look up any eligible journey on the GWR site or any other ticketing site or app it doesn't seem to offer it.

Nothing on GWR website and as I said, the gateline didn't even know about it, they even took a picture of my ticket to report it back

Where did you get your ticket from? I'm guessing that it's only available from ticket offices, and maybe also from ticket vending machines (and hopefully on-train if boarding at a station with no working ticket office or TVM).

The brfares.com site also mentions an Evening Day Single for certain longer distance journeys within the Devon Metro area such as Okehampton to Exmouth or Paignton. For these journeys, although an Evening Day Return is listed on there, in practice it may be impossible to make the journey out and back in an evening, or this may only be possible with only a few minutes spent at the destination station.

In fact, rather oddly there is an Evening Day Single for Exeter to Exmouth but not Exeter to Okehampton.

 

[alistairlees]

It’s available on railsmartr.co.uk. It should be available on other websites and apps.

 

[plymothian]

Yes

Obviously someone didn't read the last 2 weekly retail circulars.

 

[RPI]

Obviously someone didn't read the last 2 weekly retail circulars.

Was gonna say, it was in the last retail circular that I saw!

 

[yorkie]

It can be slightly cheaper to buy to a further destination and finish short, however the scope for this is limited.

For example, on weekdays you can buy one of these tickets from Exmouth to Exeter St Thomas for £5.40, but finish short at Exeter St David's just before 1800 which would otherwise cost £6.70.

I hope gateline staff don't try to deny break of journey before 18:00 as it would be legitimate to do that.

 

[JonathanH]

I hope gateline staff don't try to deny break of journey before 18:00 as it would be legitimate to do that.

Sorry, can you just clarify this comment, as it is a little ambiguous? Is it legitimate to break the journey before 18.00, or legitimate for gateline staff to deny break of journey before 18.00?

 

[yorkie]

Sorry, can you just clarify this comment, as it is a little ambiguous? Is it legitimate to break the journey before 18.00, or legitimate for gateline staff to deny break of journey before 18.00?

It is legitimate to break your journey, so gateline staff should not be denying break of journey.

 

[D1537]

It is legitimate to break your journey, so gateline staff should not be denying break of journey.

If the restriction is

"Where the journey requires a change of trains, the first train used for the journey must not arrive at the station where you change trains, before 1800"

and you're detraining at St Davids before 1800, I'd say you've broken that restriction? Or am I completely misunderstanding it?

 

[yorkie]

If the restriction is

"Where the journey requires a change of trains, the first train used for the journey must not arrive at the station where you change trains, before 1800"

This is because journey planners can't work purely on the basis of the destination station, so will automatically disallow changes of trains within the barred period. This is a limitation of how electronic restrictions work.

and you're detraining at St Davids before 1800, I'd say you've broken that restriction? Or am I completely misunderstanding it?

Break of journey is allowed, and isn't the same concept as a "change of trains". I don't think it would be reasonable to introduce a rule to say "no detraining before 1800" and I've never seen any such rule attempt to be implemented for any ticket type.

 

[D1537]

Break of journey is allowed, and isn't the same concept as a "change of trains". I don't think it would be reasonable to introduce a rule to say "no detraining before 1800" and I've never seen any such rule attempt to be implemented for any ticket type.

My thoughts were that if you do this and then get on another train, you're changing trains and thus breaking the restriction. If EXD is your destination, then surely you're breaking "Travel must be on trains arriving at your destination at 1800 or later".

 

[geoffk]

Yesterday I decided on an evening trip from local station, Polsloe Bridge, to Barnstaple, due to arrive there 18.33. I used the 16.46 from POL and bought my ticket at the EXC ticket office as there was a 20 minute wait for the 17.15 to BNP. I asked for an "evening return" from POL and was issued with a ticket for £9.70 (including railcard discount). I didn't really have time to query the fare but when I got home checked the GWR website (ticket search) and entered in my travel times. This showed £9.70 off peak day return, and £7.75 evening day return BUT the latter not valid until the 18.49 from POL, arriving BNP 20.32. There seems little point in starting a return journey so late and everything I've read suggests the evening return is valid on trains arriving at the destination after 18.00. I don't think I broke my journey as I obviously had to change trains.

Any advice welcome. I think I'm entitled to a refund of £1.95 and, as it's not delay repay, am unsure how to go about it, or even whether it's worth bothering! I still have my tickets.

 

[geoffk]

To add to my post above, I found this on the national Rail website. "Only valid in the evenings.
Travel must be on trains arriving 1800 or later, at customer's destination or first changeover station.
All outward and return travel must be completed on the same evening."
Time restriction L3 applies.

 

[Watershed]

To add to my post above, I found this on the national Rail website. "Only valid in the evenings.
Travel must be on trains arriving 1800 or later, at customer's destination or first changeover station.
All outward and return travel must be completed on the same evening."
Time restriction L3 applies.

Yes, effectively you are penalised for the fact you need to change trains.

 

[redreni]

Slightly troubling that the restriction text purports to restrict the passenger to "specified trains only". Specified by whom? I assume these can be sold by ticket offices, dumb TVMs and BRFares without an itinerary?

 

[Parallel]

The restrictions listed are:

Time Of Travel​

Only valid in the evenings.
Travel must be on trains arriving 1800 or later, at customer's destination or first changeover station.
All outward and return travel must be completed on the same evening.
Time restriction L3 applies

The first ‘change over’ station in the case of Polsloe Bridge to Barnstaple would be one of the Exeter stations, and that would’ve been before 18:00, which is perhaps why it wasn’t offered?

I would say it was because the evening peak trains around Devon are very busy because they are, but that wouldn’t make sense as you could travel direct on the 17: xx service to Barnstaple starting at Exeter and it would’ve been perfectly valid? It doesn’t seem like the restrictions have been well thought through. Perhaps it was intended to fill seats on quieter contra-peak trains towards Exeter at that time. Who knows.

 

[RPI]

The staff brief for these tickets says it's a trial until December.