Excess fare

[falseviolet]

Hi there
New poster here.

Just wondering if I can get some clarification on an excess fare.
Travelled on a super off peak open return to Oxford from Penmere.
On the way back to Cornwall I was charged I believe £29.85.
I understand the travel restriction was because my train from Reading departed at 10:29, and the super off peak restriction is lifted at 10:30. This information was really not clear to passengers.
Insane really I was charged for 1 minute difference…

I had paid £90.55 for the open return (16-25 railcard). I was wondering how the excess fare is calculated?
Additionally, I don’t know any other way of buying an open return that isn’t super off peak, I wish it was clearer what super off peak means. I had thought by travelling after 10 I would have been fine. As someone with a disability, waiting a whole other hour to get home because of this inane rule is really quite difficult to accept.

Anyway, further clarification would be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance

 

[RPI]

Hi there
New poster here.

Just wondering if I can get some clarification on an excess fare.
Travelled on a super off peak open return to Oxford from Penmere.
On the way back to Cornwall I was charged I believe £29.85.
I understand the travel restriction was because my train from Reading departed at 10:29, and the super off peak restriction is lifted at 10:30. This information was really not clear to passengers.
Insane really I was charged for 1 minute difference…

The one minute difference is to avoid that particular train though, that's why the restriction is 10:29. That particular train cancelled be busy.

Where did you purchase your ticket?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@falseviolet. Super Off Peak Return (route not via London) from Penmere to/from Oxford with 16-25 railcard discount applied is £90.55.

Off Peak Return (route not via London) from Penmere to/from Oxford with 16-25 railcard discount applied is £120.10. Difference is £29.55. Is that that the excess amount that you were charged?

 

[yorkie]

For this particular type of excess, it is the full difference (not half the difference) that should be charged.

Booking sites should show the valid fares for any given itinerary; if you selected your desired train, you should have been shown the higher fare. When you say that what happened was unacceptable, was there a suggestion that you could take your desired train at the Super Off Peak price? If so, was this suggestion made online, or at a ticket office?

 

[drueberflug]

Insane really I was charged for 1 minute difference…

I had paid £90.55 for the open return (16-25 railcard). I was wondering how the excess fare is calculated?
Additionally, I don’t know any other way of buying an open return that isn’t super off peak, I wish it was clearer what super off peak means. I had thought by travelling after 10 I would have been fine. As someone with a disability, waiting a whole other hour to get home because of this inane rule is really quite difficult to accept.

Unfortunately, as others have already said, the restriction is in place to prevent you from entering any train until and including that one particular train, and the operator charging you an excess fare is outlined by condition 9.5.2 of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage.

Because the excess fare does not include a penalty whatsoever, it shouldn't change the total price you would have to pay to use that particular train - consider it an upgrade to make your ticket valid on that train and at that time.
However, if you wish to avoid excess fares in the future, you can easily select other available Open Return fares when using e.g. our forum's ticket page.



Just as a side note: if you qualify, you may want to think about getting a Disabled Persons Railcard, as that one has less restrictions than the 16-25 Railcard, though it wouldn't help in this particular situation as it doesn't change the ticket restrictions itself.

 

[Watershed]

Hi there
New poster here.

Just wondering if I can get some clarification on an excess fare.
Travelled on a super off peak open return to Oxford from Penmere.
On the way back to Cornwall I was charged I believe £29.85.
I understand the travel restriction was because my train from Reading departed at 10:29, and the super off peak restriction is lifted at 10:30. This information was really not clear to passengers.
Insane really I was charged for 1 minute difference…

I had paid £90.55 for the open return (16-25 railcard). I was wondering how the excess fare is calculated?
Additionally, I don’t know any other way of buying an open return that isn’t super off peak, I wish it was clearer what super off peak means. I had thought by travelling after 10 I would have been fine. As someone with a disability, waiting a whole other hour to get home because of this inane rule is really quite difficult to accept.

Anyway, further clarification would be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance

I'm presuming you made a slight typo and were actually charged £29.55? That would match up with the difference to the Off-Peak Return, which is valid on the 10:29 from Reading. That would be the correct excess given the circumstances.

I understand it may seem harsh but the time restriction is, as @RPI says, quite deliberately worded to encompass the 10:29 from Reading so showing discretion would defeat the point of the time restriction. I'm unsure how your disability impacts this? Time restrictions apply equally to all passengers.

You should be able to buy the Off-Peak Return to begin with, if you either choose an itinerary for which the Off-Peak Return is required (e.g. returning on the 10:29 from Reading as you did in this case) or if you manually choose it as your fare. Whilst journey planners will default to offering the cheapest available fare, which would be the Super Off-Peak Return even for the first train of the day from Penmere, you can usually override this and choose a more expensive fare.

For future reference you can easily look up the time restrictions that apply to your ticket by going to nre.co.uk/2X (where 2X is the code applicable to your ticket in this case - it varies depending on the journey).

 

[RPI]

This is an example at least of the on train member of staff doing it the correct way - ie not charging for a whole new ticket or PF.

 

[DeverseSam]

For next time, someone better than me will probably know how to make this journey cheaper using the Freedom of South West Rover

 

[drueberflug]

For next time, someone better than me will probably know how to make this journey cheaper using the Freedom of South West Rover

Considering it offers 3 travel days with a more relaxed restriction (B3 only restricts trains between 04:30 and 09:00 without any additional rules) at a lower price than the Super Off-Peak Return, I'll have to agree.
(Update: I totally forgot it doesn't cover anything past Swindon)

 

[Haywain]

Considering it offers 3 travel days with a more relaxed restriction (B3 only restricts trains between 04:30 and 09:00 without any additional rules) at a lower price than the Super Off-Peak Return, I'll have to agree.

But it wouldn't cover the whole journey, so the additional tickets and any applicable restrictions have to be taken into account.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Brfares.com shows the time restrictions for every ticket.

 

[jfollows]

Nothing against Brfares for information, but https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ticket-types/validity/2x/ is a bit more “official”.

However I don’t know how many people understand the meaning of the restriction code printed on tickets or included with etickets.