Excessing to a railcard ticket?

[cuccir]

Hello all,

I'm travelling with work to Glasgow from Durham next week, returning the following week. I've been drafted in to do this after the original guy travelling fell ill. I have a Newcastle to Glasgow super off peak return from work that the original traveller was going to use, which I need to use.

However, I need to get my own tickets to Newcastle. This isn't too expensive at £9.40 for me (anytime single + off-peak single with 16-25 railcard), but I'd rather not pay anything if I can!

Now I presume I can excess the ticket in advance for less than £9.40 - a Durham > Glasgow Super Off Peak Return is £64.90, compared to £59.50 for my current ticket. Is that a straight forward £5.40 excess (the difference between the two tickets)?

Alternatively, using my 16-25 railcard, could I get an excess to a railcard discounted Durham > Glasgow super off-peak return? As this is less than the ticket I already have, presumably this would be a zero fare excess? Is this possible?

 

[island]

You can definitely do an over-distance excess to the undiscounted fare as you suggest, before you commence using the ticket. I don't know whether you can do the railcard trick you refer to, and even if you can, I probably wouldn't try it myself, because rail tickets are meant to be non-transferable and you might end up with all sorts of questions about "why didn't you use the railcard in the first place?"

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I don't have the excess fares rules to hand atm, but I think I am right in saying an excess can only be given a railcard discount if the original ticket is discounted by that railcard.

 

[wintonian]

I don't think you do this as hairyhandedfool says the original ticket must be discounted.

excess rules

 

[cuccir]

Ah fair enough, will just go for the straight forward excess then. Cheers!

 

[clagmonster]

I agree that a railcard discount can only be applied to an excess if the original ticket is discounted by the same railcard.
Cuccir, I also agree with your calculation of the excess.

 

[ticketmanmike]

If the original ticket was purchased at a train station you are well within your rights to take it back before the start date of the outward journey and receive a full refund by the same method of payment. Just tell them the discount was not applied in error but now you would like a new ticket.

Then purchase the Durham to Glasgow super off-peak with your 16-25 Railcard.

If the original ticket was purchased online/over the phone then they will charge £10 admin fee for the refund.

 

[Mojo]

If the original ticket was purchased at a train station you are well within your rights to take it back before the start date of the outward journey and receive a full refund by the same method of payment. Just tell them the discount was not applied in error but now you would like a new ticket.

Then purchase the Durham to Glasgow super off-peak with your 16-25 Railcard.

If the original ticket was purchased online/over the phone then they will charge £10 admin fee for the refund.

You would have to be very lucky to get a ticket refunded without being charged a fee, even those issued at stations.