Outward portion only valid when accompanied by return portion

[TheTallOne]

Was looking at tickets for any trains between Uni and BHM today

This condition on the Anytime Day Return caught my interest.

The outward portion of an Anytime Day Return ticket is only valid for travel when accompanied by an unused return portion.

Do ticket inspectors actually ask to see both parts of a return ticket when they walk through checking tickets?

Seems a bit of a strange condition. Especially as if you only wanted to use the outbound it'd be cheaper to buy an Anytime day single.

I can't see any issues of course (except for perhaps loosing the return portion or forgetting to pick it up from the TVM etc) - that said this would be a mobile ticket (WMT app) so loosing half the ticket would be quite difficult.

 

[bcarmicle]

Do ticket inspectors actually ask to see both parts of a return ticket when they walk through checking tickets?

Not typically, but they are entitled to ask.

The main purpose of this is to prevent use of the outbound half after the return half, as some returns are directionally priced. Other abuses are I believe possible. There is no issue with using the outbound half, and then throwing away both halves of the ticket without using the return half.

 

[jfollows]

They can ask, yes.
Using the tickets in reverse is prohibited, in other words having a used return portion would invalidate the outbound ticket.

 

[bb21]

It is there to prevent tickets being used in the reverse order where opposite returns are priced differently, and to prevent reuse of the outward portion after a return journey has already been made but the outward portion not checked.

Yes they do get checked but not in most cases. For example, if a ticket is collected at 0900 and the customer presents it for inspection at 0930, there is typically no need to check the return portion, however if presented at 2100 at night, the guard may well ask to see the return portion.

 

[TheTallOne]

Cheers all, I guess that makes sense, hadn't considered that people might try to use them in the wrong order.

I also guess that's why I was never asked for both in the days when I had paper tickets as I probably collected or bought them just before travel!

 

[Hadders]

We've had a couple of cases in Disputs & Prosecutions recently where passengers have had details taken for using tickets the wrong way round.

 

[yorkie]

Do ticket inspectors actually ask to see both parts of a return ticket when they walk through checking tickets?

Only if they suspect misuse. I have only ever been asked once, back in GNER days (when outward and return portions were both valid for a month). The guard seemed disappointed that I was able to produce it, and couldn't catch me out, as I was using the ticket on the last day of validity.

Seems a bit of a strange condition. Especially as if you only wanted to use the outbound it'd be cheaper to buy an Anytime day single.

There is no compulsion to use the return portion, only to hold it, and for it to be unused.