Richmond - Taunton, need flexibility to return to Paddington

[politicfool]

I'll be travelling next week Richmond - Taunton using an off-peak return as it's for work and I'm not able to commit to specific trains.

On the return portion the plans are not yet clear so I may return directly to Richmond (changing at Reading) or I might want to stay on the train all the way to Paddington (if I have meetings in central London for instance).

The off peak return Richmond - Taunton is £80.00 but does not give the needed flexibility. The off peak return Reading - Taunton (£66.00) and then separate tickets bought on the day for Richmond - Reading (£13.70) and Reading - London Terminals (£17.10) would give this flexibility but cost more.

I was thinking I'd buy the Richmond - Taunton return for £80 and take the outward portion as purchased. Then on the return if I decide to travel to Paddington, ask the Taunton station ticket office to excess my Taunton - Richmond return portion to Taunton - London Terminals instead (return cost £88.00).

Would this work? I have been reading a lot on this board about excess fares but never had to buy one myself so wanted to make sure my head is screwed on straight.

What would be the best way to manage this where return plans are not certain? Is an excess possible once the outward portion has already been taken?

 

[LexyBoy]

Two easy options:

1) Buy London-Taunton return and start short at Richmond: the Off Peak Return is £88.00 and the Super Off Peak is £70.50. Both allow BoJ on both outbound and return.

2) Buy Richmond-Taunton Not Via London and excess the return, if required, to +Any Permitted. Cost (initial ticket + excess) would be:
Off Peak: £80.00 + £6.25 = £86.25
Super Off Peak: £63.50 + £5.00 = £68.50.
This is obviously a little cheaper, and covers you to get back to Richmond (by train) if required.

The "overdistance" excess you describe is possible but likely to be harder to obtain than a change of route (as well as being more expensive - it will be the full difference in fares rather than half the difference as for change of route). An excess should be available at any point whilst the ticket has some validity left.

What time are you planning to leave Richmond?

 

[bnm]

Richmond (London)-Taunton, not via London Off Peak Return is £80.00
Richmond (London)-Taunton +via London Off Peak Return is £92.50.

For your return journey to/or via Paddington you will need to ask at a ticket office for a Change of Route excess fare for the return portion. This will be priced at half the difference between the two differently routed fares, thus £12.50÷2 = £6.25.

If you were to ask for a change of destination, on the return portion of your Richmond (London)-Taunton not via London Off Peak Return, to Paddington (London Terminals) then you'd have to pay the single fare for the part of your journey not covered by the existing ticket, this would, I believe, be a Reading to London Terminals Off Peak Day Single at £17.10.

So, best bet is to ask for the Change of Route excess, leaving the return destination of Richmond (London) the same and ending your journey short at Paddington.

And yes, you can purchase a Change of Route excess for your return after the outward journey has been made.

 

[politicfool]

Thanks LexyBoy for the great tips.

For a London-Taunton route Any Permitted, I take it that the route to/from Waterloo changing at Reading is a permitted route?

I'm leaving Richmond about 8am and returning from Taunton around 9:30am so likely to be able to use an Off Peak ticket but not Super Off Peak.

 

[LexyBoy]

Yes, Richmond is on a Permitted Route between London and Taunton (via Reading).

The restriction text for these tickets (YC for the Off Peak, YU for Super Off Peak - the same for London or Richmond as origin) is a horrible bit of writing. Journey planners seem to give the more favourable restriction for Richmond-Taunton (allowing travel to connect with trains from 0835 in Reading), rather than the more restrictive one (departing Waterloo after 0815).

I will leave it to others to comment on the interpretation of this text for a London-Taunton ticket if starting short at Richmond at 0806, but it would be a point in favour of using the change of route strategy, as it avoids any potential for dispute.

Another option would be to book London-Taunton and use the Tube to get to Paddington, avoiding the dreary Richmond-Reading slog, use Richmond-Taunton +Any Permitted travelling via Paddington on the outbound (no restrictions on trains between Richmond and London).