Tickets where the Railcard is changed

[SirAlf]

OP here with another update. After amicable email exchanges with National Railcards and EMT the conclusion is:

EMT say that they are bound by the rules of the Two Together Railcard so they can’t help

National Railcards say that they can’t help but that they wouldn’t have a problem should EMT waive the rules

Both parties chose to ignore my question asking how the rail company would be financially disadvantaged

So I am now taking yorkie’s advice and asking Transport Focus. I honestly believe the Two Together Railcard rules discriminate against people with illnesses who cannot fulfil travel plans made in good faith

 

[najaB]

Both parties chose to ignore my question asking how the rail company would be financially disadvantaged.

... I honestly believe the Two Together Railcard rules discriminate against people with illnesses who cannot fulfil travel plans made in good faith

I agree with you that the TOC isn't going to lose out, but question your use of the 'd' word. How are you being treated any differently than if you had bought a pair of tickets using a Disabled Railcard and then the holder couldn't travel? Or if you had bought an Advance ticket and then couldn't travel?

 

[MichaelAMW]

You could save money if one of you travel only one way and the other return, where the single and off-peak return are about the same price. E.g. Single 9.90, off-peak return 10.00. The correct way is one single and one return, total 19.90. Buying two 2GETH returns would be 2 x 6.60 = 13.20.

Except, as has been pointed out, this particular thing cannot be open to abuse because there is no situation whatsoever under which any variation of it would result in a reduced fare being paid.

No...

 

[Ianno87]

Not quite the same situation, but I booked a ticket for my wife with her Disabled Railcard. She forgot it, but I was travelling with her on a Gold Card discounted ticket. Station staff said it would be OK for us still to travel, given that Gold Card discount would've been the same anyway.

Definitely verify acceptance first though...

 

[swt_passenger]

Not forgetting family groups that can't meet the requirements of their family railcard due to illness of a child or children, and 'groupsave' group travel where the group number is suddenly wrong when compared to the tickets. 'Discrimination' isn't really the case here....

 

[SirAlf]

Sorry, I agree I shouldn’t have used the word “discriminate”; I’m just getting a tad frustrated with two parties who both say that they want to help but are constrained by the rules of the other, and who can’t tell me why I am financially disadvantaging anybody except myself

 

[MichaelAMW]

If you look back at my earlier post:

You could save money if one of you travel only one way and the other return, where the single and off-peak return are about the same price. E.g. Single 9.90, off-peak return 10.00. The correct way is one single and one return, total 19.90. Buying two 2GETH returns would be 2 x 6.60 = 13.20.

you will see that it is possible for someone to use a change in the rules to their significant advantage. That, I would say, is why they are not going to change the rule. The problem with writing to you and telling you to hop on the train regardless is that it may appear to others to give a general permission that was only offered in that one instance. My example, of course, is specific to return tickets and if you only have singles then, indeed, only you will be out of pocket but that starts to look like a confusing concession to formally allow.