Where/how should I buy this ticket?

[Malton Seadog]

I am making a trip from Doncaster to Darlington tomorrow.

I have a monthly season ticket from Doncaster to York. I also have a 16-25 railcard.

By law, should I buy a York-Darlington return ticket at Doncaster? If I don't, is the conductor within rights to refuse me use of my railcard if I purchase the Darlington ticket on the train after York?

Thanks!

 

[YorkshireRider]

Yes, they would be in their rights under the national conditions of carriage to refuse railcard discount and charge the full anytime single or return fare, which i think is over £40rtn

 

[First class]

It will cost you £11.25 York-Darlington return.

You need to buy before you board or it will cost you £20.10 just for a SINGLE or £40.20 for a RETURN.

 

[yorkie]

Yes, buy the York-Darlington ticket at Doncaster.

It's unclear what should happen if you ask for the ticket before York, as the way the rules are worded I don't think they adequately cater for that scenario, and a strict interpretation is that you can still be charged the full fare (although obviously you wouldn't pay that as you'd just get off, go to a machine and re-book, and if you were lucky get back on the same train, and if not you'd get the next one).

 

[WestCoast]

It's unclear what should happen if you ask for the ticket before York, as the way the rules are worded I don't think they adequately cater for that scenario, and a strict interpretation is that you can still be charged the full fare

I often wondered about this, do you think they would sell a discounted ticket? I'm thinking they might well do..

 

[yorkie]

I often wondered about this, do you think they would sell a discounted ticket? I'm thinking they might well do..

The vast majority of guards would do. But I don't think East Coast would. Asking for the ticket to be issued from Poppleton may help, a clever/friendly conductor would realise that if a manager picked this up the manager would be unlikely to accuse them of selling a discounted ticket to someone who started their journey at York. I think the problem really is that a guard doesn't want to be seen to be potentially selling a discounted ticket to someone who boarded without a ticket, which isn't the case with the OP but in an audit looks like it is.

I really don't think the rules cover this situation, the way they are worded (for travelling 'over distance') it seems to be from the point of view that you are already over distance.

I would hope common sense would prevail most of the time, but I wouldn't risk it with East Coast. No idea about XC, but perhaps ferret has an idea...

 

[WestCoast]

The vast majority of guards would do. But I don't think East Coast would. Asking for the ticket to be issued from Poppleton may help, a clever/friendly conductor would realise that if a manager picked this up the manager would be unlikely to accuse them of selling a discounted ticket to someone who started their journey at York. .

Some Northern guards seem to sell discounted tickets from staffed points, I wonder if managers pick up on this?

I once asked to buy another ticket on a Virgin service, I had a ticket to Macclesfield but wanted to go to Stoke, the ticket was sold by promptly by a friendly guard...

I've have travelled four or five times Darlington - York on East Coast and never had my ticket checked anyway. Of course, the barriers at Darlington have something to do with this..

Have you seen those East Coast "No ticket? Fine!" posters at EC stations. Clever play on words but I didn't know they are now doing penalty fares :roll:

 

[yorkie]

Have you seen those East Coast "No ticket? Fine!" posters at EC stations. Clever play on words but I didn't know they are now doing penalty fares :roll:

They're very silly posters, but I don't know what the claim that someone could get a 'fine' has to do with penalty fares anyway.

The poster is basically saying that if you refuse, when asked, to pay for a ticket, you could be prosecuted and fined. (Although the headline ties to mislead you into thinking that you could be issued a fine simply for not having a ticket, which of course is not true). If someone refuses to pay for a fare, whether it is a penalty fare or a 'normal' fare, they could receive a fine. So I don't see what it has to do with penalty fares.

 

[WestCoast]

They're very silly posters, but I don't know what the claim that someone could get a 'fine' has to do with penalty fares anyway.

I have not read through them - thought they meant something like a fine (anytime ticket) for not purchasing before boarding.

It just seems like a poster than could be used to warn of penalty fares (i.e. the fine) but I agree they are stupid for EC.