Withdrawal of split tickets

[RJ]

I travelled from St Pancras to the East Midlands a few days ago, splitting tickets at Kentish Town, Boundary Zone 4, St Albans, Kettering and Leicester. All 5 paper tickets I was using for that trip were withdrawn by the TM and replaced with a zero fare excess from London Terminals to Leicester. Something to do with it being an educational excercise so they could more fully appreciate why those tickets were valid, rather than any real suspicion that they were not valid for the journey I was making. I actually had a high degree of success in explaining the principles behind the combination to the TM involved, she was only unsure about the ticket used between St Albans and Kettering.

The ticket between St Albans and Kettering was the return portion of a SVR (expiring in late May) and was actually issued to Corby. I stated to the TM that I also wanted a replacement ticket for the section between Kettering and Corby. She issued a free Anytime Day Single for the following day between Kettering and Corby.

This TM told me that EMT's training/reference material states that break of journey on open period tickets can last for a maximum of 24 hours, regardless of the expiry date shown on the ticket and claimed that her manager/information controller corroborated this. She's probably the 5th member of their staff who I've heard say this. This was why she issued the Kettering - Corby ticket to expire on the following day, refusing to issue one which was valid until the date shown on the ticket she withdrew.

What I'm wondering is, was there any requirement for a replacement ticket to be issued between Kettering and Corby? I can't find anything on protocols for the withdrawal of split tickets and don't think it's right that such a ticket can be withdrawn without there being a necessity for like for like replacements to be issued for any unused portions.

 

[sheff1]

What I'm wondering is, was there any requirement for a replacement ticket to be issued between Kettering and Corby? I can't find anything on protocols for the withdrawal of split tickets and don't think it's right that such a ticket can be withdrawn without there being a necessity for like for like replacements to be issued for any unused portions.

Well you have paid to travel from Kettering to Corby up to xx May, so I agree it is not right that the replacement does not allow you to do this. Apparently she has issued it as she did due to seemingly false information in EMT 'training/reference material'. It would certainly be interesting to see this 'material'.

 

[bb21]

Depends on the circumstances I guess. Theoretically speaking if you still need the Corby ticket for travel between Kettering and Corby on a later date I see no reason why that portion should not be replaced and correctly dated, although since Kettering - Corby only has Day tickets, I don't know whether it is possible to manually overwrite the expiry date.

The other way of looking at it is that zero fare replacements are only issued to enable the passenger to complete the journey in question so it can also be argued that as Kettering - Corby is not part of that journey, there is no requirement to issue a free ticket for that portion. I am not exactly sure what should happen in this case if the withdrawn ticket(s) indeed turned out to be valid, and the passenger needed to make the journey to Corby before the ticket(s) is returned. Perhaps they expect you to purchase another ticket and claim a refund afterwards?

 

[sheff1]

Perhaps they expect you to purchase another ticket and claim a refund afterwards?

I expect they do.

But I do not think it is acceptable to make you pay again, and then have the hassle of claiming it back, when your original ticket was valid. It is not as if they pay you an 'administration fee' in such circumstances although they are quick enough to deduct one if the passenger wants a refund.

I am not exactly sure what should happen in this case if the withdrawn ticket(s) indeed turned out to be valid, and the passenger needed to make the journey to Corby before the ticket(s) is returned.

I doubt they would actually return the tickets though. In this case the section from Kettering to Corby is unused, and possibly bits of the some of the other tickets, but how could the section which a zero fare excess covered be removed from the validity of any returned tickets ?

 

[455driver]

If you had used the St Albans to Corby ticket as far as Kettering would you still be able(at a later date) to travel from Kettering to Corby using the (unused part of) the St Albans to Corby ticket?

If yes then you should have, if not then no.