Great Western Coffee Shop

well possibly paying less.

Train manager checked our coach this morning. Showed my ticket all ok, lady next to me, pulls out her railcard and asks for a single from Theale to London.That's ok normally but  ... considering I was the first person into the coach at Theale and she was already seated ... that's not ok!

Did you say anything?

Is it okay normally though? Doesn't Theale have a booking office and TVM?

She should have purchased (or part purchased if her particular fare wasn't available from the TVM and the office was closed) before boarding.

So, TM shouldn't reinforce her behaviour by selling discounted ticket onboard. Some latitude should be given to DSB railcard holders though.

Maybe she had a ticket that covered her journey as far as Theale. I often use my season ticket and travel beyond its validity - and then have to buy on board as the ticket machine at Nailsea will only sell tickets valid from that station. If the TM reaches me before the break point then I show the season and ask for a ticket for the balance, but if they reach me past the point of validity I just ask for a ticket from X.

Bearing in mind the unreliability of TVMs, I don't think the conductor would refuse to sell a discounted ticket to someone who had boarded the train at a station where there is only one TVM and no other facility to buy a ticket. If I had not been able to buy a ticket at the station and the conductor would only sell me a full price ticket at an off-peak time, I would kick up merry hell. It is bad enough when at Hanborough the machine is not working and the conductor does not come along to sell tickets, and that when you alight at Reading or Paddington, you are often treated like a criminal by the revenue protection people. I regularly receive complaints from Hanborough travellers about the attitude of some of these people. Fortunately at Oxford they are well aware of the unreliability of TVMs as they often have queues at the barrier made up of people who have not been able to buy a ticket. Now that there are barriers at the main destination stations SE of the Cotswold Line, deliberate fare evasion is much reduced as you have to pay at the barriers delaying your exit from the station and most people want to avoid that.

That's all fine if it was before 0630. After this time the Guard/TM should query why she didn't purchase from the open ticket office at Theale. That may then have brought to light a ticket irregularity, including whether she actually boarded at Theale and appropriate action could be taken.

Nope - is it my business? Probably yes but as she was going to sit next to me for the whole journey wasn't going to rock the boat

As said earlier she was already seated, and I was the first one = she didn't get on at Theale

From what I saw of her 3 section YP card holder - one had the YP card, one had her photo and blank for section 3.

But to be honest TM's rarely check the carriage - they coach spot checks on the way to Reading. After Reading no check is performed. I am surprised they even have time to check between Theale and Reading