Great Western Coffee Shop

According to FGW you can add a One Day Travelcard onto your ticket when you book, but can you buy them separately from stations?  I have an Oyster but would prefer not to wait in the queue at Paddington for everyone else to get there, so it would be helpful to get them beforehand.

If you have an Oyster still use that unless you plan on using services in London that do not accept it?

All stations should be able to do you a travelcard if you still chose to do it this way.

Thanks Ollie, so Plymouth will be able to sell a One Day Travelcard separately.  What about the FastPay machines?

I'm lucky to have an Oyster, but the vast majority of Argyle fans next Saturday will not.  Therefore there will be huge queues at Paddington, so I was hoping to avail the other people in my group of a ticket before board.

Machines wont do a separate travelcard although it may be able to include a travelcard on your ticket from Plymouth.

So rather than a Plymouth - London it would be Plymouth - Zones R1256 but that makes it a day return only.

 :) guard on train should be able to issue travelcard on advantix machine - code is 1072 to 0035 (London Terminals - zones 1-6) 

TM didn't bother with ticket checking both ways to had a free upgrade,
plus decided to walk to Lancaster Gate to avoid the police

A typical piece of Janner considerateness. ;D

Tut  ;D

Technically you are supposed to buy your First Class upgrade before sitting there, I believe they can sell them in the "Express Cafe"  ;)

But the guard should check tickets.

The amount of times no tickets are checked on the Cotswold line. The guard is always rushing up and down the train - normally to find the SDO point. It's only the threat of barriers at Ox, Read and London that make many people buy tickets beforehand!

Would you rather the doors opened at stations, or tickets checked ;)

I am simply saying that FGW could be loosing out due to pathetic H&S. It would also help the guards - they always look stressed on this route.

Are you? I thought if you sat in First Class at the weekend you could wait until the TM checked your ticket and then ask for a Weekend First upgrade.

Am fairly sure it says on the FGW website that you are meant to.

Safety first, revenue second.  We were taught that tickets come way behind working the train in a safe and proper manner. 

If it's possible to do your upgrade beforehand then technically you should.

The last time I tried at Paddington booking office they said do so on the train.  So every time I now go London I sit in 1st, if the TM doesn't check the tickets then FGW are ^10 down.  However they I don't get the complimentary buffet items as I don't hold a valid ticket so they're not losing money through that.

One of these days, you will come up against a T.M. or revenue inspector who could charge you the difference up to the full single First Class Fare.  The onus is on the passenger to contact train staff.  If you fail to do this, any offers or deals, (including access to Savers or other reduced fares), can be automatically invalidated.

Very true. I actually saw this happen in a full to the gills First Class coach around the time of the last Reading festival.

I am almost certain I have heard the train manager at Paddington announce that weekend first as available in carriages F and G and that if anyone wished to take advantage of this they should take a seat there.  This was back in 2004-2006 though.

I have been using weekend first ever since BR introduced it (Anyone remember when it was just a quid?) and have never heard that the onus was on the passenger to search out the train manager to pay the upgrade. You pay up when the train manager checks your ticket and have never once had a train manager give me or anyone else in the weekend first carriage a telling off for not buying in advance or trying to find them to buy the upgrade. That is just completely impratical if they are in coach A and First is F/G/H. Also I have never heard of tickets being sold at the buffet car.

I remember it was ^3.

TM's do still make the announcement when First is under subscribed.  However, what we are dealing with here is the possible intention not to pay unless challenged, as opposed to the quite proper move to First in anticipation of a visit from the TM.  The vast majority of passengers fall into the latter category.  Nevertheless, should the TM miss you in such a situation, the onus remains on you to actively seek to pay any monies due.

That's a different scenario, if the TM passes you checking tickets and you fail to acknowledge that you need a ticket/upgrade, then you are fare dodging.

I've seen a TM take a harsh line on someone who hoped that he would think he had already checked her ticket and kept her head down. But he challenged her, and she got charged a full standard single whereas others were being sold the normal fares.

And quite right too..... 

Sorry but I disagree.  The upgrade forms part of the fare and any attempt to avoid payment of this merits the same sanction as would be applied in a more direct case. Just to reiterate.  This is not about those who move to First at the behest of the train manager, who fully intends to collect the supplement.  More an observation with regard to those who take advantage of an advertised upgrade facility, then fail, for whatever reason, to pay or at least make a realistic effort to do so.

Just to reassure anybody you can sit in first class at the weekends and pay the upgrade.  You dont need to be invited in just be ready to pay when asked.

Hmmm - I frequently do crewe to liverpool on a saturday - ok its virgin but the analogy is valid.

Often the TM checks my ticket - I have my CC out to pay but doesnt bother because - its only 30 minutes and the minimum weekend first is ^15. 

the reason I do this is generally the train is full of football fans in standard.

Is that fare dodging if I dont insist he charge me?

Super TM explains this better than I.  However, my intention was not to explore the cans and can'ts of First Class upgrades; more to emphasise that those who choose to take advantage of an upgrade should be prepared to make a realistic attempt to pay, should a busy TM miss collecting their supplement.

The last time I did a first upgrade from Reading to BristolvTM  about  3 years ago the  train manager was conspicous by his absence. just a voice on the tannoy and no mention of weekend first. I seem to remember I got a free cup of tea.