Pendo or Vomiter

[whole diary]

[readytostart]

I'm not too sure where your journey is starting from but in general from the Reading area there are two permitted routes and no 'any permitted route' ticket available.
The routes available are: London or Oxford.
Now whilst there may be only a small amount of a difference between the fares, that difference is not the excess that you are supposed to pay, though many guards will simply charge you the difference.
The excess is calculated from where the route you are taking deviates from the route shown on your ticket. This is due to the allocation of revenue from the ticket. A ticket routed London would share the majority of the fare between FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises), with a few scraps left over for other operators. A ticket routed Oxford would give the majority to XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)), a bit to FGW for local connections and the remainder shared out.
However, in this case, a London routed ticket is valid for travel via High Wycombe, and so on your return journey is valid as far as Banbury. Now, you may get charged the odd one pound by someone who doesn't know any better but you should by the letter of the law buy a change of route excess from Banbury to Reading (ie the price of a single ticket between those stations). Be aware that you may get a bulldog of a guard who will try to tell you that the ticket isn't valid past Coventry and will try to charge you from there, if you get that tell them to check their routing guide!

Modified to amend distance to difference!

[eightf48544]

Well just returned.

Outward just caught 11:00 off Euston from 09:36 Taplow  due to Signal failure at Hayes causing every thing to run Relief line Dolphin to Southall.

In coach A two seats to myself I didn't use reserved seat as it was one of a pair and other was occupied so didin't see the point.

Good run non stop SOT ride good and tilt operative but not intrusive except at Wolverton when I was in the shop getting a snack attendant was caught unware loading bag.

Return on 13:50 SOT to Euston very crowded wish I'd waited for 14:11.

Got an ailse seat (marked reserved) in B but no one arrived.

Coach very full lots of luggage in racks and on floor. Felt a bit claustrophobic but not excessively. Guy in front speak whole time on phone jabbering loudly in ?. Other passengers did draw train managers attention but he was stuck because it wasn't the quiet coach. Suggestted they write in. Maybe they need two quiet coaches per train!

In 2 minutes early.

Round to Padd just caught 15:48 Great Malvern got seat (reserved Padd Oxford) but no one turned up changed Slough to Taplow 16:25 so SOT to Taplow in 2:35.

The only thing that possibly spoils it is the treck along Euston Raod it's a pity Euston doesn't have a Circle line station.

[Tim]

The only thing that possibly spoils it is the treck along Euston Raod it's a pity Euston doesn't have a Circle line station.

And a pity it isn't included in Cross-rail especially as it is the likely terminus of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)).

[eightf48544]

Ah but you change from HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to Crossrail in the sticks at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)).

But it's an interesting point, although I thought one of the justifications for Crossrail was to relieve the Central line thus it basically parallels the Central Line across from Whitechapel to Paddington.

[devon_metro]

It will be nice not having to rely on the god awful circle line when travelling out of Paddington!

[Tim]

, although I thought one of the justifications for Crossrail was to relieve the Central line thus it basically parallels the Central Line across from Whitechapel to Paddington.

You are right.  It is one of the justifications.  The problem I have with crossrail is that it doesn't seem to be sure what its purpose is (or in order to get support it is trying to please everyone).  Is it essentailly a new tubeline or is it supposed to be more like Thameslink and provide improved regional services?  If the latter then an all stations stopper is unlikely to improve many journeys and if the former then a few more central london connections would have improved the city centre connectivity.