Excessing tickets

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

I occasionally buy a First Off Peak Return Westbury - Newbury. On the return Journey I ask the TM^‡(resolve) for an excess to Frome which is Zero. I've had this done a number of times without issue. Some TMs however don't like issuing Zero Excess tickets as it can cause someone in the hierarchy to get upset (Or so I'm told). Usually however it is issued.

On the occasions it hasn't been I've changed trains at Westbury to Frome and explained the problem to the Guard on the Frome train. Showing a screenshot of brfares for both Westbury - Newbury and Frome - Newbury solves any potential problem. I have only ever had to do that once (Same day I was declined an excess actually) and was told the same as on the Newbury - Westbury train. Buy the excess before travelling. This particular case however I started my journey at Newbury when the ticket office was closed as it was at Westbury.

On a lighter note a guard joked with me that I should have used easement 700391 to buy my excess at the interchange station


There is also a trick I am led to believe that allows you to buy an Off Peak Day Return from say Bruton - Castle Cary and then get the outward only portion extended to Exeter St Davids. I'm told this trick saves alot of money and can be particularly useful for First Class tickets where an FCR/FSR^▸ (First Scot Rail) doesn't exist (First Off Peak [Day] Return)

[Worcester_Passenger]

The cheapest way of doing it is to buy a return from Worcester-London route Evesham and a change of route excess to route Birmingham for your outward portion. I think those fares are out of date by the way, the current fares are ^51 route Evesham and ^52.90 route Birmingham. So the excess should cost 95p, half the difference between the two.

I ought to have documented my experiences of this journey.

And I should have said thank you to Southern Stag for the post that suggested this - Thank you.

[SDS]

Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) (mobile ticket machines) record zero fares and as such zero excess are recorded as zero fares.

There was a problem back in the day of sportis, of guards overriding the fares to make them zero, however this was never recorded on the end of shift stats, thus free ticket and no comeback.
A full explanation has to be recorded for every zero fare and if you have too many of them regardless of explanation you will get called in to have a word with your manager. Zero excesses at the booking office are recorded slightly differently.

At least this is what ive been told.



Easement 700391
Customers travelling from Newbury via Bedwyn may double back via Reading. This easement applies in both directions.

[trainer]

Easement 700391
Customers travelling from Newbury via Bedwyn may double back via Reading. This easement applies in both directions.

Thanks for the explanation, SDS.  I thought I'd missed out on a hilarious joke