BBC News: Apology after man told to pay for London train trip twice

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

Only skimmed through this thread but find myslef in the rather unusual position of being on the side of Bignoesmac   , FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff, via the weekly retail circular, were given STRICT instructions to enforce this rule and now are backpedaling in the form of Mr Panes to make a local councillor happy. The staff are happy to enforce the rule or are happy to let people travel against this rule they just do what they are told to do! And i really dont know where the ^144.00 new ticket came from, a little mouse told me that he bought a Super Off-Peak Single which was nearer ^44.00, maybe a 1 was put in front for the extra bull sh1t factor.

Indeed.

I was wondering why he didn't walk to the ticket office and buy an off-peak, and assumed he must have been travelling before the 08:41.

[vacman]

Not sure where Melksham fits into this one but my point still stands, there are situations where it exists and should be protected for the reasons I posted.

[Trowres]

Vacman, if you look at my earlier posts you will see that I acknowledged that the possible use of the advance restriction that you mention is one that would receive the most sympathetic response.

However, in reply #18, I posted my superficial investigation of peak time trains to Penzance on what I would expect to be a busy time - Friday pm peak 1st March.

In all cases there was a cheaper advance to Taunton/Exeter/Plymouth offered on the Penzance trains, so the "no break" rule achieved nothing.

This doesn't prove that there is never a case when the rule doesn't achieve the effect you postulate.  It does suggest that there are other priorities uppermost in the minds of whoever sets the fares.