Great Western Coffee Shop

A scenario put and question set asked of me yesterday evening ... from a holder of a monthly season ticket from Swindon, route "via Melksham" to Trowbridge. He works varying shifts so that there are some occasions he has to travel via Bath Spa - not because he has any business there, but because the rail industry doesn't provide a direct service at a suitable time / without an "unreasonable" wait.

1. What should the excess fare be?   Are there differences peak and off peak?  Is it different I one direction to the other?  Can I be sold a single excess or do I have to buy a return?  I have been told "it's not policy to sell single excesses" by staff - what exactly does that mean and what are the implications?

2. If I arrive at Trowbridge after the ticket office is closed (13:00 yesterday due to staff shortage), how do I get my excess? I don't know how to do it on the TVM, but staff on the train when asked were very rude to me when I asked (her) for an upgrade the other day telling me I should have done it before I boarded.  When the penalty fare rules change on 1st April saying I must have a valid ticket if there are ticket buying facilities at the station, does that mean I have to buy a whole new ticket if I can't get the ticket I need?  What if I want to excess I cash and the machine only takes cards?

Posting here / asking the question of our experts with permission of the enquirer ...

In the general case, I believe there’s no mechanism for selling a special form of excess for a season.  You certainly can’t use a calculated daily rate pro-rata to the difference between a valid and not-valid season.   

That is, what you’ll be sold is the normal single or return ticket for the bit you aren’t already covered for.

Paul

In this circumstance, I would most definitely get the answers *in writing*, such that the customer can carry it with them.

I would expect the answers to be -
single excess definitely available and it should be the difference between the two single prices. Rukes thye same for buying any ticket under penalty fare area rules - if you can using the payment option you want to use, you should; if you can't, it's available on the train at the first opportunity available.

Agree with the comment above re the price.

A missive was released today in the Weekly Retail Circular:

Excellent ... know where that came from.   ;D ...

Does this work for upgrading to First Class as well? So if a customer holds a season from NTH to CYS (only available as Standard), and wants to go back from CDF in First Class (ideally on the 1825 on a Wednesday to get the "free" wine), then it should be £17.40 FOS minus £11.60 SOS equals £5.80. This would be very good value – seeing as the wine's usually £5, that's effectively an 80p upgrade.

And if I can do this, will the (TfW-operated) booking office at CDF have a copy of the weekly retail circular to be pointed to?

Cardiff Central will have a copy of TfW version Weekly Retail Circular. 
The quotes are from GWR's WRC and the information comes from GWR's mangement, which should go to all TOCs to put in their WRCs.  For example this week's GWR includes information regarding the Caledonian Sleeper.