Lowest fare well hidden ...

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

If a passenger buys a ticket that is “too cheap” ie not valid for all or part of their journey due to the times of travel, they get penalised with a Penalty Fare

That is incorrect - you can only be excessed if in possession of the wrong fare (but the correct destination, adult not child ticket, fare class you travelled in)

So what are the railways going to do about it Chris?

It has to be sorted out - Work is already underway with various papers being submitted to GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) from interested parties. GBR are developing one website to retail fares, so that new booking engine should (hopefully) be used to drive the TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) at stations - and I'm very much hoping that Chiltern's new TVM & software is the direction that GBR are heading in, where you have to choose an open return or input your outward & return times, with a warning that if different timings are then used, you need to check your fare before starting your journey(ies)

[Robin Summerhill]

If a passenger buys a ticket that is “too cheap” ie not valid for all or part of their journey due to the times of travel, they get penalised with a Penalty Fare

That is incorrect - you can only be excessed if in possession of the wrong fare (but the correct destination, adult not child ticket, fare class you travelled in)

Well that is good to hear. I stand corrected.

So what hapeens when a TTI (or whatever we call them now) finds a passenger using a ticket that is more expensive than they needed? Do they issue a refund?

I think I already know the answer!

[ChrisB]

It's likely to be valid....so yes, that's the answer.

[grahame]

If a passenger buys a ticket that is “too cheap” ie not valid for all or part of their journey due to the times of travel, they get penalised with a Penalty Fare

That is incorrect - you can only be excessed if in possession of the wrong fare (but the correct destination, adult not child ticket, fare class you travelled in)

Indeed - so why doesn't the machine charge £47.10 today rather that £63.90, and let anyone who wants to come back on tomorrow's 10:27, 16:58 or 17:02 pay the extra £16.80? 

It makes sense for anyone who just may want to take one of these trains back to buy super off peak and excess if they need to.  I've done it a number of times when working in London ...

So what are the railways going to do about it Chris?

It has to be sorted out
[/quote]

It's "had to sorted out" for years ... but because it will cost the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) / DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) in lost revenue, it hasn't been their priority and with covid and climate warming around, there's been lots of convenient long grass to park such things in.