Responses to last question not reading "HIGHER" than booking office prices.?

Question

This refers to TOC's selling tickets on train at MORE THAN the standard fare. (e.g. for 1 station - Ticket office 95pence but on train £1.50)

Thank you for responses anyway.

Answer 1

You havent given me enough information regarding the situation to answer the question fully, so I will answer it to what I think your trying to ask.

If the price you are quoted at a Booking Office is a Cheap Day Return ticket type, then they (on train staff) are perfectly entitled to sell you the Standard Day Return ticket type on the Train.

However they can only sell you the ticket which is on the machine they use on the Train.

If you get on a Train where you could have gotten a ticket from a machine before you got on the Train, they they are legally allowed to charge you a penalty of at least GBP20.00 or twice the single fare to the next station stop. (The Railways (Penalty Fares) Regulations 1994).

If a TOC on train is charging you more then the Standard Day Single fare, i.e. adding an unathorised supplement (other then bike, or first class upgrade) then this is illegal.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Someone doing this for a concert or other event is called a "scalper" and it is illegal in the US.

But, someone who is selling tickets at higher prices as a "convenience" is entitled for a mark up for the service. Even so, if the mark up is excessive, then that again runs afoul of the law.

In your example, railroads would rather you book in advance, or at least leave them out of the loop, the same as most air carriers do, so they are going to get more cash out of you if they have to handle it.

Bottom line is the bottom line. It the railroads could get rid of the practice of selling tickets altogether, then they could eliminate yet another job position.