Buy Before You Board
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Further information Great Western Railway Buy before you board GWR.com 03457 000 125* (0600 to 2300 daily) Buy before Find us on Facebook Messenger Search for Great Western Railway you board Follow us @GWRHelp Download our app Search GWR in your app store Earn Nectar points When you buy our train tickets online at GWR.com Don’t miss out on our latest offers, special deals and news from GWR. Register your email address now at GWR.com/enews * Standard network charges apply. Calls from mobiles may be higher. Advice on ticket purchasing and how to avoid Penalty Fares Information correct at time of print. Valid from November 2015 486762/02 Buy before you board Penalty Fares are something that most people who travel with us never experience. Please ensure you avoid the consequences of inadvertently travelling without a valid ticket. You must always have a valid ticket to travel on GWR trains. If you board any of our trains without a valid ticket, at a station where ticket buying facilities are available, you may be charged the full Single or Return fare relevant to your journey, be reported for prosecution, or receive a Penalty Fare if travelling from a station within the Penalty Fares Zones (see maps overleaf). You will not be eligible to use a Railcard or receive other discounts. How to buy a ticket There are several methods available to purchase tickets. Ticket Office We have ticket offices at many of our stations. Tickets can be bought for any journey, including one starting from a different station, and those that include London Underground stations. You can pay for your ticket with cash, debit or credit card, as well as Solo or Electron cards. Please allow yourself plenty of time to buy your ticket. Self-service ticket machines These are available at many of our stations and will usually accept cash or credit and debit cards. You can buy a variety of tickets, including seven-day Season Tickets and discounted tickets for Railcard holders. Online You can buy tickets to anywhere in the UK quickly and easily by using our online service at GWR.com By phone from our Customer Support Team Call 03457 000 125 ( 0600 - 2300 Daily ) Download our app Search GWR in your app store. Permit to Travel machines These are located at some stations on the London Paddington to Reading route and should be used if you cannot buy a ticket from a ticket office or self-service ticket machine. You should insert the maximum amount of coins that you have, to the value of your journey. A permit to travel is valid for 2 hours, during which time you should exchange the permit for a ticket from on-board staff, at your interchange station, or at your destination station, and pay any difference due in the fare. Why is a Penalty Fare Scheme necessary? Penalty Fares are in place to encourage passengers to buy tickets before they travel. Reducing the number of passengers who do not pay is not only in the interest of Great Western Railway, it also benefits the majority of fare paying passengers. How much is a Penalty Fare? A Penalty Fare will be twice the full single fare to the next station, or at least £20, whichever is the greater. You will also have to pay the full Single fare for the rest of your journey if you wish to continue aboard that service to your destination. Who can issue a Penalty Fare? Only members of staff who have been trained as an Authorised Collector and are in possession of an Authorised Collector ID badge, which you may ask to see, can issue Penalty Fares. What methods of payment can I use to pay a Penalty Fare? You can pay your Penalty Fare with cash, or most major credit and debit cards. We do not accept Solo or Electron cards when paying Penalty Fares. When do I need to pay a Penalty Fare? You have the option to pay the Authorised Collector immediately, or you have 21 days to pay the outstanding amount. Failure to pay the outstanding amount within the 21 day period, irrespective of if you have submitted an appeal or are intending to submit an appeal, will result in additional administration charges being applied. Payment can be made at any of our staffed ticket offices at the address printed on the notice. What if I disagree with the issue of a Penalty Fare Notice? As indicated above, you have 21 days from the date of issue to pay the outstanding amount. Alternatively, you may appeal against the issue of a Penalty Fare Notice in writing to the appeal service address, on the copy of the notice you receive. This appeal service is independent of GWR and will consider your appeal based on the facts concerning the case. You should submit your appeal in writing within 21 days. If your appeal is upheld you will be refunded the cost of the penalty charge applied. What happens if I don’t pay a Penalty Fare within 21 days? If you don’t pay the outstanding amount owed within the 21 day period, additional charges will be applied. Failure to still not pay, may see legal proceedings brought against you. The current maximum penalty upon conviction is a £1,000 fine and / or 3 months imprisonment. What information do I need to provide if I am issued with a Penalty Fare? You are required by law to provide your full name and address at the time of issue of a Penalty Fare. What if there are long queues at the ticket office? This is the main reason given for not purchasing a ticket by those with no intention of paying. It makes it impossible for us to distinguish a genuine case from a dishonest case, and in these circumstances a Penalty Fare will be issued. GWR monitors queuing times at it's stations in order to minimise waiting times. Authorised Collectors are supplied with information detailing problems with ticket offices, including closures outside the advertised times, as well as heavy queuing. Self-service ticket machines are also available at most stations. Can I buy my ticket at my destination if I am in a rush? No. You are responsible for ensuring you buy a ticket that is valid for your entire journey before travelling, otherwise you may be liable to pay a Penalty Fare. What if I want to buy a Season Ticket and the ticket office is closed? Provided that you have a photocard, you can buy a weekly Season Ticket from self-service ticket machines. However, if you wish to buy a monthly Season Ticket or longer, you should purchase a single for your destination from the self-service ticket machine and then buy your Season Ticket at your destination. The cost of your single ticket will be deducted from your Season Ticket. What should I do if I have forgotten my photocard and / or Season Ticket? You should buy a daily ticket to cover your journey before travelling. You may then apply for a refund on this daily ticket at the ticket office where you buy your Season Ticket. Only two such refund applications will be considered in a 12 month period and you may be charged an administration fee. What if I have bought a discounted ticket with a Railcard, but cannot produce the Railcard on the actual journey? If you have a Railcard, always carry it with you when you travel. Failure to produce your Railcard during your journey will render your discounted ticket invalid. That means you will be charged the full adult fare, receive a Penalty Fare if you are travelling within a Penalty Fare zone, or be reported for prosecution. Adult tickets are required for anyone aged 16 and over. What if I discover that I have forgotten my Season Ticket Key once I have boarded the train? This station is in the Penalty Fares scheme The Authorised Collector will record your personal details This station is not in the Penalty Fares scheme and issue you with a Penalty Fare Notice for either £20 or twice the full single fare to the next station, whichever is This is not a Penalty Fares line the greater. You can choose not to make a payment on the spot but you must send your copy of the notice along with a clear photocopy of your Season Ticket and photocard to the address shown on the notice. Depending on the circumstances, consideration will be given and your appeal To Worcester may be granted. If monies have been paid you will be and Hereford refunded the cost of the Penalty Fare. Failure to return the Penalty Fare Notice or making a false claim may lead to prosecution. Cheltenham Spa What if I want to upgrade from Standard to First Class? If you have a Standard ticket or Season Ticket and want to Gloucester upgrade to First Class you must buy a ticket upgrade before Stonehouse you travel. If you don’t, you will be charged the full First e Class fare, receive a Penalty Fare if you are travelling within Cam & Dursley Stroud Kembl a Penalty Fare zone, or be reported for prosecution. Yate You can upgrade from Standard to First Class on most GWR Swindon To South Wales routes at weekends and on Bank Holidays upon payment Bristol Parkway To Reading of a supplement. These tickets can be bought on board the Filton Abbey Wood and London train, subject to availability. To Severn Beach Chippenham Stapleton Road eynsham K Bath Spa What if I want to travel further than the destination on my Lawrence Hill ticket? d You should purchase the correct ticket for your journey Bristol Temple Meads Freshford Bedminster Oldfielark Melksham before you get on the train.