§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to make it possible to claim a refund on a fare incorrectly levied at a station other than that at which the ticket was purchased. [747]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonNormally, unused tickets will be eligible for refund and the claim can be submitted at any station. All franchised train operating companies (TOCs) are obliged to participate in the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement (TSA) which deals with the retailing of fares and other products by passenger operators. The TSA obliges all operators to accept claims whether or not they issued the ticket, and arrangements are then made if necessary to forward applications to the relevant train operator who will settle the claim. I understand that train operators are proposing to streamline this process so that TOCs have the option to settle a claim at any station, regardless of where the original purchase was made.