Permissible alternative passage ? Sevenoaks to Brighton

[ngood77]

Hi all,

I have a Thameslink-only Super Off Peak return ticket from London Bridge to Brighton, for this Saturday coming.

My home station is Sevenoaks so, due to engineering works this weekend, I cannot, in my view, get to London Bridge in a reasonable time.

It's better for me to travel Sevenoaks - Victoria - Brighton but of course this ticket is more than twice the price.

Doesn't feel right that I should have to pay more, but I doubt if the rules agree ?

Thanks,

Nick.

 

[James Wake]

Perhaps going via Blackfriars may be an option, if your ticket is from London Terminals, do you have a ticket from Sevenoaks to London yet?

 

[ngood77]

Thanks James.

I have a ticket to LT, but it's not really an advantage to use BF, considering I have to sync with a Thameslink train for Brighton.

 

[greatkingrat]

Could you head to East Croydon and pick up the Thameslink train from there?

 

[ngood77]

Could you head to East Croydon and pick up the Thameslink train from there?

That's a good suggestion, I'll look into that. Thanks.

 

[James Wake]

Don't go via Tonbridge and Redhill as there is bus replacement works via Edenbridge this weekend. Maybe going to Victoria then getting the next East Croydon train then changing onto Thameslink, or perhaps train to Bromley South then 119 bus to East Croydon, various options available. (Or tram from Beckenham Junction to East Croydon).

 

[telstarbox]

Send Thameslink a tweet and see what they recommend?

 

[ngood77]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's not so much the travel options I need help with, it was a view on whether I should even have to bother with alternatives anyway. In my view I should be able to use my TL ticket on a Southern train out of LV.

I've mailed all 3 companies involved but I doubt that will help.

 

[greatkingrat]

It looks like there is 2tph from Sevenoaks to Charing Cross/Waterloo East on Saturday anyway, and then you would be allowed to use the Jubilee line to get back to London Bridge.

 

[Haywain]

Unfortunately, the ticket is Thameslink only, so you will need to travel from London Bridge or Blackfriars. It's not really Thameslink's fault that you don't like the timing of the connections, so I do not believe that validity on non Thameslink services would be appropriate.

 

[455driver]

Why buy a ticket from London Bridge if you cant get there?

Oh let me have a guess 'it was cheaper', yoo pays yer money and makes yer choice! :roll:

Why do people buy dirt cheap, heavily restricted tickets and then expect to use them as a flexible ticket, barmy!

 

[ainsworth74]

If it's possible to make the journey on Thameslink (even including buses and unhelpful connections) I don't think you officially have any option but to travel on Thameslink services. If it was actually impossible to make the journey solely on Thameslink due to engineering or disruption I would check before travel but expect restrictions to be eased.

 

[JamesRowden]

Would it be possible to excess the £10.50 London Bridge to Brighton (Thameslink Only) ticket for a £15.30 Sevenoaks to Brighton (via Edenbridge or Polegate) ticket and travel via St Leonards Warrior Square? It would take about 2h28m-2h32m each way.

 

[bb21]

Would it be possible to excess the £10.50 London Bridge to Brighton (Thameslink Only) ticket for a £15.30 Sevenoaks to Brighton (via Edenbridge or Polegate) ticket and travel via St Leonards Warrior Square? It would take about 2h28m-2h32m each way.

No, that's not a legit excess AFAIK.

 

[ngood77]

Why buy a ticket from London Bridge if you cant get there?



Oh let me have a guess 'it was cheaper', yoo pays yer money and makes yer choice! :roll:



Why do people buy dirt cheap, heavily restricted tickets and then expect to use them as a flexible ticket, barmy!

Expecting to be able to complete my journey in a reasonable time, at no extra cost to me, using a ticket bought prior to works being announced is not the same as expecting to use a restricted ticket flexibly.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks for all of your suggestions, I shall probably travel from Beckenham to East Croydon on the tram (allowed alternative) and then join a TL train.

 

[redbutton]

Doesn't feel right that I should have to pay more, but I doubt if the rules agree ?

Why? The main reason why that ticket is cheaper is because it's less convenient. If there existed a TL Only ticket from Sevenoaks and engineering works meant you couldn't make a reasonable connection, then maybe you would have a point, but there isn't.

Journey planner says the fastest way on Saturday is actually to get the tram from Beckenham Junction to East Croydon. Your rail tickets won't be valid though, so you'll have to spend at least 1.50 on Oyster or Contactless. It's even 20 minutes faster than connecting at Victoria.

Otherwise, you could connect at Blackfriars, but that takes 40 minutes longer than the tram option.

 

[ainsworth74]

We're the engineering works only announced recently? That's quite unusual as normally you'd get about 12 weeks notice.