Boundary Zone 6 to Gatwick

[Mike395]

A freedom pass isn't accepted on the Gatwick Depress. Sorry mean Express.
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You could always get a Thameslink service from London Bridge or East Croydon.

Disagree - the Gatwick Express is treated as a Southern service for ticketing purposes when the journey being taken is beyond Gatwick. (This is in addition to the whole issue of Southern/GX being the same franchise, so all tickets are technically interavailable between them anyway )

 

[RJ]

Disagree - the Gatwick Express is treated as a Southern service for ticketing purposes when the journey being taken is beyond Gatwick.

I thought that had changed so Southern Only/Not Gatwick Express tickets aren't accepted on them at all? That was the impression I got from the departure boards last time I was in Brighton.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Oh God! Here we go again....

 

[Mike395]

I didn't realise it had changed if it has - I'm in Brighton on Sunday so may have to investigate...

 

[embers25]

I thought that had changed so Southern Only/Not Gatwick Express tickets aren't accepted on them at all? That was the impression I got from the departure boards last time I was in Brighton.

The boards at Brighton do all say that but they are wrong. It is to stop tourists getting on the wrong train but it is VERY misleading and is surely false advertising?

 

[yorkie]

Yes, my position on the incorrect information supplied by the Govia Thameslink Railway train company remains unchanged.

As for freedom passes specifically, they are meant to be treated as Travelcard Seasons (with time restrictions) and while train company restrictions would be within the conditions, I see no legal basis for branding restriction.

Gatwick Express is no different whatsoever in status to Stansted Express. That is a fact, confirmed by the Ticketing Settlement Agreement and the DfT.

 

[OwlMan]

Yes, my position on the incorrect information supplied by the Govia Thameslink Railway train company remains unchanged.

As for freedom passes specifically, they are meant to be treated as Travelcard Seasons (with time restrictions) and while train company restrictions would be within the conditions, I see no legal basis for branding restriction.

Gatwick Express is no different whatsoever in status to Stansted Express. That is a fact, confirmed by the Ticketing Settlement Agreement and the DfT.

Freedom passea are not a National Rail product - they are only valid for use where an agrement has been agreed with an operator.
There are restrictions on which TOCs and which services of those TOCs a Freedom Pass can be used on: see http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/national-rail

The Freedom Pass is not valid for travel on train services operated by:

• East Midlands Trains
• Grand Central
• Hull Trains
• Gatwick Express (between London Victoria and Gatwick)
• Heathrow Express
• Heathrow Connect between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow
• Virgin Trains East Coast
• Southeastern high speed services to and from St Pancras International and Stratford International

So it is NOT valid on Gatwick Express

 

[yorkie]

Freedom passes are not a National Rail product - they are only valid for use where an agreement has been agreed with an operator.

Govia Thameslink Railway is an operator (Source: TSA)

There are restrictions on which TOCs and which services of those TOCs a Freedom Pass can be used on: see http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/national-rail

So it is NOT valid on Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is not a Train Operating Company (and this has been confirmed by the DfT).

 

[OwlMan]

Govia Thameslink Railway is an operator (Source: TSA)

Gatwick Express is not a Train Operating Company (and this has been confirmed by the DfT).

Whether it is a TOC, a brand or just a name, the freedom pass is only valid on routes agreed between the rail companies and the Freedompass administrators. It has been negotiated that is not valid on Gatwick Express, as confirmed by the Freedom Pass website, therefore any discussion about TOCs and brands is irrelevent - the operators and adminstrators have agreed

 

[maniacmartin]

yorkie, if the freedom passes are not issued subject to the NRCoC, then I can't see how Condition 10 would apply here

 

[hairyhandedfool]

yorkie, if the freedom passes are not issued subject to the NRCoC, then I can't see how Condition 10 would apply here

If Gatwick Express is not a TOC, Condition 10 doesn't apply anyway.

 

[yorkie]

When was that agreement made? The fact is, the train company is obliged to carry such passengers (presumably they received revenue/subsidy) for this combination, and it makes no difference which of the company's trains is used by the passenger.

The list is clearly out of date as Gatwick Express is not a TOC. No trains are "operated by" Gatwick Express so there is no such exclusion applicable.

There is no requirement for the train to call at any particular boundary station, so the fact that the company's "Express" branded trains don't call anywhere doesn't render the pass invalid when used in conjunction with the appropriate extension ticket.

GTR have even admitted it's valid on Twitter. I will provide a quote/screenshot when I am able to.