Can't buy Boundary Zone extension tickets from an Underground ticket machine to places within the zones

[miklcct]

I have a Zones 1-2 Travelcard and want to travel to Richmond after work. I travelled to Waterloo using the Waterloo & City line and needed a ticket before passing the National Rail ticket gate, and unfortunately c2c offers the Boundary Zone 2 - Richmond ticket on paper only, which meant I couldn't avoid finding a ticket machine to get a ticket.

I was at the lower level and the closest machine I could find was in the Underground station, so I attempted to get a ticket to Richmond in the same way I could buy a ticket to Maidenhead in the past. However, the machine doesn't sell a ticket to destinations in the fare zones.



The machine only allows me to top up or finish after I entered Richmond. I need to apply a discount which is not available on Oyster, that's the reason I need a ticket.

I could only find a National Rail machine after going up to the main concourse. Why don't TfL machines sell Boundary Zone tickets if the destination is in the fare zones? Another question is that, why aren't there any National Rail ticket machines on the lower level?

 

[redreni]

I think they expect you to use PAYG. Which you probably should given how the fares are set, unless it's a weekend and you have a Network Railcard.

Here are the fares: https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=QAK&dest=RMD&period=20240928

PAYG is cheaper unless you're travelling in the peak in both directions. If you have a Network Railcard there is no discount on a short journey like this on weekdays because of the £13 minimum fare, so PAYG is still cheaper than tickets . If you have any other Railcard you can put that on your Oyster card, and PAYG will thus still be cheaper than the boundary zone ticket.

Are you, by any chance, looking to buy a boundary zone ticket because your Travelcard is on a TOC Smartcard? In that case you may find it easier to buy a point-to-point ticket from Putney (the last station in Zone 2) to Richmond, either on your Smartcard or as an e-ticket. You can use that in conjunction with your Travelcard instead of a Boundary Zone 2 ticket, as long as your train passes through Putney.

If your Travelcard is on Oyster, just add sufficient PAYG credit to the Oyster card and you'll be charged the appropriate extension fare when you tap out at Richmond.

 

[JonathanH]

I think they expect you to use PAYG. Which you probably should given how the fares are set, unless it's a weekend and you have a Network Railcard.

Or you are a national railcard holder wanting to travel in the evening peak when Oyster charges a non-discounted fare, but railcard discounts are available on 'paper' anytime day tickets.

 

[redreni]

Or you are a national railcard holder wanting to travel in the evening peak when Oyster charges a non-discounted fare, but railcard discounts are available on 'paper' anytime day tickets.

Good point!

In which case buy the Putney to Richmond ticket online as above.

Another reasonably common scenario to add to my handy list of so-called 'edge-cases' where PAYG is more expensive than buying a ticket...

 

[Joe Paxton]

Good point!

In which case buy the Putney to Richmond ticket online as above.

Or 'go upstairs (at Waterloo) and use a National Rail TVM to buy the Boundary Zone extension ticket'... which is what the OP did do. Problem solved.

 

[JonathanH]

Or 'go upstairs (at Waterloo) and use a National Rail TVM to buy the Boundary Zone extension ticket'... which is what the OP did do. Problem solved.

The OP still considered it an inconvenience to them that they couldn't use the first machine they came across.

 

[miklcct]

Good point!

In which case buy the Putney to Richmond ticket online as above.

Another reasonably common scenario to add to my handy list of so-called 'edge-cases' where PAYG is more expensive than buying a ticket...

Good point - I didn't realise there is a dual zone station I could use - in general, to places within the zones, a Boundary Zone ticket is cheaper than a ticket from the last station within the zones as the tickets are priced according the number of zones, unless the last station is dual-zoned.