Clapham Jct - Highbury from Dec 2012

[cjohnson]

Once the ELL2 opens in December there will be two options for travelling from Clapham Junction through to Highbury/Dalston/Canonbury. Going the new route via Surrey Quays should incur a higher fare (as it's going through Shoreditch, zone 1), but travelling on the existing route via Willesden will not.

Assuming it's possible to travel on a direct service on both routes, how can the correct Oyster fare be charged? Will TfL just assume passengers will travel clockwise/anticlockwise and set the default fare accordingly? (Also, which direction is actually likely to be quickest?)

 

[bicbasher]

My guess is as the ELL should be quicker, H&I and Canonbury will become a default via zone 1 fare to Clapham Junction on Oyster PAYG. although it would be cheaper to travel the long way round from Dalston Kingsland instead of Junction.

Paper ticket customers should be given the option of via Willesden Junction or via Canada Water from H&I and Canonbury.

The plan was for Clapham Junction ELL services to terminate at Dalston Junction which wouldn't have brought up these fare issues, yet LOROL have decided to terminate West Croydon services at Dalston instead from December.

 

[bb21]

I think the fairest way to charge these journeys by default is at the rate avoiding Zone 1.

One of the main reasons why Shoreditch High Street is classed as being within Zone 1 is due to its close proximity to Liverpool Street. TfL don't want to lose the premium they receive from those people who pay to travel into Liverpool Street, in the event that they choose to switch to using Shoreditch instead. Through passengers not alighting at Shoreditch have taken no such advantage, and therefore should not be unfairly penalised simply because TfL could not distinguish between the two routes.