Commuting from London Zone 2 to Staines (Outside London Zones)

[MrG]

Hi,

I have spent alot of time looking up various ticketing prices and Im still totally confused, SW trains dont appear to make it easy!

I recently moved to London and would like to know the best annual travel card options for commuting from Clapham Junction to Staines (Staines is outside of Zone 6) Mon-Fri.
I would also like the travel card to allow me the freedom to travel within zones 1-6 on either tube, bus or rail.

I was considering buying a season ticket for travel between Feltham (the last station in Zone 6) and Staines and then using an Oyster card to cover the first part of the journey (Clapham Junction to Feltham), but as there is no break in the journey I would be unable to swipe 'out' with the Oyster Card meaning Oyster slapping a full charge on me.

Any suggestions?

 

[dan_atki]

If you were to use an Oyster card from Clapham Junction to Feltham then that Oyster card will have to have a season travelcard on it (as Pay as you go is NOT currently valid on any South West Trains route), and, as such, touching out would be unnecessary I believe.

It depends how long you want the ticket for - a week? A month? A year?
Certainly the easiest option (albeit not necessarily the cheapest!) would be to get a Staines to Zone R1256 route Any Permitted season ticket. Zone R1256 here meaning all zones travelcard.

Having the ticket in the reverse direction is very handy here as a ticket cannot be issued from travelcard zones. However, this cannot be used for daily tickets as upon arrival at Staines the ticket would probably be retained and no further usage allowed. Season tickets allow unlimited travel in either direction within the validity of that ticket.

The appropriate prices for this ticket are:
7 day: £63.20
1 month: £242.70
1 year: £2528.00

 

[t0ffeeman]

When at Staines ask for a Staines to Z23456 season. Forget about Oyster until it becomes fully integrated on that line.

7 Day £48.00. As Dan Atki says for some reason it never gets issued the other way round...

Using train only between Stanes & Clapham J is £46.10

 

[Mcr Warrior]

T0ffeeman: Not sure that's what MrG was after, as that would miss out Zone 1!

When at Staines ask for a Staines to Z23456 season.

I would also like the travel card to allow me the freedom to travel within zones 1-6 on either tube, bus or rail.

Any suggestions?

 

[t0ffeeman]

Nor me but its always worth knowing the alternatives. £48 per wk for commuting. £15/wk for leisure... thats an extra 25% or so if you're not going to go into Zone 1 everyday...

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Nor me but its always worth knowing the alternatives. £48 per wk for commuting. £15/wk for leisure... thats an extra 25% or so if you're not going to go into Zone 1 everyday...

Actually, not a bad shout, t0ffeeman! A Staines - London Zones R2356 annual travelcard would be £1920, compared with £2528 for the Staines - London Zones R1256 version, so the question is, will MrG be making £608 worth of travel into Zone 1 during the year?

Which leads to the question, when (occasionally) travelling by train/tube intoZone1 (buses would already be covered by the R2356 ticket, wouldn't they?), would MrG have to buy daily extension tickets from Boundary Zone 2 on each such occasion, or would a Pay as you Go Oystercard be a practical alternative proposition?

 

[dan_atki]

Which leads to the question, when (occasionally) travelling by train/tube intoZone1 (buses would already be covered by the R2356 ticket, wouldn't they?), would MrG have to buy daily extension tickets from Boundary Zone 2 on each such occasion, or would a Pay as you Go Oystercard be a practical alternative proposition?

Certainly not! SWT do not accept PAYG Oyster!, leaving poor MrG to alight from the train at Clapham Junction and walk/use a bus from there to at least the nearest Tube station (or if lucky enough to have a train stopping at Vauxhall, a direct change to the Tube there).

Daily extension tickets from Boundary Zone 2 to Zone U1 would also only be valid for one single/return journey to one station in Zone 1 (priced at exactly the LU paper single/return price), so again that'd be pointless too if there are frequent trips in that zone (unless, as you say, MrG would like to use the bus everywhere, which would be valid).

 

[t0ffeeman]

I completely agree. However the line is better equipped with Richmond district & LOROL having PAYG plus the LOROL/SN from CLJ to West Brompton/Kenny O & Shep Bush. So when it comes to Zone 1 it really means where you are actually going to....

Can't really see a problem with a PAYG Oyster used at Vauxhall though...(£3 per day £15/5days, buses free)

When LOROL go from CLJ to Shoreditch(Z2) how many bankers will be paying to get to work via Zone 1 if their offices are there or at Canary Wharf....

 

[John @ home]

When LOROL go from CLJ to Shoreditch(Z2) how many bankers will be paying to get to work via Zone 1 if their offices are there or at Canary Wharf....

All of them going to Shoreditch High Street because it is to be moved to Zone 1:

Shoreditch High Street to be included within Zone 1
In discussions between the parties it was suggested that the additional of the new Shoreditch High Street to Zone 1 would reduce the revenue loss to national rail operators associated with East London Line Phase 1 implementation and also East London Line Phase 2. This would allow DfT to offer savings to TfL at the higher level of our forecasts. This condition seeks to clarify this point.
(Director-General National Networks DfT to Chair, London TravelWatch, 17 April 2009 - http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/document/3704/get)

John

 

[t0ffeeman]

Cheers for that John.Didn't know that, but of course I'm not surprised! Seems silly that an orbital railway now goes through Zone 1 though.