Hoping to bash a load of South London on saturday. oyster or paper?

[class303]

Hi,

This Saturday the 9th I'm planning on bashing as many lines as i can in South London (only ones I've not done before). Starting with the 06.26 SWT from Vauxhaul I'll be making my way through SWT, Southern & south eastern land.

Is my best bet just to buy a paper off peak 1-6 travel-card (with gold card discount) or just use my oyster (zone 1-3 season)? I appreciate the oyster has an off peak cap, but i think my best bet is a paper ticket just to keep things simple (no timing out, easier if i get ticket checked on train etc.).

Am i likely to come across a service with somewhere to charge my phone? I'm hoping to do 6.26 to about 19.00, if i can hack it.

Many thanks

 

[cjohnson]

Am i likely to come across a service with somewhere to charge my phone? I'm hoping to do 6.26 to about 19.00, if i can hack it.

SWT's 450s (the blue trains) have power sockets in the first class areas (and the equivalent "old" first class areas now converted to standard on the HC 450s). Should be more or less guaranteed on any Windsor/Weybridge service.

 

[maniacmartin]

For bashing, I'd buy paper. You then don't have to worry about OSIs linking journeys and exceeding the maximum journey time, resulting in unexpected charges.

 

[bb21]

I also recommend using the paper Travelcard, especially if you will be travelling all day.

 

[yorkie]

Oyster might work, but without seeing an itinerary, I couldn't say how feasible it is. If an itinerary is provided, I can advise and the cost could possibly be kept very low.

If the plan is ad-hoc, go with paper.

 

[causton]

I would definitely say go with paper. All you need is one missed touch somewhere, or to take too long 'in the system' (for example, if you wanted to go to London Bridge on one train, do one of the loops and come back to London Bridge, then go out on another train) as with Oyster it would assume you were just doing one journey, taking too long, and charge a maximum fare.

With a paper ticket, you pay £5.90 (IIRC?) and that's it. You know you won't spend any more, as long as you don't leave Z1-6 and don't lose the ticket you won't have any problems!

 

[class303]

Oyster might work, but without seeing an itinerary, I couldn't say how feasible it is. If an itinerary is provided, I can advise and the cost could possibly be kept very low.

If the plan is ad-hoc, go with paper.

i'm going for 28 trains! Definitely going to paper travelcard it. £5.90 for a 1-6 travel card only 30p more than the £5.60 off peak oyster cap.

Any more info re: chargers on trains? just the 450s?

The itinerary is as follows (sorry it's not in the correct format & I don't have time to edit it).

Vaux 6.26 - 7.06 felt.
felt 7.16 - 7.23 twic
twic 7.34 - 7.40 tedd
tedd 7.45 - 7.53 hamp
hamp 8.20 - 8.42 raye
raye 9.05 - 9.20 ches
ches 9.39 - 9.49 mots
mots 10.01 - 10.09 epso
epso 10.49 - 10.59 sutt
sutt 11.07 - 11.17 epsd
WALK 30 mins
tatt 11.51 - 12.14 Purl
purl 12.22 - 12.35 Cate
cate 12.56 - 13.01 WHYT
WALK
uppW 13.35 - 13.47 Ecro
ecry 13.51 - 13.54 selh
selh 13.59 - 14.16 sutt
sutt 14.38 - 15.01 hhil
hhil 15.04 - 15.32 orpi
orpi 15.42 - 15.48 knoc
knoc 16.14 - 16.36 hith
hith 16.38 - 16.42 grov
grov 16.55 - 17.00 brom
brom 17.05 - 17.10 grov
grov 17.15 - 17.23 lewi
lewi 17.44 - 18.08 haye

haye 18.20 - 18.38 catb
WALK
catf 19.03 - 19.21 stma
stma 19.24 - 19.50 peck

what else you going to do on a Saturday? :cry:

 

[MikeWh]

You've got some quite ambitious connection times in there!

 

[class303]

You've got some quite ambitious connection times in there!

yes i expect the itinerary to go out the window before the 2nd leg. then it's down to turn up and see.

 

[TEW]

SWT's 450s (the blue trains) have power sockets in the first class areas (and the equivalent "old" first class areas now converted to standard on the HC 450s). Should be more or less guaranteed on any Windsor/Weybridge service.

Not on Saturdays. Only the Windsors are booked for 450s on Saturdays, with all other routes which are 450s on weekdays booked for single Class 455s. This can vary a bit when Rugby is on at Twickenham though. Generally then the Weybridge/Hounslow loop services will be 8-car Class 450s and the Windsors 8-car Class 455s.

 

[greatkingrat]

Epsom station is not in the zones, so your travelcard would not be valid there. You would either need to buy an extra ticket, or you could walk from Ewell West to Ewell East.

 

[class303]

Epsom station is not in the zones, so your travelcard would not be valid there. You would either need to buy an extra ticket, or you could walk from Ewell West to Ewell East.

yep aware of that. i'll buy a BZ ticket.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

1) It's a Saturday - have you checked for any engineering works that might affect any of that?

2) You're allowing 30 minutes to walk from Epsom Downs to Tattenham Corner - it's not the easiest or straightest of walking routes coming out of Epsom Downs; have you rehearsed the route on Google Streetview?

 

[CallySleeper]

Got a few hours free time one day next week so hoping to do something similar to cover more ground. Despite 30p more will probably get a paper Z1-6 instead of my oyster.

 

[455driver]

Epsom station is not in the zones, so your travelcard would not be valid there. You would either need to buy an extra ticket, or you could walk from Ewell West to Ewell East.

Which is a complete wee wee taking excercise and proves the point that the Authorities didnt have the passengers best interests in mind when they thought that one up.

 

[class303]

1) It's a Saturday - have you checked for any engineering works that might affect any of that?

2) You're allowing 30 minutes to walk from Epsom Downs to Tattenham Corner - it's not the easiest or straightest of walking routes coming out of Epsom Downs; have you rehearsed the route on Google Streetview?

Google maps reckons 29mins. I'm a very fast walker so hopefully should do that in a lot less. we shall see.

very little engineering in south London this Saturday. Some engineering between London bridge and New Cross gate & Crystal Palace, but i've already done all of that.

I'll probably get tired, bored & pack it in after a bit. That's if i even make it vauxhall for 6.20 in the 1st place!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

mots 10.01 - 10.09 epso
epso 10.49 - 10.59 sutt

You should be able to manage the 10.12 if you're right at the back of the train coming into Epsom from Motspur Park; certainly the 10.42.

knoc 16.14 - 16.36 hith
hith 16.38 - 16.42 grov

That seems uncomfortably tight to me?

sutt 14.38 - 15.01 hhil
hhil 15.04 - 15.32 orpi

So does this one...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

mots 10.01 - 10.09 epso
epso 10.49 - 10.59 sutt

You should be able to manage the 10.12 if you're right at the back of the train coming into Epsom from Motspur Park; certainly the 10.42.

knoc 16.14 - 16.36 hith
hith 16.38 - 16.42 grov

That seems uncomfortably tight to me?

sutt 14.38 - 15.01 hhil
hhil 15.04 - 15.32 orpi

So does this one...

 

[class303]

You should be able to manage the 10.12 if you're right at the back of the train coming into Epsom from Motspur Park; certainly the 10.42.



That seems uncomfortably tight to me?



So does this one...

Ah... annoying i've made an oversight so early on. almost voids the rest of the itinerary. yikes!

 

[causton]

Ah... annoying i've made an oversight so early on. almost voids the rest of the itinerary. yikes!

I think it gives you half an hours breathing room (if all the services run every 30 minutes or greater so the plan works 30 minutes earlier, that is!) just in case you do miss one connection. Or it's extra time to walk from Epsom Downs

 

[paddington]

2) You're allowing 30 minutes to walk from Epsom Downs to Tattenham Corner - it's not the easiest or straightest of walking routes coming out of Epsom Downs; have you rehearsed the route on Google Streetview?

Done it in 17 mins. Arrived TAT 1609 and caught the 1628 from EPD on a weekday. Didn't run. But I had walked the opposite direction before.

I agree with Peter Mugridge about Hither Green and Herne Hill. Hither Green should be OK if you know the station layout and which door to sit at.

As for the Sutton Loop, it was the hardest part of London to achieve for me, as not only is it 2tph but the trains are frequently late. A one minute delay can ruin the rest of your day, as it did mine (though in my case I took the once daily Streatham Hill to Tulse Hill, and missed my FCC southbound despite it being cross-platform interchange!) However, there may be fewer delays on Saturday.

The Bromley North shuttle nearly ruined my day as well - I have no idea why but it was late by 5 mins, but fortunately the guard held the train at Grove Park.

In the end it got too depressing missing trains at 5pm in the dark, so I took all the lines again in July in half the time... I think the only public track I haven't travelled on is Rickmansworth to Watford, and the SWT that takes part of the District line.

 

[455driver]

and the SWT that takes part of the District line.

Which only has scheduled passenger trains over it early in the morning and late at night unless there is engineering work on the Main line between Wimbledon and Clapham jn/Waterloo.

 

[TEW]

That one is a bit of a pain to do, don't think there's been any planned diversions over it for years, just the booked early/late trains. You can do the 2312 Waterloo-Basingstoke which goes that way, and get off at Surbiton, but you don't get back to Waterloo to 0014 which isn't the most convenient. Alternatively for the early bird, you can do the 0530 Waterloo-Weymouth to Wimbledon and change there for the 0549 back to Waterloo, via East Putney.

 

[paddington]

Alternatively for the early bird, you can do the 0530 Waterloo-Weymouth to Wimbledon and change there for the 0549 back to Waterloo, via East Putney.

Yes I'm probably going to do something like this, but in June when you can actually see things at that time of day.

Fortunately c2c had engineering works which enabled me to do Liverpool St-Barking without much trouble.

 

[ashworth]

You're allowing 30 minutes to walk from Epsom Downs to Tattenham Corner - it's not the easiest or straightest of walking routes coming out of Epsom Downs; have you rehearsed the route on Google Streetview?

Yes, make sure you know which direction to set off from Epsom Downs. Not an easy route to follow and if you have not familiarised yourself with it you may well lose your way.
I think it's probably easier doing it that way around as Tattenham Corner is fairly easy to find once get in the vicinity of it. I did it the other way round and trying to find Epsom Downs when walking from Tattenham Corner was a nightmare. I got seriously lost and had to ask about 4 people before I eventually found it. It really is hidden away and not where you would expect to find it. It was nice sunny day and I did quite enjoy all the walking in pleasant surroundings.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Kindly do a trip report - (and very good luck for what sounds like an interesting run out) ..

 

[trentside]

Yes, make sure you know which direction to set off from Epsom Downs. Not an easy route to follow and if you have not familiarised yourself with it you may well lose your way.

This sounds similar to my experience - on a freezing cold and foggy December night, as the light was fading, which made it far less pleasant. I wasn't planning to do the walk, so hadn't been on Google Maps, but signalling problems between Purley and East Croydon were disrupting services from Tattenham Corner so I didn't have much choice. I ended up asking 4 people too, two of whom had never used Epsom Downs - and weren't entirely sure where it was. The racecourse area was also a bit muddy, and in the evening rush hour it was a challenge to cross over the various roads. Don't let me put you off though

To class303 - hope you enjoy you South London bash. I've spend the last year attempting to clear most of the lines in the area, and despite my best efforts I'm still missing Elmers End to Hayes because of a fallen tree. It's proving very awkward to work in to future plans, though I'd like to do another trip to the area before Christmas, as I find it a fascinating area to travel though on the slow, stopping trains. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoy this sort of day out - especially with the tight connections here and there. Expect to re-plan, and if you have a smartphone have the National Rail app to hand as you'll almost certainly end up needing it. For me, it's all part of the fun!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I agree with Peter Mugridge about Hither Green and Herne Hill. Hither Green should be OK if you know the station layout and which door to sit at..

I'd be more worried about the Hither Green one; not only is it a +2 but coming up from Knockholt it's going to be the far left platform; it won't be cross platform to Grove Park and the train coming from Knockholt has further to travel than the down train... and it's leaf fall season and it's coming up through leafy Kent... If there's a lot of people getting off at Hither Green you really, absolutely, must be at exactly the right door even if the thing is bang on time...


Meanwhile...

How on Earth did I not only get a double post up last night but the software didn't prevent it??? Glitch on the forum software, maybe???

 

[trentside]

I found Hither Green to be one of the most confusing stations I've changed at in London. It isn't helped by the fact that departure screens don't seem to be plentiful - in fact, I could only find individual platform displays until I found the main entrance. It reduced a +10 connection quite quickly to a mad dash across the bridge.

 

[class303]

I'd be more worried about the Hither Green one; not only is it a +2 but coming up from Knockholt it's going to be the far left platform; it won't be cross platform to Grove Park and the train coming from Knockholt has further to travel than the down train... and it's leaf fall season and it's coming up through leafy Kent... If there's a lot of people getting off at Hither Green you really, absolutely, must be at exactly the right door even if the thing is bang on time...

so where is the right door? not familiar with hither green whatsoever! That said, i'll be amazed if i make it to Hither Green without missing a connection.... i will report back. looking forward to it. just set my alarm for 5am :roll: