Kings Hill Bus

[MarkyMarkD]

It would be useful (to me at least) to know what fares are available to/from the destination "Kings Hill Bus", because I am going to start work at Kings Hill in a few months' time.

As far as I can see there are only fares TO Kings Hill Bus, not FROM Kings Hill Bus, which is very strange and unhelpful. In other words, you can get a day return from (say) London Terminals to Kings Hill Bus, but not the other way round.

For the uninitiated, Kings Hill is an office/housing estate about 2 miles from West Malling (WMA) station and there is a dedicated bus service running between the two, promoted by Southeastern and Kent County Council.

Of course, a season ticket "the wrong way" would be fine, but normal daily tickets would not.

 

[OwlMan]

From the manual

Kings Hill Buslink

Kings Hill

Interchange station: West Malling
Fares

Through prices may be calculated using the add-on amounts to the fares to WEST MALLING shown in your TIS or the Fares Finder.
Add-on amounts

Single - £1.70
Return - £2.65
Weekly - £10.00
Monthly - £34.40
Quarterly - £103.00
Annual - £358.60

Discounts

Normal Child discount as part of a through-ticket only
Normal Railcard discount as part of a through-ticket only
Ticketing

Destination name & NLC: Kings Hill Bus J885
Services

Link operator/route: Nu-Venture, routes 53, 81, 88, 123, 151.
Public information

Customers may obtain further details of the bus service by calling 01622 882288 or visiting www.nu-venture.co.uk.

 

[MarkyMarkD]

But is that saying it is available both ways? And from every origin/to every destination? And why don't they simply create a PlusBus area, rather than having a one-off origin/destination which THEN doesn't seem to be available from every other origin/destination.

 

[telstarbox]

Mark - depending on where you need to be in KH, you might find the Arriva 72 bus more useful as the 123 goes very round the houses!

 

[MarkyMarkD]

Yes, but there is only through ticketing on the 123. And, at that, only apparently in one direction!

Southeastern have replied to an online query saying that it is an error that it's only available one way on their website because fares both ways are in the national fares database, but I can't see them FROM J885 in the national fares database so suspect that is the reason the website doesn't sell them.

It's also perverse that for certain fares - like this one - only certain websites sell them at all. The destination "Kings Hill Bus" isn't recognised on other TOCs' websites at all, nor on National Rail Enquiries.