London-Brighton break of journey

[JamesDrew]

If I purchase an off-peak day return from Wimbledon to Brighton (via Clapham Junction) can I break the outward journey at Gatwick? Also, can I travel on the Gatwick Express if that’s the next train departing?
Thanks, James

 

[signed]

A Off-Peak day return routed Not Via London will allow you to break your journey in Gatwick

You also seem to be able to take GX, but I will let others weigh in

 

[Watershed]

Yes, break of journey is permitted on all walk-up fares available between Wimbledon and Brighton.

Gatwick Airport is on a permitted route so you can break your journey there.

Walk-up fares are available in two routes: "+Any Permitted" and "not via London". Neither has a brand or company restriction, so it is purely a question of routing.

The "+Any Permitted" is valid on all services (including GX branded ones) from London Terminals such as London Victoriawhilst the "not via London" fare effectively has to be used changing at Clapham Junction, thus indirectly ruling out non-stop services such as GX branded ones.

GX branded services can still be used anywhere else that complies with the route restrictions, e.g. south of Gatwick Airport.

 

[JamesDrew]

Thanks for these very helpful answers. Just one point of clarification. ‘Any permitted’ sounds highly ambiguous - does it mean that any route one chooses to take is permitted or that one can take any route that is permitted by the railways? The first seems the most obvious reading of ‘any permitted’ but doesn’t make sense when it comes to the railways wanting to maximise their revenue.
Many thanks, James

 

[30907]

Thanks for these very helpful answers. Just one point of clarification. ‘Any permitted’ sounds highly ambiguous - does it mean that any route one chooses to take is permitted or that one can take any route that is permitted by the railways? The first seems the most obvious reading of ‘any permitted’ but doesn’t make sense when it comes to the railways wanting to maximise their revenue.
Many thanks, James

You can't "permit" yourself to do anything, sorry - permission comes from the railway, so you are right, it's the second

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for these very helpful answers. Just one point of clarification. ‘Any permitted’ sounds highly ambiguous - does it mean that any route one chooses to take is permitted or that one can take any route that is permitted by the railways? The first seems the most obvious reading of ‘any permitted’ but doesn’t make sense when it comes to the railways wanting to maximise their revenue.
Many thanks, James

It’s probably best to read “any permitted” as being short for ”any of the permitted routes”.

 

[Watershed]

Thanks for these very helpful answers. Just one point of clarification. ‘Any permitted’ sounds highly ambiguous - does it mean that any route one chooses to take is permitted or that one can take any route that is permitted by the railways? The first seems the most obvious reading of ‘any permitted’ but doesn’t make sense when it comes to the railways wanting to maximise their revenue.
Many thanks, James

It means the latter. Although it is ridiculously complicated to work out the set of "permitted routes" (and the industry should allow customers to calculate or look these up much more easily), if any route you felt lile was permitted, this could open up huge loopholes - as I'm sure you can imagine.

The easiest way to check if something is a permitted route is to enter appropriate "via"/"avoid" points on a journey planner and see what routes of walk-up fares are offered. If no through fares are offered, it's not a permitted route.