More expensive c2c fares during engineering works

[Electrostar]

Hi, I hope I've posted this in the correct area. Last weekend and over coming weekends, c2c services are diverted to Liverpool Street via Stratford. They aren't stopping at West Ham, Limehouse or terminating at Fenchurch Street. Usually I would buy a ticket for c2c services from Leigh-on-Sea to West Ham, where I would change on to the District line and travel three stops to Mile End by tapping in on the District line using contactless. During engineering works, I buy a c2c ticket to Stratford where I change on to the tube and use contactless to travel one stop on the Central line to Mile End. However, I didn't realise how much more expensive it is to buy a ticket to Stratford and that I'm better off buying one to West Ham, despite no trains calling there.

Looking at next Sunday, for example, why does c2c (and other operators) charge so much more for a single ticket from Leigh-on-Sea to Stratford:

£18.70 for an anytime single.
£7.50 if I travel to Upminster, change to the Overground to Romford for an Elizabeth line to Stratford (which stops on to the adjacent platform to the C2C service).
£16.80 if I travel via Upminster - despite every c2c service to Stratford stopping at Upminster.

or

£8.20 for a ticket to West Ham, which includes a change at Stratford to the Jubilee line, one stop to West Ham.

I can't imagine how much extra money c2c makes in fares from passengers buying a ticket to Stratford because West Ham is closed. It would be cheaper for me to buy a ticket to West Ham but instead of using that on the Jubilee line, just tap in on the Central line platform at Stratford with contactless and travel one stop to Mile End. How many ordinary passengers would think to buy a ticket to stop that is closed?

--
Unrelated to engineering works, why is it possible to buy tickets at Mile End Underground station to Leigh-on-Sea (including railcard options)? Is it a historic anomaly of when the LTS and District shared tracks or the District line summer specials to Southend and why aren't tickets in the opposite direction to Mile End available from c2c stations - or are they and I haven't been able to find them?

Thanks all

 

[Farigiraf]

Have you considered buying a ticket to Barking and taking the tube (H&C/District) from there?

 

[Haywain]

You could just buy a ticket from Leigh on sea to Zone U2356 which covers the whole journey at £9.90 (Off Peak Day Single).

 

[CyrusWuff]

Leigh-on-Sea to Stratford (technically Southend Cluster to Stratford Cluster) on route Any Permitted is priced by Greater Anglia and covers journeys between 19 c2c and Greater Anglia stations and West Ham, Limehouse, Maryland, Stratford, Hackney Wick, Homerton, Hackney Central and Lea Bridge. Crucially, it isn't part of Project Oval Phase 1, so hasn't had the fares changes applied to it that Oval journeys have.

c2c do price a cheaper alternative fare for Leigh-on-Sea to Stratford, but it's routed "via Romford" - and has been Ovalised - requiring you to use the Upminster - Romford shuttle.

For Leigh-on-Sea to West Ham, c2c price their own Ovalised "Any Permitted" fares, which override the cluster pricing. It could be argued that the same should apply for Leigh-on-Sea to Stratford given it gets a half-hourly service at weekends in the base timetable.

 

[BrotherWilliam]

This particular issue is caused by the Via Romford routing restriction that is on the cheaper and "correctly" priced product. If you try to travel on Sunday when the Romford-Upminster service doesn't run then the Via Romford route is not an available option so you are forced to buy the Any Permitted product with a high price.
The route cause of this seems to be the from GA recently removing the super-off peak products as required as part of Project Oval which otherwise provided a cheap product thatcould be used when the Romford-Upminster line doesn't run.

As to why you can buy tickets at mile end to c2c locations this might have something to do with the inter availability agreement between c2c and the district line.

 

[greatkingrat]

How does a restriction of "Via Romford" stop you travelling via Southend Victoria? You still pass through Romford. If the ticket is only supposed to be valid on the c2c route then it should be "Via Upminster" or similar.

 

[CyrusWuff]

How does a restriction of "Via Romford" stop you travelling via Southend Victoria? You still pass through Romford. If the ticket is only supposed to be valid on the c2c route then it should be "Via Upminster" or similar.

Leigh-on-Sea only has Pitsea as a routeing point, and Southend Victoria to Stratford alone is greater than 3 miles further than Leigh - Upminster - Romford - Stratford.

 

[357 LTSRail]

If you try to travel on Sunday when the Romford-Upminster service doesn't run then the Via Romford route is not an available option

The train has been running 7 days a week for years now, only closes in the event of engineering works, so should always be offered.