National Rail Travelcard to Zone 6 boundary

[ajssss]

I already have an Oyster card that covers Zones 1-6. I need an extension through to Leatherhead.

Can you purchase a Travelcard Extension from Leatherhead to the London Zone 6 boundary or do you need to purchase a travelcard to a station within Zone 6?

 

[LexyBoy]

Welcome to the forum!

To help we need to know what exactly you have on your Oyster card.

If you have a Zone 1-6 Travelcard, then you need to purchase a "Boundary Zone 6" to Leatherhead single/return (or vice versa, it's not clear which direction you're travelling in). These can only be bought from ticket offices, not machines - you'll need to show your Oyster card.

If you have an Oyster card with PAYG credit on, then you will need to buy a ticket for the full journey - the PAYG credit is not a ticket until you touch in, and you can't use it for a London-Leatherhead journey as Leatherhead is outside of the Oyster zones. If you're travelling from Leatherhead into London, you can purchase a Day Travelcard which gives you one return journey (returning same day) into London and unlimited travel within Zones 1-6.

 

[button_boxer]

If you have a period travelcard loaded on to your Oyster then you'd just need a ticket from Leatherhead to the first station within your covered zones that the train will pass through (no need for it to stop). If you don't have a travelcard and want to use PAYG you will have to buy a ticket to the first station in zone 6 where the train stops, get off there to touch in and then get another train from there to your destination (or possibly the same train if there's a validator near enough that you can get off, touch in and get back on before it leaves).

 

[ajssss]

Hi, thanks for your reply

The problem I have is I need a 12 month travel card, what I need to know is can you get a 12 month season ticket from Leatherhead to the Zone 6 boundary or do I have to get it to a station within zone 6 (Ewell West).

If I have to take the second option I will effectively be paying to passage through zone 6 twice.

 

[transportphoto]

Can you describe exactly what you have loaded onto your oyster at present? A Leatherhead to Boundary Zone 6 season ticket is only valid with a corresponding season travelcard for London Zones (must include zone 6)

TP

 

[LexyBoy]

The problem I have is I need a 12 month travel card, what I need to know is can you get a 12 month season ticket from Leatherhead to the Zone 6 boundary or do I have to get it to a station within zone 6 (Ewell West).

Unfortunately Season tickets are not available to "boundary zones".

Buying a Ewell West - Leatherhead Season would be fine, but you would have to travel on trains which stop at Ewell West (not sure if this is a problem; I think most or all do but I'm not familiar with the area to be sure).

I would think the best solution would be to refund your annual Z1-6 Travelcard and purchase a Leatherhead - Zones 1-6 annual season (£2580). It might be the case that a combination of tickets is cheaper, but it's usually not so.

Edit:
Leatherhead-Z1-6 = £2580
Z1-6 only = £2016
Ewell West - Leatherhead = £940
Ewell West - Z5-6 (closest to a "boundary zone" season) = £1300

Thus buying separate tickets is significantly more expensive.

BTW - these prices go up on 2nd January (as I expect you realise!) so buy tickets to start before then to avoid the price increases.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Be aware there are a small number of services which do run non stop Epsom - Worcester Park in the morning and vice-versa in the evening.

 

[MikeWh]

It might be the case that a combination of tickets is cheaper, but it's usually not so.

On some routes it can be cheaper to split zones 1-3 (which can be on Oyster) and outside to zone 4. Because both tickets are then zonal there is no need for the train to stop. I think it works on the lines to Kings X and Moorgate. It doesn't work from Kent.

 

[LexyBoy]

On some routes it can be cheaper to split zones 1-3 (which can be on Oyster) and outside to zone 4. Because both tickets are then zonal there is no need for the train to stop. I think it works on the lines to Kings X and Moorgate. It doesn't work from Kent.

Thanks, I did check that combination but it was more expensive. Didn't realise there was a general rule to which routes it's cheaper to combine Seasons.