National Rail/Tube/DLR

[moonrakerz]

I wish to make a journey to East London, intended (best) route is: National Rail to WAT, Jubilee Line to Canning Town, DLR to Custom House for Excel.
National Rail website says:

"Travelling to London and continuing your journey by Tube or DLR

If you are making one single or return journey and your destination is a Tube or Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station you are recommended to purchase a ‘through' ticket from your starting station. This will allow you to use the same ticket to continue your journey by Tube and/or DLR once you have arrived in London."

So far, so good.....BUT.......

When I try and get fares/tickets (on line): the journey planner recognises CUS as Custom House for Excel quite happily, but when I go to the next page it says (underneath Custom House for Excel) "An invalid station has been entered" !

Anyone got any ideas on this one please ??

 

[swt_passenger]

I wish to make a journey to East London, intended (best) route is: National Rail to WAT, Jubilee Line to Canning Town, DLR to Custom House for Excel.
National Rail website says:

"Travelling to London and continuing your journey by Tube or DLR

If you are making one single or return journey and your destination is a Tube or Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station you are recommended to purchase a ‘through' ticket from your starting station. This will allow you to use the same ticket to continue your journey by Tube and/or DLR once you have arrived in London."

So far, so good.....BUT.......

When I try and get fares/tickets (on line): the journey planner recognises CUS as Custom House for Excel quite happily, but when I go to the next page it says (underneath Custom House for Excel) "An invalid station has been entered" !

Anyone got any ideas on this one please ??

I thought CUS might possibly be the out of date code for the former NLL station, but it seems OK?

IMX most underground and DLR stations are a bit hard to find on the TOC online systems when booking through journeys, except for joint LU/NR places like Moorgate or Farringdon, which have codes starting Z which seem to be known to the planners. Otherwise you seem to need to buy your through ticket from a station.

Perhaps this is a cynical attempt to get people to buy travelcards when they don't actually need them... :roll:

Edit: NR's OJP finds CUS as the DLR, but SWT's planner sees it as invalid - same for most underground stations that aren't joint rail stations, as I thought...

 

[wintonian]

That’s exactly how I got back from the ExCel last week, I used Oyster though.

Try using 0791 but I doubt that will work as it won't be able plan a journey as you would be specifying a zone and not specific station.

Could you not do it over the phone if you can't get to a station?

 

[yorkie]

As far as I know the station would be issed to "ZONE U123* LONDN" which is any Zone 1 to 3 station. I assume this equally applies to DLR, but perhaps someone local to the area can confirm?

It appears to be more expensive than Oyster PAYG.

 

[clagmonster]

May I ask what your origin is and whether you are returning on the same day, also your intended travel times? Do you have a railcard?

 

[RJ]

As far as I know the station would be issed to "ZONE U123* LONDN" which is any Zone 1 to 3 station. I assume this equally applies to DLR, but perhaps someone local to the area can confirm?

It appears to be more expensive than Oyster PAYG.

The OP has not stated where they'll be starting from. From some stations in the South East it will need to be issued to Underground Zones 1-6 (NLC 0786). U Zone tickets include LU/DLR stations, but not 'other' NR or LO stations.

 

[island]

If you're using a walk-up ticket, then just buy it at a station ticket window.

If you want an Advance, then I'm not sure.

 

[RJ]

If you're using a walk-up ticket, then just buy it at a station ticket window.

If you want an Advance, then I'm not sure.

I can "reserve" Advance fares for payment and collection at a later date, including on the day of travel - one thing I've never been asked though!

 

[moonrakerz]

Thanks for all the comments.

I did go down to the station yesterday to get the "official" word - it was shut ! Try again tomorrow.
Have been playing with the website (FGW) a bit more. The only DLR stations it will produce a fare for are those with an interchange with NR - but the route it gives you just uses NR/tube, never the DLR itself. NR "recommend" that you buy a "through" ticket to use on the DLR - then seem to deny all knowledge of the existence of this railway...........

It just seems odd that the opening page will accept Custom House as a valid station only to reject it as invalid on the very next page.
I can't see any way to enter "Zone U123" as my destination either. If I start the booking process to a "valid" station in London (WAT) it does offer me a Travel card for "ZONE R1234*" at £10 - which is twice the cost of using my Oyster card from WAT. (As Yorkie said !)

I am not actually doing this trip until Sept, I was just costing the options. Starting from WMN, I would normally use the SWT BRI - WAT service, but occasionally FGW come up with a better Advance fare to PAD - amazingly, via BTH ! Even more amazing if you go 1st (as I did last time) and factor in the free coffee/bikkies and use of the lounge at PAD.

 

[yorkie]

I can't see any way to enter "Zone U123" as my destination either.

Which booking engine are you using? Works for me using WebTIS.

 

[clagmonster]

The cheapest Warminster-Paddington, route Slough advance singles are £9.50. However, through to London U123 Londn, they come to £12.50, amking the LUL/DLR addon £3.00. The Oyster off-peak single for zones 1-3 is £2.50, so it would be cheaper to split at Paddington.

I can't find any route Salisbury advances Waterloo via Salisbury at all, so can't do the comparison there.

 

[swt_passenger]

The cheapest Warminster-Paddington, route Slough advance singles are £9.50. However, through to London U123 Londn, they come to £12.50, amking the LUL/DLR addon £3.00. The Oyster off-peak single for zones 1-3 is £2.50, so it would be cheaper to split at Paddington.

I can't find any route Salisbury advances Waterloo via Salisbury at all, so can't do the comparison there.

I think moonrakerz specific problem is why is there so much difficulty entering Zone U123 as a destination. Although Yorkie suggests using WebTis, as far as I can see it's only working on East Coast's version. SN's version isn't playing properly.

And there is still the problem that you need additional info to get from NR's OJP accepting 'CUS' for the DLR station, but this needing to be translated into 'Zone U123' to actually buy a ticket.

 

[moonrakerz]

Which booking engine are you using? Works for me using WebTIS.

You're right there ! I just tried the Southern site. Using the FGW site it just gives Z1 & 2 up front, with the option of travel cards later in the booking process.

The cheapest Warminster-Paddington, route Slough advance singles are £9.50. However, through to London U123 Londn, they come to £12.50, amking the LUL/DLR addon £3.00. The Oyster off-peak single for zones 1-3 is £2.50, so it would be cheaper to split at Paddington.

I can't find any route Salisbury advances Waterloo via Salisbury at all, so can't do the comparison there.

The cheapest "up" fares on FGW are a bit too late in the day, I can get £6.60/£8.90 (railcard) with SWT, plus I can walk to the station and don't have to pay to park my car as I would at WSB. (Connections are a bit tight on return ! 59 minute wait quite likely - car is a safer option)

Looking at the farthest date for Adv fares at the moment:
SWT is £16 ret. (+ I can get a couple of small botts of wine at WAT to drink on the train coming back !)
FGW is £26 ret + parking. (WMN or WSB)

I will go to the station tomorrow, but it's looking like WAT + Oyster !
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Update:

Went down to the station this morning and asked for the cheapest fare from WMN to CUS (Custom House for Excel) - I did quote a specific date and train time.
It took the lady some time and a lot of mouse shuffling to find a fare, but in the end she came up with £10.85, on a railcard.
This is an extra £4.25 over the Advance fare to WAT.
The cash fare from WAT to CUS is £4. Oyster (+ railcard) is £1.65.

The web sites seem to be getting even more confusing though.
I tried the same date/time (to Z123) on the East Coast site and it told me that no Advance tickets were available. I then tried WMN to WAT on that site - it came up with the cheapest being a Super Off Peak Single at £18.50.
FGW is showing Advances to WAT being available at £6.60 for that date/time !!

Have just tried the Southern site - that is also showing £6.60 !!!! Don't Southern and East Coast use the same booking engine ?

My brain hurts ........................

 

[bb21]

The web sites seem to be getting even more confusing though.
I tried the same date/time (to Z123) on the East Coast site and it told me that no Advance tickets were available. I then tried WMN to WAT on that site - it came up with the cheapest being a Super Off Peak Single at £18.50.
FGW is showing Advances to WAT being available at £6.60 for that date/time !!

Have just tried the Southern site - that is also showing £6.60 !!!! Don't Southern and East Coast use the same booking engine ?

My brain hurts ........................

Yes that does seem very strange. I just had a look. Even restricting to Route Salisbury does not help.