Northampton to East Croydon Season Ticket

[sbatchel]

Hello, Long time lurker who finally has a question to ask for which i can find no definative answer.

I commute daily from Northampton to East Croydon. Via Euston and Victoria. I always get a monthly Northampton to Zones R1256 at a cost of £483.90.

My favourite ticket search mixing deck on the Southern Website also shows a cheaper option via Olympia at £397.90, but the time of trains on the WLL don't suite.

Now then... A recent check of prices has started offering me Northampton to Zone R2356 for £404.80 - A significant saving, but I'm assuming that although it doesn't specifically mention "via olympia", that is the route i must still take as I wouldn't be allowed to transfer from Euston to Victoria through Zone 1. (Or indeed even be on a LM or Virgin Train into Euston, or Southern in to Victoria).

Is my understanding correct, or would I be allowed to transfer directly from Euston to Victoria with the R2356 ticket?
I guess I could always use the bus for the tranfer, but that would probably take far longer than using the WLL.

Thanks

Simon

 

[hairyhandedfool]

You would not be able to go to or through any station (BR or LUL) in zone 1 because it is not included on the ticket.

R1256 = zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

R2356 = zones 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you went via Kensington Olympia, you would not enter zone 1.

 

[will1337]

Could you change for the LM service from Milton Keynes to East Croydon direct or does that not suit your times?

 

[MCR247]

its actually a southern service from MKC to Croydon

 

[sbatchel]

You would not be able to go to or through any station (BR or LUL) in zone 1 because it is not included on the ticket.

R1256 = zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

R2356 = zones 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

If you went via Kensington Olympia, you would not enter zone 1.

That's what i thought - Thanks. Just living in hope there was some little known rule that meant I could tranfer between London Terminals without needing a Zone1 in this case!
So it's actually route via Olympia with the added bonus of being able to travel in zones 2-6.


I do occasionally take the morning train via olympia on the SOUTHERN Service from Milton Keynes to East Croydon, though the first train of the day reverses at Clapham Junction. But as I can normally get a Virgin Train non-stop from Northampton to Euston, which when everything clicks gives me a total journey time of 1hr 20mins, I can't justify the longer journey time even for a significant cost saving.
Before the big timetable change last year, I was a regular on an evening train from East Croydon to Harrow and Wealdstone, which with only a six minute wait for a connection to Northampton regularly gave me an evening journey time of 1hr 45mins. But now they've completely ruined it for me, as the train is slow from Croydon to Clapham then at least 20 mins for a northampton connection past Harrow and Wealdstone it is over 2hours, so it is far quicker to go across london.