Peak trains on Sunday

[soup6]

I am travelling to Gatwick airport this Sunday and I am very surprised to see that several trains from Tonbridge to Redhill only have peak fares showing on the Trainline and Southern ticketing websites. For instance, on the 11:30 and 11:58 ex Tonbridge off-peak tickets are not shown as valid but on the 11:36 they are allowed. Is this just a website error or something more serious/sinister? I have the return half of an off-peak ticket and I don't want to miss my flight.

 

[Kite159]

Most likely a website booking error, no restrictions showing on GWR.

Probably something to do with the diversions of South Eastern into London Bridge Low Level

 

[postye]

I am travelling to Gatwick airport this Sunday and I am very surprised to see that several trains from Tonbridge to Redhill only have peak fares showing on the Trainline and Southern ticketing websites. For instance, on the 11:30 and 11:58 ex Tonbridge off-peak tickets are not shown as valid but on the 11:36 they are allowed. Is this just a website error or something more serious/sinister? I have the return half of an off-peak ticket and I don't want to miss my flight.

Trainline is offering me not via London off peak fares on all the quoted trains on Sunday

 

[Hadders]

Are you looking for s single or return? There aren't any Off Peak Single fares between Tonbridge and Gatwick Airport.

And never use the trainline to buy tickets.

 

[soup6]

I have misconstrued the problem and, as stated above, it doesn't arise if booking from Tonbridge itself. However if one books Headcorn - Gatwick, the result shown is the via London fare for trains that are (due to diversions) via Edenbridge. Indeed Trainsplit recommends a split at Tonbridge. I imagine the booking engines are confused by the diversions.

 

[Paul Kelly]

However if one books Headcorn - Gatwick, the result shown is the via London fare for trains that are (due to diversions) via Edenbridge.

Do you mean Any Permitted? There don't seem to be any Via London fares for Headcorn to Gatwick, just VIA EDENBRIDGE and ANY PERMITTED. Edenbridge is a problem because it isn't a mandatory timing point for trains that don't stop there, so booking engines don't know that non-stop trains have passed through there.

I seem to remember that these VIA EDENBRIDGE tickets were added quite recently (the last few years) by Southern. They really should have made them "VIA GODSTONE" instead, as Godstone is a timing point even for non-stop trains and so booking engines would detect it correctly.

 

[kieron]

Do you mean Any Permitted? There don't seem to be any Via London fares for Headcorn to Gatwick, just VIA EDENBRIDGE and ANY PERMITTED.

There are "London not Underground" season tickets, although soup6 is clearly referring to the "+any permitted" tickets here.

Edenbridge is a problem because it isn't a mandatory timing point for trains that don't stop there, so booking engines don't know that non-stop trains have passed through there.

I seem to remember that these VIA EDENBRIDGE tickets were added quite recently (the last few years) by Southern. They really should have made them "VIA GODSTONE" instead, as Godstone is a timing point even for non-stop trains and so booking engines would detect it correctly.

It wouldn't be the same, though. The AR map allows you to travel from Headcorn to Gatwick via Edenbridge without going through Godstone (for instance, walking from Edenbridge to Edenbridge Town, and then from Sanderstead to Purley Oaks). If booking engines assumed that every train which went through Godstone also passed through Edenbridge, you'd get the intended benefit without restricting ticket validity.