I'd like to check if I've got the correct routes for my season ticket which is Crawley-London Victoria (not London Terminals or a Travelcard). As it seems to have gone up almost 10%, I'd like to make sure I get as much out of it as possible, so am keen to check availability at intermediate stations.
The shortest route is Crawley - Quarry line (avoiding Redhill) - East Croydon - Streatham Common - Clapham Junction - Victoria.
Map VB allows Redhill - East Croydon - Crystal Palace - Herne Hill - Victoria, also East Croydon - Streatham - Herne Hill.
Map LB allows via
East Croydon - Streatham Hill- Victoria.
I believe Map VB would also allow East Croydon - Streatham Hill - Tulse Hill, so I could take the parliamentary train!
Have I missed anything?
Thanks in advance.
This looks right to me. (The origin routeing point is Three Bridges, for reference)
But this is important to anyone in the future reading the thread: ONLY FOR A SEASON TICKET
This is because you must use both of the permitted route maps to do the journey desired. The journey essentially has to be broken into 2 - Crawley to Streatham Hill and Streatham Hill to Victoria.
Crawley to Streatham Hill is only valid by map LB. This is because Streatham Hill is in Streatham Group. This means that, on one journey, you would not be able to do Streatham Common - Balham - Streatham Hill as it leaves and re-enters Streatham Group (Please correct me on this point if I'm wrong). This means that the only valid route to Streatham Hill is via Crystal Palace, which is only on map LB. This means that the journey to Streatham Hill is only valid on map LB (please note: as it is a season ticket and valid to Balham via Crystal Palace and Streatham Common, it is valid to do East Croydon-Balham-Streatham Hill, but this counts as 2 journeys. Balham-Streatham Hill also uses map LB only, so my point still stands)
Streatham Hill to Victoria is only valid by map VB. Although map LB shows routes Streatham Hill-Tulse Hill-London group, none of these are valid to Victoria (again, correct me if wrong). This means that VB has to be used from Streatham Hill to Victoria (via Tulse Hill, Herne Hill and Brixton).
As 2 different maps have to be used, it counts as 2 different journeys (you are in effect terminating a journey short at Streatham Hill and starting another journey mid-way through) (3 journeys if going via Balham). It would therefore technically not be valid on a single or return ticket (although in practice it would be OK as all the bits of route are valid and you're not doubling back). However, it is valid on a season as you have unlimited journeys.
That's the useful thing about season tickets for routeing - you only have to prove that a bit of a line is valid for one possible journey, and then you have unlimited travel over it!
Hope this was useful, happy to be corrected on any of it.