Rugby to Clapham Junction on season ticket to london+1-6 zones

[jbb]

Does a season ticket from Rugby to London zones 1-6 cover going to Clapham junction via a southern train changing at milton keynes? I know I could go to euston then get underground to victoria and train from there but this route sounds like something different to try

But I'm not sure if my season ticket covers it as when I change at milton keynes I'll be on a train that isn't going to euston and isn't inside my 1-6 travelcard area even though at all times it's either on the same track or inside the travel card zone.

 

[LexyBoy]

Yes. Your ticket is valid on any permitted route to any station within Zones 1-6 (source: National Rail Enquiries).

I think you may be pleasantly surprised to find your ticket has a lot more validity than you perhaps realise! (though having said that I see Rugby-London routeing only has map LM).

 

[tony_mac]

Yes, it's fine.
As you noted, you are on a 'permitted' route (heading directly towards Euston) until you are inside the zones, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
(The full version is rather more complicated, there are probably other routes you could take also).

However, it is painfully slow!

 

[jbb]

Thank you.
I know it's not a good route but I thought it might be interesting to try it one day if I have spare time for my journey.

 

[CatfordCat]

My understanding of these things (and disclaimer - I don't work on the railways) is that the bit from the station outside London to the first station within zone 6 has to be a permitted route - and if it's a one-day travelcard, you're only allowed one return journey from the origin station within that day.

But as soon as you're inside the London travelcard zones, you can go anywhere (within the zones) and get on / off at any station, be that any combination of national rail, overground, underground, DLR, TfL London bus, Croydon trams, as much as you like.

And with TfL (red) buses, there are no zones, so you can use a travelcard right to the end of the route, even if that's off the edge of the zones as far as trains are concerned (e.g. Slough on bus 81, Bluewater on bus 96 etc - even though you can't go that far by train.)

The only exception I can think of is the Heathrow Connect / Express for which Heathrow is outside zone 6.

 

[SAPhil]

And with TfL (red) buses, there are no zones, so you can use a travelcard right to the end of the route, even if that's off the edge of the zones as far as trains are concerned (e.g. Slough on bus 81, Bluewater on bus 96 etc - even though you can't go that far by train.)

Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure my travelcard is not valid on Route 84 to St Albans.

 

[class303]

Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure my travelcard is not valid on Route 84 to St Albans.

is that a greater london red bus though? I was under the impression any travelcard was valid on any London bus with oyster.

 

[jb]

is that a greater london red bus though? I was under the impression any travelcard was valid on any London bus with oyster.

I think it's that any Travelcard with any validity in any zone is valid for all buses within the zones. I believe it's not the case for buses that go outside the zones.

 

[LexyBoy]

The 84 is operated by Metroline, not TfL, and Travelcards are not accepted.

CatfordCat is correct that any Travelcard is valid on any TfL bus. There are no bus zones. Heathrow rail station is not within the zones, nor is Stratford International rail station (!).

 

[Smethwickian]

I think it's that any Travelcard with any validity in any zone is valid for all buses within the zones. I believe it's not the case for buses that go outside the zones.

Travelcards and Oyster pay-as-you-go are valid on all TfL-tendered buses, whether inside or outside the tube and rail zones - hence validity on a couple of "red" bus routes some distance into the shire counties to/from Dorking and Redhill, for example.

Unfortunately, the 84 to/from St Albans is no longer a TfL/"red" bus and is not among them. The five London bus maps (Central, NE, SE, SW and NW) make this very clear.

 

[CatfordCat]

Are you sure about this? I'm pretty sure my travelcard is not valid on Route 84 to St Albans.

Ah yes. I'd forgotten about them.

As others have said, Metroline's 84 (and their 242 for that matter) are run by buses that are red, by an operator that used to be part of London Buses, and they were historically London Transport 'central buses' routes.

But they are not 'London Buses' / TfL bus routes - they are operated commercially (possibly with bits contracted by Herts County Council) under the rules that apply outside London. (and in the case of the 84 the special rules for 'non London' services that venture into Greater London.) Comparable with things like First Berkshire's services that run into Heathrow and so on.

For the sake of completeness, there are occasional special services run with red buses (e.g. some of the London sightseeing tours, and special services - one for Chelsea Flower Show is the first one to spring to mind - I'm sure there are others) that are also not TfL 'red bus' services and therefore are not Travelcard / Oyster-able. While these commercial routes require TfL's approval to operate, they are not TfL services...

The 'Heritage' Routemasters on the 9 and 15 services are however at standard TfL fares so Oyster and Travelcard are OK.

All this kind of thing makes a lot of interest for the enthusiast and confuses the travelling public no end...

 

[Eagle]

CatfordCat is correct that any Travelcard is valid on any TfL bus. There are no bus zones. Heathrow rail station is not within the zones, nor is Stratford International rail station (!).

Although Heathrow Tube stations and Stratford Intl DLR station are within the zones and price normally.

 

[Deerfold]

Unfortunately, the 84 to/from St Albans is no longer a TfL/"red" bus and is not among them. The five London bus maps (Central, NE, SE, SW and NW) make this very clear.

Route 84 was never a TfL bus (although it was once run by London Country).

However until the end 2011 there was a fares agreement with TfL and Metrobus used to accept Travelcards as far north as Potters Bar and received a payment from TfL for each passenger. However this would have been substantially less than Metroline received from a cash fare or their own season tickets and they decided it wasn't worth it (other companies have had similar agreements to this, including Uno on the 614 until September 2010 and Arriva on the 477 until 1 March 2010 - I'm not aware of any that still exist).

The only good thing about the change was that the Hertfordshire Explorer is now valid throughout route 84.

Just to make life more confusing all Metroline routes except the 84 and 242 are run under contract to TfL.

 

[johnnycache]

If you like the Southern route via Shepherd's Bush then you only need a zone 2-6 Travelcard

If your ticket is routed London Midland only then you must travel with LM outside zones 1-6

I have had no trouble using Travelcards on bus 405 (operated by Metrobus for London Buses) between Croydon and Redhill which is way beyond zone 6