Season Ticket - should I be able to get off early?

[coursemyhorse]

I have a season ticket from Ash Vale to London Waterloo including Zones 1-6 (Travelcard). Many times I have used my ticket to get off at stops in between (on the main line) when on nights out etc. But it never works in the machines. I always have to show it to a guard or platform staff and they let me through the gate. Every time.

Should I not be allowed to do this?
It seems ludicrous to think I pay 4.5k a year and I might not officially be allowed to get off early. I think this is referred to as break of journey. Why would this be valid on "anytime fares" (< I don't know what these really are) and my annual silly expensive season ticket.

My friend says he successfully gets off on a similar ticket at Surbiton every week, but he thinks this might be because it falls within zone 6.
Is that the case?

 

[gray1404]

As long as you are travelling on a permitted route between the stations covered by your season ticket, you can start, break, end or resume your journey at any station en-route when using your season ticket. This is more of a problem with the way the barriers are programmed as to what tickets they will accept. A lot of people have this problem and you are doing the right thing by showing your ticket to a member of staff so they can let you though.

 

[najaB]

I have a season ticket from Ash Vale to London Waterloo including Zones 1-6 (Travelcard). Many times I have used my ticket to get off at stops in between (on the main line) when on nights out etc. But it never works in the machines. I always have to show it to a guard or platform staff and they let me through the gate. Every time.

You are allowed to start or end your journey short when using a season ticket - this is an incontrovertible right. However, ticket barriers are dumb, they know where they are and they know the start and end stations encoded on the ticket.

However, since they are stuck in the station all day, and never get out to do any exploring, their knowledge of geography is - tragically - very limited. So, when faced with the question "Am I between Ash Vale and Waterloo" they just don't have the life experience to answer.

Such is the life of a lowly ticket barrier that even such a simple query has to be passed up to the same human masters that condemned it to such a pitiful existence. So in future, rather than raging at the barrier, spare it a little kindness for it will never have the rich, rewarding life that you enjoy. It is always fated to be stuck there, at the station, opening and closing for millions of passengers who are starting and ending journeys that it will never get to partake of, not even once - until eventually it is cast aside and gets to ride the great railway in the sky.

 

[coursemyhorse]

lol thanks for that. It works at all tube stations I have used so that's fine at least. I believe I may have had the same problem at other London terminals. i.e. When I went from London Victoria to Clapham. I can't remember if it let me through the gate or if again I should be allowed to. I think it should be as it's a London terminal?

Thanks for clarifying. Shame I have to ask a platform person as often there are queues or they aren't available. Would be quicker to use the machine.

 

[PermitToTravel]

It's completely unacceptable for a station in London to not open when a travelcard is presented, otherwise than temporarily for revenue protection operations (checking photocards etc).

At stations between Ash Vale and the edge of zone 6, it's fairly inevitable that you'll have to ask staff to let you out. There should always be someone ready to do this; if you can't see any staff nearby there'll be a help point with a button you can push for assistance.

 

[gray1404]

You could always ask the train company who runs the stations you are having problems with to change the settings on their barriers so they accept your season ticket. I would not be too hopeful though of them doing anything fast. lol

 

[najaB]

...and my annual silly expensive season ticket....

Just thought it was worth pointing out that your 'silly expensive season ticket' is considerably cheaper - per journey - than an Anytime return ticket, and unlike the return is valid for as many journeys as you care to make between the named stations.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It's completely unacceptable for a station in London to not open when a travelcard is presented...

Do we know that the station the OP is referring to is 'in London'? In fact, the latter part of his post - where he refers to the friend - rather implies it is not.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Do we know that the station the OP is referring to is 'in London'? In fact, the latter part of his post - where he refers to the friend - rather implies it is not.

Victoria and Clapham Junction? Yes.

 

[najaB]

Victoria and Clapham Junction? Yes.

True, but the OP can't remember if he had the problem at either of those stations. So it's a little premature to be hopping on the outrage bus.

 

[Starmill]

I don't see any evidence of an outrage bus effect. It's just a sensible statement of fact of that's what applies. As we don't know exactly there's nothing more to be said.

 

[PermitToTravel]

We do know, in fact, that certain London stations reject certain travelcards. At Waterloo the instruction to reject SOUTHERN ONLY tickets overrides the instruction to accept travelcards.

 

[najaB]

We do know, in fact, that certain London stations reject certain travelcards. At Waterloo the instruction to reject SOUTHERN ONLY tickets overrides the instruction to accept travelcards.

Indeed it does, and I agree that it shouldn't happen. But we don't know that is what is happening in the OP's case.

 

[cuccir]

You are allowed to start or end your journey short when using a season ticket - this is an incontrovertible right. However, ticket barriers are dumb, they know where they are and they know the start and end stations encoded on the ticket.

However, since they are stuck in the station all day, and never get out to do any exploring, their knowledge of geography is - tragically - very limited. So, when faced with the question "Am I between Ash Vale and Waterloo" they just don't have the life experience to answer.

Such is the life of a lowly ticket barrier that even such a simple query has to be passed up to the same human masters that condemned it to such a pitiful existence. So in future, rather than raging at the barrier, spare it a little kindness for it will never have the rich, rewarding life that you enjoy. It is always fated to be stuck there, at the station, opening and closing for millions of passengers who are starting and ending journeys that it will never get to partake of, not even once - until eventually it is cast aside and gets to ride the great railway in the sky.

:cry: how very moving!

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Such is the life of a lowly ticket barrier that even such a simple query has to be passed up to the same human masters that condemned it to such a pitiful existence...

The main thing is to keep buying single journey tickets, at least then they get something to eat. With everyone using smart cards these days, ticket machines can often go days without a simple meal, they just get patted on the head as people walk past.

 

[Kentish Paul]

We do know, in fact, that certain London stations reject certain travelcards. At Waterloo the instruction to reject SOUTHERN ONLY tickets overrides the instruction to accept travelcards.

Genuine question. Is there such a beast as a SOUTHERN ONLY travelcard?

 

[FenMan]

Genuine question. Is there such a beast as a SOUTHERN ONLY travelcard?

Yes, lots. It just means travel from origin to the Travelcard boundary must be on a Southern service. Once inside the boundary you can travel on any TOC etc.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Yeah. It's usable on all trains within the zones, but only on Southern trains outside them. An example is from Southampton for £23.50 - to use this ticket, you must get the slow Arun Valley train from Southampton to London rather than the quick SWT on the main line, but when you get to London can travel around as you please (including down the South West Main Line as far as Surbiton)

 

[Amy Worrall]

I've had trouble exiting at Gerrards Cross on a Berkswell to London Terminals Any Permitted season ticket. Usually the staff will let me out, but occasionally I have to argue validity with them. (The worst what when they asked what train company sold me the season, and tried to say that only Chiltern season tickets were accepted there. The answer to their question was Northern Rail, incidentally, since I bought it while up north for the Christmas holidays and I wanted to get it before the fare increase!)

 

[swt_passenger]

Genuine question. Is there such a beast as a SOUTHERN ONLY travelcard?

Out-boundary travelcards, yes there are. I've used them from Fareham and Cosham over the last few years, and had exactly this problem with the Waterloo gates, and that was back when the gateline staff hadn't been 'retrained'.

 

[Haywain]

There are very good revenue protection reasons why the Waterloo gatelines won't accept 'Southern only' Travelcards. It is unfortunate that the route restriction has to override the wider availability, but programming gatelines for CCST tickets is invariably a matter of making compromises.

 

[stut]

FWIW, my old Biggleswade to King's Cross gold card was always accepted at barriers en route. So it can be done if the will is there.

Where I run into trouble is with (relatively) obscure exemptions to evening peak restrictions. But that's a whole other story.

 

[bb21]

There are very good revenue protection reasons why the Waterloo gatelines won't accept 'Southern only' Travelcards. It is unfortunate that the route restriction has to override the wider availability, but programming gatelines for CCST tickets is invariably a matter of making compromises.

Doesn't stop people jumping on the outrage bus and demanding perfection, ignoring practical difficulties sometimes.

You think that people on this forum would understand that a bit more, but apparently not.

The solution is for GTR to stop selling those tickets, since they could hardly operate most of their trains on that route down the coastway anyway.

 

[Kentish Paul]

Yes, lots. It just means travel from origin to the Travelcard boundary must be on a Southern service. Once inside the boundary you can travel on any TOC etc.

Thanks. Must look to see if I can get a SOUTHERN ONLY from Ashford. Would be a hell of a long trip via Hastings and Eastbourne. Think i'll stick to my PLUS HIGH SPEED travelcard.