Split season tickets

[AY1975]

According to a report on the Kent Live news site at http://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/reporter-tried-buy-season-ticket-1013222, and on the Sevenoaks Rail Travellers' Association site at https://srta.org.uk/wp/posts/2843, Southeastern commuters from outside London can legally make savings by buying split season tickets from their local station to New Cross and New Cross to London Terminals (or a Travelcard starting at New Cross).

One of the comments posted on the SRTA site suggests that you may be able to load both tickets onto The Key smartcard, which can hold up to five tickets at a time. But would this cause problems if you did not alight, exit and re-enter the station at New Cross? If, for example, you went straight from Sevenoaks to Charing Cross with such a combination of tickets loaded onto The Key, you would sign in at the ticket gate at Sevenoaks with your Sevenoaks-New Cross ticket, but not sign out with that one, and on arrival at Charing Cross you would sign out with your New Cross-London ticket without having signed in with that one.

On the other hand, ticket office staff are sometimes reluctant to issue such a combination of tickets, although it sounds as if the word is getting around. Because of this, a better bet might be to order both tickets online via the Southeastern website and opt for paper tickets (or use an Oyster card for the Travelcard leg of the journey, although I'm not sure what happens if you have a Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card, and sign in at the start but don't sign out at the end of the journey, or vice versa).

 

[MikeWh]

(or use an Oyster card for the Travelcard leg of the journey, although I'm not sure what happens if you have a Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card, and sign in at the start but don't sign out at the end of the journey, or vice versa).

That bit is definitely no problem.

 

[bkhtele]

Has there been a rule change that you can combine 2 seasons without the train needing to stop?

 

[BluePenguin]

With season tickets, the train doesn't have to stop where you change ticket. It is to commuters advantage as they can go through New Cross without having to get off. Season tickets whether on paper or keycard do not need to be tapped in and out unlike Oyster.

It is good to see that there is some money to be saved. It is a reminder of the massive overcharging problem in this country when it comes to ticketing. I hope that this does not get closed too soon.

 

[JamesRowden]

Might the routes available on the split tickets increase journey times during disruption / engineering works (e.g. not be valid on mainline services diverted to Victoria via Bromley South)?

 

[30907]

It is good to see that there is some money to be saved. It is a reminder of the massive overcharging problem in this country when it comes to ticketing. I hope that this does not get closed too soon.

Depends whether you value the options of travelling to Victoria (and Blackfriars via Elephant) and intermediately or not. From Sevenoaks in particular (with the highest house prices in the country IIRC, so it's an interesting question where the overcharging is taking place) that might be a consideration.

 

[BluePenguin]

Depends whether you value the options of travelling to Victoria (and Blackfriars via Elephant) and intermediately or not. From Sevenoaks in particular (with the highest house prices in the country IIRC, so it's an interesting question where the overcharging is taking place) that might be a consideration.

Yes house prices are very high in Sevenoaks - they make the trains look cheap! Then again that is the price you pay if you value your time in bed in the morning and like the luxury of only a 30 minute commute. For Sevenoaks residents I guess having the option of going to Victoria, Blackfriars and Cannon Street is very valuable ...but not as much as having a specific speciality cheese shop (which nowhere else in Kent has)

I meant from Sevenoaks in the sense that the mainline services people us run fast after there. If the rule was different, I doubt many would find getting off at Sevenoaks (or Orpington) and waiting for a stopping service a very attractive option, especially as journey times are rather slow. These long distances commuters probably don't care too much where in London their trains terminate, so long as the journey time is fast and allows them enough time in the morning to hop on the underground or another train to get to work on time.

It's a coincidence that this thread has popped up as I was literally talking to someone on the train about this earlier in the week!

 

[yorkie]

The current rule under the Conditions of Travel introduced in late 2016 is that you may use a Season ticket in conjunction with another ticket (which may or may not be a Season; it doesn't currently matter!) without any requirement for the train to stop.

...I'm not sure what happens if you have a Travelcard loaded onto an Oyster card, and sign in at the start but don't sign out at the end of the journey, or vice versa).

Nothing would happen.

 

[NicholasHolden]

I just did this from Sevenoaks saving 500 pounds. They don't sell the right new Cross leg for the key so had to get paper tickets, the ticket guy seemed really angry about it and was at pains to point out I would have to buy another ticket if it was diverted to Victoria and didn't go through new Cross. Also I wouldn't get as much repay compensation which is a joke anyway imo. In general I feel pretty angry that I was being so badly ripped off before and now treated like a criminal for wanting to legitimately save 500 pounds.

 

[yorkie]

I just did this from Sevenoaks saving 500 pounds. They don't sell the right new Cross leg for the key so had to get paper tickets

I am not sure what this means.

the ticket guy seemed really angry about it and was at pains to point out I would have to buy another ticket if it was diverted to Victoria and didn't go through new Cross

You would not have to buy a new ticket if it is diverted at short notice, e.g. due to an incident.

If it was a planned diversionary route then you might.

Also I wouldn't get as much repay compensation which is a joke anyway imo.

Delay Repay is based on the ticket price, so a lower ticket price means lower compensation, but the proportion should not reduce.

In general I feel pretty angry that I was being so badly ripped off before and now treated like a criminal for wanting to legitimately save 500 pounds.

Most just accept it and sell what you ask them for. but yes some people do get angry if a customer discovers a way to make their journey legitimately for less money.

I do not know why they get angry for such a reason, but it happens occasionally.

 

[maniacmartin]

I am not sure what this means.

"the key" (formerly officially written in all lower case) is the brand of smartcard issued by Govia TOCs. It is not available for season tickets whose origin and destination are both within the Travelcard zones

 

[Haywain]

"the key" (formerly officially written in all lower case) is the brand of smartcard issued by Govia TOCs. It is not available for season tickets whose origin and destination are both within the Travelcard zones

Formally, not formerly.

 

[maniacmartin]

I checked on the Southeastern and Southern websites when I made the post and they both appear to use mixed case now, so I stand by 'formerly'

 

[westv]

Formally and formely are two different words so it depends what context is being used.

 

[Haywain]

Formally and formely are two different words so it depends what context is being used.

Indeed, but context is not always clear and maybe in a case like this it would have been better to use the word 'previously'.