St Albans to Putney Contactless fares

[trevmonk]

With the introduction of TFL contactless fares from St Albans there is a large saving to be had now that Off Peak single fares are available for the first time on many routes. A Thameslink priced Anytime single from St Albans to Putney (via West Hampstead and London Overground and avoiding London) is £13.70, with no off peak option available. Using contactless off peak on exactly the same route (avoiding TFL Zone 1) now only costs £5.80.

The last leg of the journey can be made by changing at either Richmond or Clapham Junction depending on which London Overground service is taken from West Hampstead. The TFL fare finder page warns that you must travel via Clapham Junction and touch the pink validator there to get the lower not-via-Zone 1 fare. There is no mention of going via the validator at Richmond - which seems an entirely reasonable route. My question is: What would I be charged if I took the Richmond route?

 

[MikeWh]

Quite possibly the via zone 1 fare. GTR need to look at authorising the alternative.

 

[AM9]

With the introduction of TFL contactless fares from St Albans there is a large saving to be had now that Off Peak single fares are available for the first time on many routes. A Thameslink priced Anytime single from St Albans to Putney (via West Hampstead and London Overground and avoiding London) is £13.70, with no off peak option available. Using contactless off peak on exactly the same route (avoiding TFL Zone 1) now only costs £5.80.

The last leg of the journey can be made by changing at either Richmond or Clapham Junction depending on which London Overground service is taken from West Hampstead. The TFL fare finder page warns that you must travel via Clapham Junction and touch the pink validator there to get the lower not-via-Zone 1 fare. There is no mention of going via the validator at Richmond - which seems an entirely reasonable route. My question is: What would I be charged if I took the Richmond route?

I've just looked-up the contactless single fare for St Albans City to Kensington Olympia, which is also £5.80. As there is nowhere en route with a validator, does that mean that I would have to travel to Clapham Junctionn and then double back to avoid being charged a via zone 1 fare?
Would West Hampstead and/or Willesden Junction be appropriate now for pink validators?

 

[mattdickinson]

I've just looked-up the contactless single fare for St Albans City to Kensington Olympia, which is also £5.80. As there is nowhere en route with a validator, does that mean that I would have to travel to Clapham Junctionn and then double back to avoid being charged a via zone 1 fare?
Would West Hampstead and/or Willesden Junction be appropriate now for pink validators?

OSIs such as at West Hampstead can have the same effect as pink validators.

 

[MikeWh]

I've checked the fares from St Albans to stations between Clapham Junction and Richmond. Mortlake and North Sheen can be done either way, everything else up to Barnes has to go via Clapham Junction. It might have something to do with the more frequent service between CJ and Barnes (where the routes split). Still no harm in asking GTR to consider moving the option further east.

 

[JonathanH]

OSIs such as at West Hampstead can have the same effect as pink validators.

Whilst that is true, there is no guarantee that it will have the same effect.

I once did Purley to Amersham via Kenton / Northwick Park and was charged the higher default fare. East Croydon to Amersham has a "via Kenton / Northwick Park" fare and Purley to Amersham doesn't.

Clearly in the instance referred to, "via West Hampstead Thameslink / West Hampstead" does have the effect of a pink reader.

 

[MikeWh]

Whilst that is true, there is no guarantee that it will have the same effect.

All OSIs and pink validators require the route to be present in the fares database to produce a different fare to the default.