Ticket to do the North Downs loop.

[AM9]

I'm trying to plan a circular journey from St Albans to travel the North Downs line from Reading to Redhill - or vice versa), hopefully to ride on a 769 'when' they get into service. So far, Trainsplit hasn't managed to give me an itinerary for a complete return journey. I can get returns to either end of the line (RDG & RED) but when trying to get to intermediate stations (Guildford is about half way around the complete loop) it only offers a routing via SWR. So I tried the subterfuge of asking for a route that excluded Woking, - I got one via Effingham Junction, then I excluded Surbiton - I got TL/Southern to Redhill etc..
Can anyone suggest a routing that could legally deliver my intentions on a saver return or a CDR from St Albans please?

 

[JonathanH]

Can anyone suggest a routing that could legally deliver my intentions on a saver return or a CDR from St Albans please?

From St Albans, Shalford and Chilworth are the only stations which have both Dorking Group and Guildford as a routeing point. London to Dorking Group is valid via Redhill.

This means that the only way to cover the North Downs bit of the line (Guildford to Redhill) on one ticket from St Albans is on a stopping train.

There is no means by which you can travel the whole line from Reading to Redhill on one ticket issued from St Albans.

You can do Paddington - Reading - Guildford - Redhill - Purley on a Purley to Reading return routed + Any Permitted with a separate ticket for St Albans to Purley

 

[JB_B]

From St Albans, Shalford and Chilworth are the only stations which have both Dorking Group and Guildford as a routeing point.

This means that the only way to cover the whole line (Guildford to Redhill) on one ticket from St Albans is on a stopping train.

I read the OP as hoping to cover the whole of Reading-Redhill on one ticket from St Albans not just the Guildford-Redhill leg. That's going to be quite a bit trickier ( impossible? )

 

[JonathanH]

I read the OP as hoping to cover the whole of Reading-Redhill on one ticket from St Albans not just the Guildford-Redhill leg. That's going to be quite a bit trickier ( impossible? )

Yes, I realised that later and made a suggestion that would do it with two tickets (St Albans to Purley / Purley to Reading).

Impossible on one ticket as you say.

 

[AM9]

Thanks guys two very useful replies.

I read the OP as hoping to cover the whole of Reading-Redhill on one ticket from St Albans not just the Guildford-Redhill leg. That's going to be quite a bit trickier ( impossible? )

JB_B, I wasn't particularly trying to get a return ticket for the whole trip, - I just thought that it might just be possible to have a ticket to somewhere near the midpoint with two valid routes. The problem as I see it is that the line is crossed by too many radials from zone 1 (at Dorking, Guildford, North Camp/Ash Vale, Farnborough and Wokingham to allow the end to end to be included as valid routes.

... You can do Paddington - Reading - Guildford - Redhill - Purley on a Purley to Reading return routed + Any Permitted with a separate ticket for St Albans to Purley.

Now that is interesting and has possibilities easpecially as an SDS from Purley to East Croydon is just £2.30 and an off-peak zones 1-6 travelcard would also get me from Farringdon to Paddington.

The help here is excellent.

 

[JonathanH]

Now that is interesting and has possibilities easpecially as an SDS from Purley to East Croydon is just £2.30 and an off-peak zones 1-6 travelcard would also get me from Farringdon to Paddington.

You shouldn't need a Purley to East Croydon ticket at all - Purley (and Coulsdon South) are in the Travelcard area. You can start the Purley to Reading journey short at Farringdon instead of Paddington in any case.

 

[Sebastian O]

For the small price increase but anxiety prevention, is it not worth getting the North Downs ranger?

 

[JonathanH]

For the small price increase but anxiety prevention, is it not worth getting the North Downs ranger?

Not if the OP wants to do Paddington to Reading and Redhill to Farringdon as part of their journey.

Other options are:
St Albans to Redhill / Redhill to Reading to go outward / return via Purley
St Albans to Dorking / Dorking to Reading to go outward via Purley / return via Boxhill
St Albans to Chilworth / Guildford to Reading to go outward via Purley / return via Woking or Clandon
St Albans to Purley / Purley to Reading (not London) to go outward via Purley / return via Ascot

Clearly the North Downs Ranger offers the opportunity to visit a number of places on the line. It wouldn't help with 'anxiety' relative to any of the options posted as the options are all perfectly valid.

 

[AM9]

You shouldn't need a Purley to East Croydon ticket at all - Purley (and Coulsdon South) are in the Travelcard area. You can start the Purley to Reading journey short at Farringdon instead of Paddington in any case.

Ah, I've always assumed that South Croydon was the zone 6 limit for TL trains as it used to be that way on their on-train maps, - but I think in those days, the stops between Croydon and Gatwick were covered by Southern services. So it's just a St Albans Zone 1-6 Travelcard that is needed. Great! Does that mean that if I had the Purley to Reading ticket and sufficient time between the peaks, I could do the Farringdon-Paddington Zone-1 bits on the travelcard, then Paddington (GWML) to Reading and North Downs line to Redhill, returning by the same route over the North Downs line to Reading and to Paddington on the GWML?

 

[JonathanH]

Does that mean that if I had the Purley to Reading ticket and sufficient time between the peaks, I could do the Farringdon-Paddington Zone-1 bits on the travelcard, then Paddington (GWML) to Reading and North Downs line to Redhill, returning by the same route over the North Downs line to Reading and to Paddington on the GWML?

No, because the travelcard only gets you as far as West Drayton. You need to use the outward part of the Purley to Reading ticket to get from West Drayton to Reading under what I was suggesting.

There is no 'Not London' fare from West Drayton to Redhill (which is what would be needed).

 

[FenMan]

I know of a reasonably priced ticket that is valid for the whole of the NDL and covers Reading - Paddington and Redhill towards London terminals.

From personal experience I know it operates the NR and TfL barriers at Paddington and Waterloo plus the TfL barriers at King's Cross/St. Pancras (all are on perfectly valid routes for the ticket),

However I am v. reluctant to post details on a public forum as it's a useful ticket that I use several times a year. Is PM functionality still available on this forum? I'm blowed if I can find it!

 

[py_megapixel]

I know of a reasonably priced ticket that is valid for the whole of the NDL and covers Reading - Paddington and Redhill towards London terminals.

From personal experience I know it operates the NR and TfL barriers at Paddington and Waterloo plus the TfL barriers at King's Cross/St. Pancras (all are on perfectly valid routes for the ticket),

However I am v. reluctant to post details on a public forum as it's a useful ticket that I use several times a year. Is PM functionality still available on this forum? I'm blowed if I can find it!

Yes, put your mouse over the person you want to send a message to's username and click "Start Conversation"

 

[FenMan]

Yes, put your mouse over the person you want to send a message to's username and click "Start Conversation"

Thank you! I have sent a PM to the OP.

 

[AM9]

Thanks for the PM, I've replied in kind.