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Travelling from different stations to London

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sandton

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I currently have an annual Gold Card season ticket from Carshalton to London Terminals and I travel into either London Bridge, Cannon Street, City Thameslink or Victoria.

If I am now regularly travelling from a different station on some days but still using Carshalton other days is this allowed?

The other station I will use regularly would be Sanderstead which is in zone 6.
Carshalton being in zone 5.

Would it be best if I changeover to a Sanderstead to London Terminals ticket and pay the difference and would this still work if travelling from Carshalton?

Or would I need to get a zone 1-6 travelcard? however i rarely need to use tubes or buses.
 
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sandton

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Yes, that is what I thought. So I need to ask at Sanderstead to be changed over to a zone 1-6 travelcard?

As I bought before the fare increase in December would the extra I pay be based on the fares at that time?

My ticket runs from 1st Jan to 31st Dec 2012.
 

John @ home

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A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket is permitted via Carshalton, using Croydon Group as the appropriate Routeing Point for Sanderstead and map combination SC+SL.

The OP's requirement is to travel Sanderstead - London Terminals and Carshalton - London Terminals only. A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket allows this. The OP should changeover the Carshalton - London Terminals season ticket to a Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket.

This will save several hundred pounds a year compared with the cost of the Travelcard (at 2012 rates £1660 instead of £2136; at 2011 rates £1584 instead of £2016).
 
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clagmonster

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A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket is permitted via Carshalton, using Croydon Group as the appropriate Routeing Point for Carshalton and map combination SC+SL.
Do you mean using Croydon Group as the appropriate (unique) routeing point for Sanderstead?
 

sandton

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Another question I have regarding season tickets, can you get off the train at points midway in your usual journey?
 

clagmonster

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Yes you can. You can use you ticket at any station that is on a permitted route.
 

RJ

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A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket is permitted via Carshalton, using Croydon Group as the appropriate Routeing Point for Sanderstead and map combination SC+SL.

The OP's requirement is to travel Sanderstead - London Terminals and Carshalton - London Terminals only. A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket allows this. The OP should changeover the Carshalton - London Terminals season ticket to a Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket.

This will save several hundred pounds a year compared with the cost of the Travelcard (at 2012 rates £1660 instead of £2136; at 2011 rates £1584 instead of £2016).

This is true, but I feel that a clear health warning should be provided to new members that there's a price for such savings, which is the high likelihood that use of such a ticket will cause problems. Not everybody will be happy with getting Penalty Fares, having undue correspondence with revenue staff or having to spend time getting such actions undone. I had a similar and ended up calling the police on a gateline assistant who refused to open the gate without charging an excess fare.

We know what's what (and who has firsthand experience with odd tickets and FCC RPIs?) but I feel that part of being a good advisor is being open and realistic about any likely consequences.
 
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MichaelAMW

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This is true, but I feel that a clear health warning should be provided to new members that there's a price for such savings, which is the high likelihood that use of such a ticket will cause problems. Not everybody will be happy with getting Penalty Fares, having undue correspondence with revenue staff or having to spend time getting such actions undone. I had a similar and ended up calling the police on a gateline assistant who refused to open the gate without charging an excess fare.

We know what's what (and who has firsthand experience with odd tickets and FCC RPIs?) but I feel that part of being a good advisor is being open and realistic about any likely consequences.

RJ, sorry - perhaps I am being a bit dim - but what does your health warning relate to?
 

MikeWh

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Recently we suggested that someone commuting from Dartford to Denmark Hill could use a Slade Green to Denmark Hill season - a considerable saving. One SE RPI did not agree and issued a penalty fare. This took two appeal letters to be overturned.
 

tony_mac

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RJ, sorry - perhaps I am being a bit dim - but what does your health warning relate to?

While the route is valid, looking at the maps it isn't a route that anyone would ever take; it turns a 25-minute direct journey into a 90-minute journey with 3 changes. I would not be surprised at all if an RPI didn't like the look of it.

It also does not seem to be allowed by National Rail, but is by eastcoast.

I agree with RJ, I don't think this is a ticket to recommend without warning about the possible problems with using it.
 

RJ

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RJ, sorry - perhaps I am being a bit dim - but what does your health warning relate to?


I've worked in a ticket office, so I have a good idea of the needs and requirements of your ordinary passenger. They want a ticket that clearly permits travel from A-B without any further explanation required or subsequent hassle. I believe it's incredibly bad practice to advise someone to buy a ticket that is very likely to get them into hot water, without first making it clear that it's likely that problems may be encountered. Given that this forum is gaining popularity through an increasingly pro-consumer approach, with "specialists" and "advisors," some customer service perspective wouldn't go amiss. There is a distinct lack of empathy for railway staff who have no idea what the National Routeing Guide is, let alone how to use it. And also a propensity to ignore the reality that many railway staff simply won't/can't deal with unusual tickets in the correct manner.

Suggesting anything more than the simplest and cheapest ticket is fine, so long as it's made clear to the customer precisely why it's valid in addition to warning them that they're likely to encounter conflict with revenue protection staff. Some will jump at the opportunity to save money having been advised of this, whilst others would prefer the "no hassle" option.

People don't have to take any notice of what I say and I'm not too fussed either way but if this is to become a pro-consumer forum then some customer service perspective would work wonders.
 

All Line Rover

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RJ, sorry - perhaps I am being a bit dim - but what does your health warning relate to?

Errr... stress? Some people would prefer a peaceful journey to and from work each day, rather than having to debate with railway staff. ;)
 

paul1609

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I don't very often travel in the Southern Metro area but my experience out in the sticks on Southern is that if they don't know they are likely to allow a generous interpretation of a ticket.
I quite often travel around on Ashford International to Southampton season tickets and have never had a problem anywhere on Southern. SWT can be a different kettle of fish though!
 

34D

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People don't have to take any notice of what I say and I'm not too fussed either way but if this is to become a pro-consumer forum then some customer service perspective would work wonders.

Not at all - I think more of us than might be evident.

To the OP - you can either pay the extra £500 and have hassle-free journeys or you can save £500 but on the odd occasion you might get 'hassle' from staff. You will be in the right, but may need to quote the paragraph on page 1 from john at home to rail staff should they query you.
 

sandton

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A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket is permitted via Carshalton, using Croydon Group as the appropriate Routeing Point for Sanderstead and map combination SC+SL.

The OP's requirement is to travel Sanderstead - London Terminals and Carshalton - London Terminals only. A Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket allows this. The OP should changeover the Carshalton - London Terminals season ticket to a Sanderstead - London Terminals season ticket.

This will save several hundred pounds a year compared with the cost of the Travelcard (at 2012 rates £1660 instead of £2136; at 2011 rates £1584 instead of £2016).



Ok, as some suggested it looks like I will have problems with this ticket. I changed to a Sanderstead - London Terminals ticket at the weekend and paid the difference of £84.35.

The past 2 days I travelled to and from Sanderstead - no problem.
This morning I turned up at Carshalton and the new ticket will not work in the ticket gates. I explained to the member of staff on the gate and he suggested I should have kept my ticket as it was and purchased and additional season ticket for Sanderstead to Carshalton.
 

LexyBoy

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Whether or not a ticket opens a barrier doesn't affect its validity - very often tickets will not open barriers at intermediate stations where they are valid, and tickets which are not valid at that station may open barriers.

What happened in your encounter - were you let through or did you have to buy a new ticket? When using slightly unusual routeings you will sometimes find the need to convince staff that the ticket you're using is valid as 34D describes, especially where it is not immediately obvious that the ticket could be valid there. Others have reported that obtaining a letter or email from the TOC concerned confirming that the route is valid is convenient to have to hand.
 

sandton

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I was let through the gates. The gate line assistant felt that I would be subject to a possible penalty fare if an inspector was checking tickets on the train.
 

John @ home

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Sandton, you have a private message (PM). Click on "Your Notifications" on the top right of any page to receive it.

John
 
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