Waterloo barriers - help!

[Eshercommuter]

Hi fellow commuters. On some days i commute from Esher to Syon Lane. I get a return ticket bought through the trainline or SWR app for about £12.70. It says i can travel via any permitted route. This means i can travel via Clapham junction or go to Waterloo.

The problem I'm having is if i try to go to Waterloo, my mobile ticket never works with the Waterloo barriers. It says seek assistance. I have to plead with the security guard that the ticket is valid. After 5 minutes of begging I get through but I'd like to find out what I'm doing wrong! Can someone help me?

 

[Sebastian O]

Is via Waterloo a legit route? Seeing as there are no trains that leave Esher and bypass Clapham Junction and vice versa for Clapham Junction to Syon Lane, therefore you're doubling back.

And in any case why would you want to go via Waterloo? To get a seat in the evening peak back to Esher?

I think the 'any permitted' means changing at Weybridge..

 

[alistairlees]

Just type your journey into nationalrail.co.uk with a via point of London Waterloo. If that ticket is shown then it’s valid. If it’s not then it isn’t.

 

[Eshercommuter]

Hi Class43, thanks for coming back to me. As far as I know, Waterloo is a legit route. Trainline, nationalrail and SWR said it is. When I search for journeys when buying tickets it gives me the option to buy routes either via Clapham Junction or Waterloo. I've attached a screen grab to show you what I mean.

Do you think the problem could be - if i buy a "via Clapham" ticket, it won't work at Waterloo because I haven't selected a "via Waterloo" ticket. It shouldn't make a difference as I've been told both sets of tickets are on any route permitted.

p.s. I go via Waterloo if I'm going out in Soho after work - or if I just want to get a seat in the morning from Esher to Waterloo and not have to stand from Surbiton (where the Esher train stops) to Clapham Junction.

Thanks,
Simon

 

[30907]

As your ticket isn't train specific, the simple solution is to try buying the one for an itinerary via Waterloo.

 

[JB_B]

Is via Waterloo a legit route? Seeing as there are no trains that leave Esher and bypass Clapham Junction and vice versa for Clapham Junction to Syon Lane, therefore you're doubling back.

And in any case why would you want to go via Waterloo? To get a seat in the evening peak back to Esher?

I think the 'any permitted' means changing at Weybridge..

It is valid via Waterloo.

The mapped journeys from Esher to Syon Lane are from Surbiton to Barnes. These are mapped via Clapham Junction on combination SU+TW.

The ticket is route:Any Permitted

Easement 700014 set by SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY :Tickets with the following route codes may be used to double back between Clapham Junction and London Waterloo. (Any Permitted, London, London Not Underground, Not Valid on HS1, AP London Woking)

 

[Eshercommuter]

Just type your journey into nationalrail.co.uk with a via point of London Waterloo. If that ticket is shown then it’s valid. If it’s not then it isn’t.

Thanks Alistair for replying. I've done that and screen grabbed what the Nationalrail website is telling me. The "two change" journeys are via clapham junction. The "one change" journeys are via Waterloo. So it looks all valid! Yet the mobile ticket doesn't work at Waterloo Station

 

[Eshercommuter]

As your ticket isn't train specific, the simple solution is to try buying the one for an itinerary via Waterloo.

Thanks 30907. I appreciate your reply. I'll try that and see if that works.

 

[Mainline421]

If you just buy a ticket at the station it's more likely to work the barriers and get you let through if it doesn't. All tickets from Esher to Syon Lane are 'any permited route' so you'll get the same ticket regardless of which route you select.

 

[Eshercommuter]

If you just buy a ticket at the station it's more likely to work the barriers and get you let through if it doesn't. All tickets from Esher to Syon Lane are 'any permited route' so you'll get the same ticket regardless of which route you select.

Hi Mainline421 - thanks for replying. So you reckon that it doesn't matter if I deliberately select a route via Waterloo as a monile ticket. You reckon my best bet is to buy an actual paper ticket instead. Shout if i've got that wrong and thanks again!

 

[JB_B]

Hi Mainline421 - thanks for replying. So you reckon that it doesn't matter if I deliberately select a route via Waterloo as a monile ticket. You reckon my best bet is to buy an actual paper ticket instead. Shout if i've got that wrong and thanks again!

I think that's definitely worth a try. My experience has been that traditional paper tickets with a magnetic stripe on the back are much more likely to work the barriers at valid intermediate locations than tickets that need to be scanned. ( I think some forums members have had the opposite experience but there's no harm in giving it a go.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

To my great surprise nationalrail.co.uk does give it as a Permitted Route on one ticket. I assume there must be some sort of easement, as otherwise it's an obvious double-back.

 

[Eshercommuter]

To my great surprise nationalrail.co.uk does give it as a Permitted Route on one ticket. I assume there must be some sort of easement, as otherwise it's an obvious double-back.

Thanks Bletchleyite. According to JB_B its is an easement:

Easement 700014 set by SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY :Tickets with the following route codes may be used to double back between Clapham Junction and London Waterloo. (Any Permitted, London, London Not Underground, Not Valid on HS1, AP London Woking)

As such, it's annoying that the mobile ticket doesn't work! I'll do what others say - try the via Waterloo option or get a paper ticket. if you have any other ideas - please let me know! and thanks again for your help.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I think that's definitely worth a try. My experience has been that traditional paper tickets with a magnetic stripe on the back are much more likely to work the barriers at valid intermediate locations than tickets that need to be scanned. ( I think some forums members have had the opposite experience but there's no harm in giving it a go.)

On Cubic gates each different ticketing medium has it's own set of rules .

 

[Kite159]

And who wants to bet that the route will be changed from "any permitted" to "not via London"?

 

[dave4jackie]

why would a £12.70 ticket be valid via waterloo when it costs £15.20 for a ticket from esher to waterloo, if the £12.70 ticket was valid then everybody would ask for an esher to syon lane ticket

 

[Bletchleyite]

why would a £12.70 ticket be valid via waterloo when it costs £15.20 for a ticket from esher to waterloo, if the £12.70 ticket was valid then everybody would ask for an esher to syon lane ticket

Because that's not how it works. It is valid. NRE gives you an itinerary (because of that easement), that's all you need.

Now it's being discussed here I can see it ceasing to be valid, though...I suspect they intended it for use where you were using a fast train not stopping at Clapham e.g. from somewhere like Weymouth. The issue would be sorted out in that regard by adding to the easement "where one of the trains being used does not stop at Clapham Junction", though I don't know if that can be implemented in the planners.

 

[yorkie]

And who wants to bet that the route will be changed from "any permitted" to "not via London"?

I will! You are right it will be changed. This forum is widely read within the rail industry.

why would a £12.70 ticket be valid via waterloo when it costs £15.20 for a ticket from esher to waterloo, if the £12.70 ticket was valid then everybody would ask for an esher to syon lane ticket

It is valid.

Yes if everybody knew, they would buy it.

But now it's been posted here, SWR will no doubt realise and change the routeing if the ticket to 'not via London'

So by the time you tell everyone to buy it,b will have already been changed

Note that a ticket is valid as per the contractual terms at the time it was sold, so if someone buys a ticket before it is changed, it remains valid for the duration of the validity period.