Hertford North easements

[Aictos]

I'm just double checking if such a easement exists to permit a passenger to travel from Hertford to Hatfield via Stevenage both in regular service and during engineering works?

Equally if there is engineering works between Stevenage and Alexandra Palace via Hertford with buses in operation, can people go via Stevenage if their destination is London?

Lastly if a ticket marked Old Street to Hatfield is used by a passenger who accidentally ends up at Hertford, are they allowed to go via Stevenage or do they have to buy a new ticket routed Hertford to Hatfield via Stevenage?

Just trying to see learn a bit about ticketing, any help is appreciated.

 

[maniacmartin]

There are no relevant easements in the public PDF version of the Routeing Guide that I can see.

However, Hertford Stations to Hatfield tickets come in three types - VIA STEVENAGE, VIA FINSBURY PK and VIA ALEXANDRA P. So a passenger could travel via Stevenage if they bought the right ticket. There is no ANY PERMITTED ticket that gives them a choice of route, however a ticket for a more expensive route is valid on cheaper routes.

When engineering work is taking place, then as far as I know, it is up to the TOC to decide which routes they wish to allow, which may well depend on whether they lay on alternative road transport.


A customer with a ticket from Old St to Hatfield would actually have a ticket priced from London Terminals. If they end up at Hertford then they have already deviated from their route, because Finsbury Park would be the appropriate routeing point for Hatfield in this case, so they must take the shortest route from Finsbury Park to Hatfield.

They would be liable for a new ticket from the point they deviated, which is Alexandra Palace. If they were caught by an RPI, they could receive a Penalty Fare or be prosecuted
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Equally if there is engineering works between Stevenage and Alexandra Palace via Hertford with buses in operation, can people go via Stevenage if their destination is London?

I didn't understand this question, I'm afraid. What is the origin station?

 

[greatkingrat]

There are three different fares from Hertford North to Hatfield.

Via Stevenage (cheapest), Via Alexandra Palace, and Via Finsbury Park (dearest).

Which routes you can take will depend on which ticket you buy.

 

[jon0844]

There is no ANY PERMITTED ticket that gives them a choice of route, however a ticket for a more expensive route is valid on cheaper routes.

I wish someone good luck trying that, given some RPIs would probably not accept a ticket via FPK if you were stopped at any station between Hertford North and Hatfield, via Stevenage.

It's a shame there isn't a more regular bus service between the two stations (or WGC perhaps, which would still make Hatfield very quick to get to) to allow FCC to offer the Line2Line service it runs between Hatfield and St Albans, but that's for another discussion...

 

[zoothorn]

FCC sometimes announce that this is acceptable to go Hertford to London via Stevenage on their website but it seems to depend on the extent of the rail replacement. If its no trains at all south of Hertford North then generally its allowed and staff do seem to be in the know, in my experience. If trains run say Hertford North to Gordon Hill and then buses from there, the unofficial easement does not seem to apply.

 

[CatfordCat]

Equally if there is engineering works between Stevenage and Alexandra Palace via Hertford with buses in operation, can people go via Stevenage if their destination is London?

It would appear so

Where there is a faster journey to/from London travelling via Stevenage, tickets will be valid to travel via Stevenage.

(from FCC website in respect of this weekend's closure Hertford North - Alexandra Palace)

whether station staff / RPIs have been told this, I could not say...

 

[jon0844]

The obvious risk is that an RPI that doesn't know will likely convince someone to take the PF and appeal later. It might be an easy appeal, but will take time and potentially be stressful.

With so few trains going north to Stevenage, and I'm not sure how well they connect to services that stop at Hatfield, the time you wish to travel might decide what route to take.

Aren't there some semi-fast trains to London via the Hertford Loop? And depending on when it gets to Alexandra Palace or Finsbury Park, it might occasionally be quicker to go via London - although you'd need FPK for most faster services to Hatfield.

I've done the journey a few times and always opted to go via Stevenage and never really bothered to check if the other way was quicker - especially as you have to decide before buying a ticket than changing your mind later.

 

[34D]

I've done the journey a few times and always opted to go via Stevenage and never really bothered to check if the other way was quicker - especially as you have to decide before buying a ticket than changing your mind later.

Whether for peak or off peak tickets, Finsbury Park is the most expensive, then Alexandra Palace, then Stevenage (not much in them).

You can of course buy Ally Pally and travel Stevenage one way, or buy Stevenage then do an excess. See http://www.brfares.com/#fares?orig=HFN&dest=HAT&rlc=

 

[rdwarr]

With an annual Stevenage-London season costing £3332 and the Hertford one costing £2556 it's unlikely that this route will be permitted in all but the most dire of circumstances.

 

[Searle]

The obvious risk is that an RPI that doesn't know will likely convince someone to take the PF and appeal later. It might be an easy appeal, but will take time and potentially be stressful.

With so few trains going north to Stevenage, and I'm not sure how well they connect to services that stop at Hatfield, the time you wish to travel might decide what route to take.

Aren't there some semi-fast trains to London via the Hertford Loop? And depending on when it gets to Alexandra Palace or Finsbury Park, it might occasionally be quicker to go via London - although you'd need FPK for most faster services to Hatfield.

I've done the journey a few times and always opted to go via Stevenage and never really bothered to check if the other way was quicker - especially as you have to decide before buying a ticket than changing your mind later.

The only semi fast services to London from Hertford is in the morning peak, the rest of the time it's an all stopper 8(

The only benefit of going via Finsbury Park instead of Alexandra Palace is the semi fast vs the stopper on the leg to Hatfield.

I've made a journey from Welwyn Garden City to Hertford via Stevenage before, and it connected quite well (about 15 minutes I think) at SVG.

 

[rdwarr]

I've made a journey from Welwyn Garden City to Hertford via Stevenage before, and it connected quite well (about 15 minutes I think) at SVG.

For that one there's a bus (724 - does that make it a "coach"?) that is timetabled to take 12-15 minutes for the whole journey. It's only every hour (two hours on Sundays) but is always worth bearing in mind. Same bus also serves Hatfield (about another 10-15 minutes).

 

[jon0844]

The 724 is an ordinary bus, but painted green. Certainly NOT up to coach standards and I wouldn't really like to take that all the way to the airport.