Strike day: Brondesbury - Hackney Central - Ashtead - Brondesbury

[miklcct]

My journey plan for 13 December if there is a normal train service is:

Cycle from my home to Brondesbury and park my bike there.
Take London Overground to Hackney Central early afternoon (£1.05 using National Railcard Oyster).
Take London Overground to Clapham Junction, then another train to Ashtead in the evening peak (£1.80 using National Railcard Oyster to Clapham Junction, and switch to a Clapham Junction - Ashtead Off-Peak Day Return e-ticket (£5.50) from there).
Take a train back to Clapham Junction then London Overground to Brondesbury to pick up my bike back home (£1.05 using National Railcard Oyster).

The journey has been affected by the strike, and there will be no service to Ashtead. However, there will still be London Overground and Southern services to Sutton and Epsom Downs on that day until early evening. I have already bought the e-ticket as above.

My journey from Brondesbury to Hackney Central won't be affected by the strike. I will also be able to take London Overground from Hackney Central to Clapham Junction to avoid Zone 1 as well in early evening peak. However, my journey to Ashtead and back home can't be conducted as normal.

I understand I will need to use a bus to access Ashtead on that day as it is not on a route opened on Network Rail strike days. Which bus services (preferably a London Bus route) can I use to access Ashtead in the evening peak while strike day services are still running? Southern website mentions that I can use my paper ticket on TfL bus, Tube, tram or DLR services on any reasonable route to complete my journey. Does it mean I must refund my e-ticket (citing industrial action as the reason) and repurchase a paper ticket for the same route to complete my journey as far as possible on National Rail, switching to a London Buses to complete my journey, if I want to use a National Rail ticket for travel in the evening peak? Alternatively, depending on the zones used for the journey, I may use my Oyster card all the way instead if all travel is within the Oyster area.

When I return from Ashtead after the evening peak, the Network Rail network will have been shut completely. Which bus (preferably a London bus) can I use to get back to the operational Tube network (or alternatively bus all the way back home)? Can I use the paper ticket mentioned above, relying on the TfL ticket acceptance on strike days?

 

[duncombec]

[...]

The journey has been affected by the strike, and there will be no service to Ashtead. However, there will still be London Overground and Southern services to Sutton and Epsom Downs on that day until early evening. I have already bought the e-ticket as above.

[...]

I understand I will need to use a bus to access Ashtead on that day as it is not on a route opened on Network Rail strike days. Which bus services (preferably a London Bus route) can I use to access Ashtead in the evening peak while strike day services are still running? Southern website mentions that I can use my paper ticket on TfL bus, Tube, tram or DLR services on any reasonable route to complete my journey. Does it mean I must refund my e-ticket (citing industrial action as the reason) and repurchase a paper ticket for the same route to complete my journey as far as possible on National Rail, switching to a London Buses to complete my journey, if I want to use a National Rail ticket for travel in the evening peak? Alternatively, depending on the zones used for the journey, I may use my Oyster card all the way instead if all travel is within the Oyster area.

When I return from Ashtead after the evening peak, the Network Rail network will have been shut completely. Which bus (preferably a London bus) can I use to get back to the operational Tube network (or alternatively bus all the way back home)? Can I use the paper ticket mentioned above, relying on the TfL ticket acceptance on strike days?

I'm sure you've already checked these sources, but a combination of Bustimes.org and the Surrey County Council bus map shows the buses serving Ashtead, and there are no TfL services in the area. Metrobus 21 and Falcon 408 and 479 both run between Epsom and Leatherhead, where there may be onward connections that suit (e.g. 293 Epsom - Morden). You don't say what time you need to finish, but note the last bus in Ashtead is 19:07 to Epsom (and 18:47 to Leatherhead).

 

[JonathanH]

Only 1.6 miles from Ashtead Station to the nearest bus stop on the TfL 465 (All Saint's Church, Leatherhead) which has later buses than the 479.

Also 1.8 miles from Ashtead Station to Epsom General Hospital for the TfL 293 to Morden. Probably the best bet.

Well within the range of 'miklcct' to walk that sort of distance.

 

[30907]

Only 1.6 miles from Ashtead Station to the nearest bus stop on the TfL 465 (All Saint's Church, Leatherhead) which has later buses than the 479.

A long-ish ride to Kingston, but it links to the 65 for Richmond there, so not a bad route home.
The OP might do well to have a paper ticket to Leatherhead at the same price to avoid any query about the route though.

 

[duncombec]

Assuming the OP was heading to Ashtead for an orienteering event, the question is now moot as the event has been moved a week owing to the weather conditions.

 

[duncanp]

There are no TfL bus services to Ashtead.

The best option would be to use bus 21, 408 or 479 to get to Epsom, from where TfL services 293 and 470 go to Morden, services 406 or 418 go to Kingston, and service 166 goes to West Croydon.

You cannot use an Oyster card on non Tfl services.

Non TfL services stop quite early though, with the last 479 from Ashtead to Epsom at 18:17.

Timetables are at

Banstead, Epsom, Dorking and Leatherhead bus timetables

Bus routes in the Dorking, Leatherhead, Epsom and Banstead areas including Ashtead, Bookham, Ewell and surrounding areas

www.surreycc.gov.uk

 

[JonathanH]

There are no TfL bus services to Ashtead.

No, but they do run within two miles of there. Walking from Ashtead to Epsom Hospital for the 293 is less than two miles which is only a half hour walk for the OP, given he is going to Ashtead for an orienteering event.