Banbury to London - valid routes

[Mogz]

I’m about to do a few weeks stint of travelling between Banbury and London daily for work.

I’ll be getting a 7 day season ticket (with Travelcard) for the purpose.

I like a bit of variety so I was wondering what routes would be valid with this ticket?

Presumably to/from
Marylebone via High Wycombe and from to/from Paddington via Reading.

Just wondering, out of curiosity, if there are any other routes that are valid (even if they are very much “the long way around”)?

Thanks in advance?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Just wondering, out of curiosity, if there are any other routes that are valid (even if they are very much “the long way around”)?

One for the fares / routeing experts.

Possibly via Oxford, Bicester Village and then London Marylebone.

Or Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and then London Marylebone.

Or maybe even via Oxford, Reading and Ascot and then routes into London Waterloo.

Can't imagine, however, via Leamington Spa, Coventry and then London Euston would normally ever be allowed.

 

[jfollows]

Maps

• BB + GW
• GC

at https://rgpp.iblocks.co.uk/maps

Oxford, Reading, Paddington
Princes Risborough & London Marylebone or Paddington via Greenford

Oxford, then Princes Risborough is not included, nor is Reading-Waterloo

 

[JonathanH]

nor is Reading-Waterloo

The fact that it is a Travelcard season, and not a point-to-point season to London Terminals opens up this route, as being a valid route between Banbury and Feltham.

I think that checking routes to the first station in Zone 6 on each route only opens up this, and the route via Aylesbury, but can't immediately check, other than by noting that the GWR booking engine will sell a day travelcard for Banbury to Feltham or Banbury to Harrow-on-the-Hill without first going to London. I don't think there is a valid route not via London to Surbiton.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Oxford, then Princes Risborough is not included.

Isn't Oxford to Banbury with a change of station at Bicester Village to Bicester Town a valid routing?

 

[Benjwri]

Isn't Oxford to Banbury with a change of station at Bicester Village to Bicester Town a valid routing?

No, there is no validity on the line between Bicester and Oxford in any of the mapped routes.

 

[JB_B]

No, there is no validity on the line between Bicester and Oxford in any of the mapped routes.

You're right that it wouldn't work for a point to point ticket ( there's no walking link between North and Village in the data and no single permitted route that allows Banbury, Bicester North (walk) Bicester Village, Oxford.)

However, the Banbury-Oxford link on map BB covers both the direct route via Tackley and an indirect route via Bicester North, Haddenham and Thame Parkway, Bicester Village. Since the OP holds a season ticket, they can glue any sub-segments of the permitted routes together.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Ok, I'm a touch confused now.

Earlier in the summer, I was out for a meal in Banbury with colleagues. Two of us took the train back. I was heading home to Thame, they were heading to Oxford. They had missed the XC service, so the quickest way home was to take the Chiltern to North, run across town to Village and catch an Oxford service.

Just messaged them and they didn't have any issues with ticket acceptance.

The other thing is, if the two Bicester stations aren't in some kind of grouping, why is it ok to take a train from North towards London, then a train to Village back?

 

[Haywain]

Earlier in the summer, I was out for a meal in Banbury with colleagues. Two of us took the train back. I was heading home to Thame, they were heading to Oxford. They had missed the XC service, so the quickest way home was to take the Chiltern to North, run across town to Village and catch an Oxford service.

Just messaged them and they didn't have any issues with ticket acceptance.

What tickets did they have? And note that not being challenged about the route doesn't mean it was valid, it just means it wasn't challenged.

 

[alistairlees]

The other thing is, if the two Bicester stations aren't in some kind of grouping, why is it ok to take a train from North towards London, then a train to Village back?

Anytime and Off-Peak fares from London to Bicester (and vice versa) are set to / from Bicester North / Village.

 

[BlueLeanie]

What tickets did they have? And note that not being challenged about the route doesn't mean it was valid, it just means it wasn't challenged.

It would just be an off-peak return from Oxford to Banbury.

But I see the problem. It's £8.70 for a return from Oxford to Banbury, and £12.20 for a return from Bicester North to Banbury!