Boundary Zone 6 to Oxford

[STINT47]

Hoping someone with more knowledge than me can advise.

I am planning to use a seven day zone 1 to 6 travel card loaded onto oyster with a boundary zone 6 to Oxford off peak day return on Friday.

I went to Paddington today to purchase this and the booking clerk advised that it can only be used on trains that stop at west drayton.

I queried this as I believed the train was not required to stop when using these tickets. The clerk insisted that when using split tickets the train must always stop at the split point or I could be fined up to £1000 pounds by the revenue team.

Does anyone know if this is correct?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If the ticket is actually issued from Boundary Zone 6 to Oxford then no, it doesn't need to stop under any circumstances.

If one of the tickets is a season ticket, which it is here, even if the ticket was West Drayton to Oxford the train would not need to stop either.

 

[T-Karmel]

I had very similar query with (at the time) South West Trains about 4 years ago and I asked them directly through their social media. They only came back to me with an answer weeks later saying they don't know

 

[hkstudent]

Hoping someone with more knowledge than me can advise.

I am planning to use a seven day zone 1 to 6 travel card loaded onto oyster with a boundary zone 6 to Oxford off peak day return on Friday.

I went to Paddington today to purchase this and the booking clerk advised that it can only be used on trains that stop at west drayton.

I queried this as I believed the train was not required to stop when using these tickets. The clerk insisted that when using split tickets the train must always stop at the split point or I could be fined up to £1000 pounds by the revenue team.

Does anyone know if this is correct?

The clerk is definitely wrong, for which NRCOT has changed in 2016 to allow the holder of Zonal products (including London Day / Period Travelcard) to purchase a ticket from the border of the validity area while trains not requiring to stop at there.

Also, OP will not be charged a maximum fare for not having touch in / out with the Travelcard when it is touched within valid zones. (Of course, legally, it would require OP to hold an extra ticket to cover the excess sections)

Mixing Oyster and Paper Tickets – Oyster Fares Central

www.oyster-rail.org.uk

(Made by MikeWH, one of our experienced fare adviser)

 

[Hadders]

The clerk is incorrect. There is no requirement for the train to call at West Drayton (or anywhere else for that matter).

 

[RJ]

I wouldn't have even bothered querying it. Sometimes people tell you rubbish thinking they're helping, you just smile, say thank you and keep it moving in those circumstances.

Nothing good can come of turning it into a dialogue.

 

[PeterC]

The clerk is definitely wrong, for which NRCOT has changed in 2016 to allow the holder of Zonal products (including London Day / Period Travelcard) to purchase a ticket from the border of the validity area while trains not requiring to stop at there.

Also, OP will not be charged a maximum fare for not having touch in / out with the Travelcard when it is touched within valid zones. (Of course, legally, it would require OP to hold an extra ticket to cover the excess sections)

Mixing Oyster and Paper Tickets – Oyster Fares Central

www.oyster-rail.org.uk

(Made by MikeWH, one of our experienced fare adviser)

2016? IIRC there has never been a requirement for the train to stop at the boundary station when excessing a London Travelcard. I have certainly done it from time to time ever since they were introduced without any issues.

 

[Bletchleyite]

2016? IIRC there has never been a requirement for the train to stop at the boundary station when excessing a London Travelcard. I have certainly done it from time to time ever since they were introduced without any issues.

If it's actually a Boundary Zone N ticket this is basically a special form of excess and not a second ticket, and yes, as such, it's always been allowed to use it without stopping.

There did used to be a restriction, though, that a Travelcard + BZ ticket could only be used on a TOC that had two revenue stops within the Travelcard area on at least one of their services (so they'd get some revenue from the Travelcard). So no using it on Avanti (Virgin West Coast), for example. So far as I know that has been dropped but I couldn't tell you how long ago that happened.

 

[Hadders]

If it's actually a Boundary Zone N ticket this is basically a special form of excess and not a second ticket, and yes, as such, it's always been allowed to use it without stopping.

There did used to be a restriction, though, that a Travelcard + BZ ticket could only be used on a TOC that had two revenue stops within the Travelcard area on at least one of their services (so they'd get some revenue from the Travelcard). So no using it on Avanti (Virgin West Coast), for example. So far as I know that has been dropped but I couldn't tell you how long ago that happened.

That restriction was removed about 20 years ago!

 

[Haywain]

So far as I know that has been dropped but I couldn't tell you how long ago that happened.

The restriction exists more in the availability of BZ tickets now, on long distance operators. Of course, it's worth mentioning that, at one time, there were different prices for BZ tickets sold in conjunction with Day Travelcards compared to those for period Travelcards.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Perhaps you could have asked the lady to elaborate on where, pray tell, the station called "Boundary Zone 6" might be found on the map? And which train you should take that has a calling point of "Boundary Zone 6"?

As @RJ says, engaging with people who believe these kinds of myths is an exercise in frustration.

 

[The Quincunx]

I have bought Boundary Zone tickets at Paddington quite often as I have a 60+ Oyster and never had any problem. Must be someone new behind the counter.