Buying TfL travelcards on board

[taxidave]

I have just been informed by my local station (Cheltenham Spa) that they no longer sell TfL zone 1-3 travel cards, just zones 1+2 or 1-6. I am going to London on Saturday and require a zone 1-3 for my travel from Paddington to White Hart Lane, can I purchase the card from the guard on the train to Paddington as queueing at Paddington to buy one will take up valuable drinking time.

 

[sonic2009]

Who were you served by at Cheltenham?

 

[taxidave]

Who were you served by at Cheltenham?

Somebody in the booking office at about 12.00, but not the young lad.

 

[clagmonster]

Is this off-peak we're talking about. In which case, there is, and hasn't been for a few years now, a zones 1-3 fare. Available off-peak fares are:
Zones 1-2 £7.00
Zones 1-4 £7.70
Zones 1-6 £8.50
Zones 1-9 £11.60
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Forgot to add, the first three listed fares should be available from any booking office and also from any guard with a functioning Avantix machine.

 

[taxidave]

Is this off-peak we're talking about. In which case, there is, and hasn't been for a few years now, a zones 1-3 fare. Available off-peak fares are:
Zones 1-2 £7.00
Zones 1-4 £7.70
Zones 1-6 £8.50
Zones 1-9 £11.60
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Forgot to add, the first three listed fares should be available from any booking office and also from any guard with a functioning Avantix machine.

TfL website shows a zone 1-3 card at £7.70
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

 

[Daniel]

TfL website shows a zone 1-3 card at £7.70
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

It also shows the 1-4 at the same price. Because the 1-3 is the 1-4.

 

[taxidave]

Is this off-peak we're talking about

My original post mentioned that I was going on Saturday.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It also shows the 1-4 at the same price. Because the 1-3 is the 1-4.

Then why bother to show it and confuse people.
It does not alter the fact that the man in the booking office said they only sell 1+2 or 1-6.

 

[Daniel]

Then why bother to show it and confuse people.
It does not alter the fact that the man in the booking office said they only sell 1+2 or 1-6.

Hey, I don't agree with there not being a 1-3 ticket but it'd cause more confusion if there wasn't a 1-3 listed. If you want a 1-3 travel card you can get it, you just have to pay for zone 4 too.. fair fares?

 

[Urban Gateline]

My original post mentioned that I was going on Saturday.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Then why bother to show it and confuse people.
It does not alter the fact that the man in the booking office said they only sell 1+2 or 1-6.

They were possibly interested in selling you an Outboundary travelcard! Although I can't see why they wouldn't be able to issue a Z1-4 from their office.

If you don't want to queue, how about the TVM's at Paddington, they will certainly offer it, and that will not take up much time. If you were to ask the Guard on the train for it, then you'd lose valuable drinking time there too

 

[LexyBoy]

If you were to ask the Guard on the train for it, then you'd lose valuable drinking time there too

You can drink and talk can't you?

You should be able to buy from the guard*, and if not the TVM at Paddington should only take a minute or two. Or get an Oyster...

*as long as you don't get the guard who took most of the journey between Stroud and Kemble to fail to sell me an outboundary Travelcard from Reading - I got an Off Peak Day Return from Reading to U1256 routed "Ealing Cmn/W Acton" instead...

 

[Capybara]

A good friend of mine from Cheltenham tells me he is expecting a shock result at WHL on Saturday: Tottenham to win.

 

[island]

You could get an outboundary travelcard for Z1-6, or a ticket to ZONE U12* LONDN. I suspect that was what the clerk had in mind and hasn't been shown how to sell standalone travelcards, which is fair enough as I don't think there would be much demand for them at Cheltenham Spa. He was right that Z1-3 isn't technically available. But he could have sold 1-4. I think if he puts in the origin code as 1072 and the destination 0034 it would work.

 

[sonic2009]

I've just seen the OP at Cheltenham Spa trying to buy a Z1-4 travelcard and they wouldn't sell him it. So I've advised him to go to www.eastcoast.co.uk and. :

PUT in London Terminals to White Hart Lane, and then offers normal day returns and a Zone 1-4 travelcard option at £5.60 or £7.70, £5.60 price being a discounted ticket with the OP senior railcard. I've explained this all to the OP. Can anyone see any problems?

I also explained to not complicate things is to buy it like this.

He has a Group of 9. Including the OP only one other member has a Senior Railcard.

Told him to buy the Senior Railcard ones in a Separate Transaction, then the other 7 in another. It should cost him no more than. :

2 x Adults at £5.60
7 x Adults at £7.70

=£65.10

Also explained he can Pick Up his Tickets from the TOD Machine in the Booking Office Hall.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Sound advice Sonic, hopefully the OP is grateful for your advice

 

[MikeWh]

TfL website shows a zone 1-3 card at £7.70
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

It also shows the 1-4 at the same price. Because the 1-3 is the 1-4.

Then why bother to show it and confuse people.
It does not alter the fact that the man in the booking office said they only sell 1+2 or 1-6.

That page tries to give all information for all zone combinations from a single up to an annual travelcard. While the price of a day travelcard is the same for 1-3 and 1-4, they are different when it comes to single fares and period travelcards.

 

[BrianTheLion]

Can tfl travelcards be bought at any UK station ticket office? Im travelling from Glasgow at the end of the month and it would be invaluable being able to buy one in advance before I board my Euston bound train.

 

[clagmonster]

Can tfl travelcards be bought at any UK station ticket office? Im travelling from Glasgow at the end of the month and it would be invaluable being able to buy one in advance before I board my Euston bound train.

Yes they can. If Glasgow Central booking office don't know how to do it, try the guards on the train. You should have two goes as there will be a crew change at Preston.

 

[BrianTheLion]

Yes they can. If Glasgow Central booking office don't know how to do it, try the guards on the train. You should have two goes as there will be a crew change at Preston.

Nice one, thanks for the info.. 3 chances to avoid the queues in London on a saturday afternoon, I like the sound of that!

 

[bb21]

In the rare case that the clerk is unable to figure out how to sell a travelcard, the destination NLC Code required are respectively:

Zones 1-2: 0032
Zones 1-4: 0034
Zones 1-6: 0035

The travelcard can be issued from any inboundary station.

 

[taxidave]

Sonic it was nice to meet you today and thank you very much for your help.

 

[MikeWh]

In the rare case that the clerk is unable to figure out how to sell a travelcard, the destination NLC Code required are respectively:

Zones 1-2: 0032
Zones 1-4: 0034
Zones 1-6: 0035

The travelcard can be issued from any inboundary station.

within the applicable zones, of course.

 

[Greeby]

You could get an outboundary travelcard for Z1-6, or a ticket to ZONE U12* LONDN. I suspect that was what the clerk had in mind and hasn't been shown how to sell standalone travelcards, which is fair enough as I don't think there would be much demand for them at Cheltenham Spa. He was right that Z1-3 isn't technically available. But he could have sold 1-4. I think if he puts in the origin code as 1072 and the destination 0034 it would work.

According to the manual, 1072 should never be used as it messes up accounting. You could use PAD in this case, but as using 1072 for London tickets is so hard-wired into any clerk's brain I prefer to use the other option presented. That of using the furthest station out for the amount of zones required.

 

[sonic2009]

Sonic it was nice to meet you today and thank you very much for your help.

That's okay. have you managed to get the tickets you wanted?

 

[John @ home]

According to the manual, 1072 should never be used as it messes up accounting.

I don't think that's in The Manual.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I don't think that's in The Manual.

Yes it is. I can't copy the relevant bit as I am on my mobile, but it is definately there. Having said that, some TIS will print "London Terminals" on the ticket even if a particular named station was selected.


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Found the relevant bit, in Travelcard Issuing Instructions:

1.1ORIGIN:
i) The specific National Rail station advised by the customer, provided this is within the zones of the ticket required. It is not possible to issue an ‘In-boundary’ Travelcard with an origin outside the zones for which it is valid.
ii) If the customer DOES NOT specify a National Rail origin station, or gives the origin as a London Underground station, then either:-

a) the nearest National Rail station within the required zones required to the customer’s home address (if known), or
b) the outermost National Rail station within the required zones on the same line of route as the issuing station, e.g. customer at Feltham requests a Zones 1-3 Travelcard season, use origin ‘North Sheen’

The origin must not be:-

LONDON ZONE(S)
LONDON CORPORATE
a London Underground operated station except stations listed in Appendix ‘A’ (click here)
LONDON TERMINALS (Use the name of a specific London Terminal, e.g. London Paddington)

 

[Urban Gateline]

b) the outermost National Rail station within the required zones on the same line of route as the issuing station, e.g. customer at Feltham requests a Zones 1-3 Travelcard season, use origin ‘North Sheen’

Hmm, that is providing that the passenger already holds a vaild ticket to travel between Feltham and Boundary Zone 3? (or Zone 4 as Z1-3 TravelCard doesn't really exist!)

 

[John @ home]

Found the relevant bit, in Travelcard Issuing Instructions

Thanks, that's helpful.

 

[island]

That's random.

 

[Urban Gateline]

That's random.

It makes sense though, it wouldn't work if you issued a Z1-2 Travelcard with Richmond as the originating station for example, as Richmond is in Z4, so you issue it from Clapham Junction instead which is inside the zones that the Travelcard covers.

 

[John @ home]

Richmond is in Z3.

Richmond is in Zone 4.