Cambridge-Moorgate: using e-ticket on LU?

[XmaX]

As far as I know, the regular Cambridge-London ticket allows for tube travel between Kings Cross St Pancras and Moorgate. I commute almost daily between London and either Kings Cross or St Pancras on an off-peak day return (with a railcard, so it is more affordable than season ticket). In an instance where Thameslink/Great Norther trains are delayed/cancelled on my return leg, it would make sense to use the included tube journey to get to Moorgate and then just walk to Liverpool Street and take a GA train from there instead.

However, I mostly use e-tickets (so that I don't have to waste time with ticket machines - also, unlike paper tickets, e-tickets have never failed to open the gates so far), and as far as I'm aware, it's impossible to get on the tube with an e-ticket. Is there anything that can be done here, other than buying paper tickets?

 

[Wallsendmag]

As far as I know, the regular Cambridge-London ticket allows for tube travel between Kings Cross St Pancras and Moorgate. I commute almost daily between London and either Kings Cross or St Pancras on an off-peak return (with a railcard, so it is more affordable than season ticket). In an instance where Thameslink/Great Norther trains are delayed/cancelled on my return leg, it would make sense to use the included tube journey to get to Moorgate and then just walk to Liverpool Street and take a GA from there instead.

However, I mostly use e-tickets (so that I don't have to waste time with ticket machine - also, unlike paper tickets, e-tickets have never failed to open the gates so far), but as far as I'm aware, it's impossible to get on the tube with an e-ticket. Is there anything that can be done here, other than buying paper tickets?

Can you not get a ticket on a Smartcard?

 

[Hadders]

This is an interesting issue, disregarding the inter-availability issue for a moment there's a common gate line at Moorgate, operated by London Underground. You can travel from Cambridge to Moorgate exclusively by National Rail using an e-ticket. I'm not sure what would happen at Moorgate if you turn up with an e-ticket, when I get a moment I will have to give it a try....

 

[XmaX]

Can you not get a ticket on a Smartcard?

The Great Northern/Thameslink smartcard doesn't work in Cambridge, and the GA only includes GA trains (at least that's how I understand it).

Interestingly, even if I specifically search for Cambridge-Moorgate (changing to LU at Kings Cross), the Great Northern website still allows me to buy an e-ticket.

 

[plugwash]

My understanding is there are two ways an ITSO smartcard can be used on the railways.

The first is it can be used as a carrier for tickets, if the ticket you want can be bought and loaded on a smartcard then it carries it's normal validity across operators. Unfortunately i'm not sure if there is a public source for which tickets can be fulfilled to a smartcard.

The second is pay as you go schemes, these are generally far more limited on where you can go. It does not appear there are any Pay as you go schemes covering cambridge.

 

[Haywain]

The Great Northern/Thameslink smartcard doesn't work in Cambridge, and the GA only includes GA trains (at least that's how I understand it)

Neither of those things should be true. An Any Permitted season can be loaded onto either a GTR or GA smartcard.

 

[XmaX]

Neither of those things should be true. An Any Permitted season can be loaded onto either a GTR or GA smartcard.

Season, maybe. But I use day return tickets and not season tickets.

 

[alistairlees]

Neither of those things should be true. An Any Permitted season can be loaded onto either a GTR or GA smartcard.

At least a few years ago the issue was with the GA posts at Cambridge not being able to work for GTR products. I can't remember why now. It might have been a KeyGo thing.

 

[Haywain]

Season, maybe. But I use day return tickets and not season tickets.

That should make no difference.

 

[XmaX]

That should make no difference.

I once again looked through Greater Anglia's website, but everything mentions that only season tickets can be loaded onto it, and that they are only valid on the GA network.

Who can get a Smart Card?
The Greater Anglia Smart Card is available to anyone over 16 years of age, who wants to travel using a Weekly, Monthly, Custom Duration (e.g. three months) or Annual Season Ticket on the Norwich, Southend and Cambridge to London routes (for example, Bishop’s Stortford to Cambridge, or Rayleigh to London).

But, turns out you are right about Thameslink/Great Northern smartcard! Sadly, it appears tickets can only be loaded via ticket machines (and not online) - so provides almost no advantage over paper tickets.

 

[Haywain]

Sadly, it appears tickets can only be loaded via ticket machines (and not online) - so provides almost no advantage over paper tickets.

That depends on where you buy them. LNER at Kings Cross will be able to sell you a ticket to load on any smartcard.

 

[AlbertBeale]

As far as I know, the regular Cambridge-London ticket allows for tube travel between Kings Cross St Pancras and Moorgate. I commute almost daily between London and either Kings Cross or St Pancras on an off-peak day return (with a railcard, so it is more affordable than season ticket). In an instance where Thameslink/Great Norther trains are delayed/cancelled on my return leg, it would make sense to use the included tube journey to get to Moorgate and then just walk to Liverpool Street and take a GA train from there instead.

However, I mostly use e-tickets (so that I don't have to waste time with ticket machines - also, unlike paper tickets, e-tickets have never failed to open the gates so far), and as far as I'm aware, it's impossible to get on the tube with an e-ticket. Is there anything that can be done here, other than buying paper tickets?

Does this mean you're effectively continuing/completing your inbound journey, from KX/StP to Moorgate, after a day's work, before immediately using the return half from L St? I presume "the system" allows that break of journey, and allows inbound travel at the time you'd then be completing it, on an off-peak return?

 

[matt_world2004]

In theory any ticket that involves passing through an LU gateline as part of a regular journey shouldn't be issued on e-ticket.

 

[Haywain]

Does this mean you're effectively continuing/completing your inbound journey, from KX/StP to Moorgate, after a day's work, before immediately using the return half from L St? I presume "the system" allows that break of journey, and allows inbound travel at the time you'd then be completing it, on an off-peak return?

Nothing to do with BoJ as the OP is permitted to commence the return journey at Kings Cross and travel via Moorgate.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Nothing to do with BoJ as the OP is permitted to commence the return journey at Kings Cross and travel via Moorgate.

Ah, right. I assumed Moorgate was "the end of the line" coming into London, and hence could be reached via KX as well as direct from Finsbury Park. So does this work both ways? Can you head north from KX by taking a tube to Moorgate first, and head north from Moorgate by taking a tube to KX first? (Are there other examples of London terminals where you can travel between them in either direction - by tube, or local rail if it exists - whether on an into London ticket or an outbound ticket?) Seems useful if so...

 

[Haywain]

Ah, right. I assumed Moorgate was "the end of the line" coming into London, and hence could be reached via KX as well as direct from Finsbury Park. So does this work both ways? Can you head north from KX by taking a tube to Moorgate first, and head north from Moorgate by taking a tube to KX first? (Are there other examples of London terminals where you can travel between them in either direction - by tube, or local rail if it exists - whether on an into London ticket or an outbound ticket?) Seems useful if so...

The southern terminals - Waterloo, Victoria, London Bridge etc.

 

[JoeM1V]

This is an interesting issue, disregarding the inter-availability issue for a moment there's a common gate line at Moorgate, operated by London Underground. You can travel from Cambridge to Moorgate exclusively by National Rail using an e-ticket. I'm not sure what would happen at Moorgate if you turn up with an e-ticket, when I get a moment I will have to give it a try....

I showed up at Old St with an e-ticket from Welwyn once and the TfL gateline attendant refused to let me out. He seemed to think it was some kind of receipt or booking confirmation, and I had to explain that the gate lines at many NR stations have barcode scanners.

He still wasn’t convinced though, and I ended up standing there repeatedly asking him “well what should I do then?” until he opened the gate to make me go away

 

[pelli]

use the included tube journey to get to Moorgate and then just walk to Liverpool Street and take a GA train from there instead.

Does this mean you're effectively continuing/completing your inbound journey, from KX/StP to Moorgate, after a day's work, before immediately using the return half from L St?

Nothing to do with BoJ as the OP is permitted to commence the return journey at Kings Cross and travel via Moorgate.

Are you saying that a London Terminals to Cambridge single is valid for tube King's Cross to Moorgate, then train Liverpool Street to Cambridge? I would've assumed that starting from any of King's Cross / St Pancras / Moorgate the only valid routes to Cambridge will be via Finsbury Park. How do I work out that via Liverpool Street is valid?

 

[Hadders]

A ticket issued to London Terminals that has validity between Finsbury Park and Kings Cross is also valid on the underground between Finsbury Park and Kings Cross/Moorgate. It is not valid for exit at intermediate underground stations (e.g. Farringdon).

Technically a single from London Terminals to Cambridge is not valid out of Liverpool Street if you have used it to get from Kings Cross to Moorgate on the Underground, although in reality it’s probably undetectable.