cambridge to edgware

[tivoli]

Travelling single journey Cambridge to Edgware (LU) on Saturday 3 April. Usual weekend situation means Kings Cross not an option. Cam to Liv St £14 but Cam to Tottenham Hale £15.20. Onward travel with Oyster card same. Would I have a problem if I bought ticket to Liv St but got off at Tottenham Hale? Why is the shorter journey more expensive?

 

[yorkie]

Cambridge to Tottenham Hale CDR is £15.20 +Not London, according to Avantix Traveller NFM 05. The equivalent fare (Any Permitted) to London is £20.00 but a Super Off Peak to London is available at £16.00. I think there is a mistake with the Super Off Peak to Tottenham Hale as this is £17!

However there is a NXEA Trains Only Super Off Peak flow to London at £14.00 return. This does not exist to Tottenham Hale. As you can only get NXEA to Tottenham Hale, there is no point in them undercutting their own fare.

Anyway you can get off early as break of journey is allowed.

A Travelcard is £19.00 via NXEA only or £21 Any Permitted. So if it costs you more than £5 to get to Edgware then that is worthwhile.

But if you use PAYG then it is cheaper to get off early and to split the ticketing.

Madness - as usual!

 

[jopsuk]

Posters at Cambridge advertise the NXEA Only Super Off Peak to London as valid to Tottenham Hale, Seven Sisters and Stratford; and the ticket desks will advise you of this.

 

[yorkie]

My understanding is that if you ask if it's valid to stop short, then they should say "yes". But if you ask for a ticket to Tottenham Hale then I don't think they are supposed to advise stopping short on a ticket to London.

 

[jopsuk]

From their website, and, as I said, advertised at Cambridge (and other stations):

Please note that “London” includes Liverpool Street, Stratford, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale stations.

 

[yorkie]

That is misleading.

Stratford, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale stations are not "London". A "Not London" ticket is valid at Seven Sisters, Stratford and Tottenham Hale. They are not London Terminals and they are not members of the London Group in the NRG either.

 

[John @ home]

A "Not London" ticket is valid at Seven Sisters, Stratford and Tottenham Hale.

Yes. And a Southampton Central - York route Not London First Class Anytime Return is valid at Waterloo and Kings Cross. As ATOC wrote here, "The routes "London" and "not London" are not necessarily mutually exclusive."

 

[yorkie]

True but that's only because the fare is higher. But there are some journeys where the fare is lower and if they claim Tottenham Hale is London then it would be invalid.

Example:

Cambridge to Hackney Downs

SDS Not London £18.70
SDS +Any Permitted £23.90

NXEA may appear to be suggesting that the "Not London" fare is not valid via Tottenham Hale because Tottenham Hale is included in "London"?

 

[John @ home]

Example:

Cambridge to Hackney Downs

SDS Not London £18.70
SDS +Any Permitted £23.90

NXEA may appear to be suggesting that the "Not London" fare is not valid via Tottenham Hale because Tottenham Hale is included in "London"?

I think for that example I would rely on

These Conditions set out your rights and any restrictions to those rights. The Train Companies may give you more extensive rights than those set out in these Conditions and, if they do so, these may be found in each Train Company’s Passenger’s Charter or other publications. Details of where you can find this information will be available when you buy your ticket. The Train Companies may not give you less extensive rights, except in the case of some types of reduced and discounted fare tickets where the relevant condition(s) specifically allow them to do so. These Conditions set out the minimum level of rights you are entitled to expect.

My opinion is that the definition of "London" on the NXEA site has a missing '*' to the left of the line. The are 3 references to London in that section containing an '*' but nowhere else is the meaning explained. The restriction code for the Off-Peak Day Travelcard covers the position adequately.

OUTWARD TRAVEL
By any train scheduled to arrive at London Terminals at or after 1000, Stratford (London) after 0950, Tottenham Hale or Seven Sisters after 0940.

 

[yorkie]

Well, yes, they appear to be suggesting that Tottenham Hale is London, but a bit of text on a website does not, in any way, mean that it is London.

They cannot overrule the NCoC or the Routeing Guide in that way. So I am not suggesting that their daft wording invalidates any tickets, however someone who does not know about the NCoC and the RG may think that Tottenham Hale is London and therefore may think that tickets are not valid that way.

It's rather like the Groupsave issue in another thread. A TOC may say on a website that they do not accept them, but unless the NCoC is adhered to and a restriction is printed on the ticket, then they can say what they like but they cannot break the NCoC and refuse to honour them.