Can I Cut the Corner?

[Chris999999]

I will be travelling from Basingstoke to Brighton, then 2 days later travelling to Hastings, and another 3 days later returning to Basingstoke. I have a senior railcard and will be travelling off-peak.

I plan to buy an Off-Peak return from Southampton Airport Parkway to Brighton via Clapham Junction, as this is a bit cheaper than buying from Basingstoke, and as break of journey is allowed both ways I can start and end my journey at Basingstoke. I will also buy an Off-Peak return from Brighton to Hastings.

My question is, when I return from Hastings to Basingstoke, can I cut the corner and travel direct from Hastings to Clapham Junction, or do I need to travel via Brighton?

 

[alistairlees]

You'll need to travel via Brighton as that is where your tickets are to / from.

 

[Chris999999]

You'll need to travel via Brighton as that is where your tickets are to / from.

OK. Thanks. I thought so. It would only save about 40 minutes to go direct, and I'm not in a rush. It just seemed more sensible.

 

[JB_B]

Your return ticket from Brighton to Southampton Airport Parkway via Clapham Junction is valid via Lewes (as is the return from Hastings to Brighton via Polegate) so as far as I can see there's no need to go via Brighton and you can take the direct train.

 

[alistairlees]

Good spot by JB_B. I had not realised the two validities intersected at Lewes, so allowing the direct train from Hastings via Eastbourne and Lewes to Victoria. Apologies for that!

 

[Chris999999]

Good spot by JB_B. I had not realised the two validities intersected at Lewes, so allowing the direct train from Hastings via Eastbourne and Lewes to Victoria. Apologies for that!

Thanks both of you for your help. I will return from Hastings to Clapham Junction via Lewes and not go to Brighton.

Whilst it is obvious that trains from Hastings go to Brighton via Lewes, it is not obvious that a ticket from Brighton to Clapham Junction can be used via Lewes, as this is not the normal direct route. Is there an easy way to find out which routes are valid with a ticket?

 

[JB_B]

Is the bit in bold above exactly what you meant to write, ie you meant there’s “no need to go via Brighton”...

You're right - thanks - I've corrected it above.

 

[JB_B]

Thanks both of you for your help. I will return from Hastings to Clapham Junction via Lewes and not go to Brighton.

Whilst it is obvious that trains from Hastings go to Brighton via Lewes, it is not obvious that a ticket from Brighton to Clapham Junction can be used via Lewes, as this is not the normal direct route. Is there an easy way to find out which routes are valid with a ticket?

Not exactly easy but the information is in the routeing guide at-

http://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide

- if you haven't used it before it's a good idea to read the Section A (instructions) first - the most relevant parts in this case are...


1. Section B (pink pages) tells you that Brighton is a member Brighton Group and Southampton Airport Parkway is a member of Southampton Group

2. Section C (yellow pages) on page 205 tells you that mapped Journeys from Brighton Group to Southampton Group include travel on map combination LB+SW

( Since you're going via Clapham Junction I'd assumed you're on a route:Not London ticket. )

3. Section D (maps) shows that tracing a route from Brighton Group to Southampton Group on map LB then SW shows you can travel from Brighton to Clapham Junction via Lewes.

 

[Chris999999]

Not exactly easy but the information is in the routeing guide at-

http://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide

- if you haven't used it before it's a good idea to read the Section A (instructions) first - the most relevant parts in this case are...


1. Section B (pink pages) tells you that Brighton is a member Brighton Group and Southampton Airport Parkway is a member of Southampton Group

2. Section C (yellow pages) on page 205 tells you that mapped Journeys from Brighton Group to Southampton Group include travel on map combination LB+SW

( Since you're going via Clapham Junction I'd assumed you're on a route:Not London ticket. )

3. Section D (maps) shows that tracing a route from Brighton Group to Southampton Group on map LB then SW shows you can travel from Brighton to Clapham Junction via Lewes.

Thank you very much. That is very useful. I now understand how to investigate something similar in the future, though I will still probably check here that I have done it correctly.

I will take a copy of map LB with me in case I get a 'difficult' guard.

 

[marshmallow]

I will take a copy of map LB with me in case I get a 'difficult' guard.

It is very frustrating that some staff lack basic knowledge of what tickets are valid, and furthermore that they "know" that certain tickets are not! I had a similar ticket recently and tried to break my journey at Falmer. The member of staff at the barrier said that it is definitely not valid, but that he would let me through anyway (as if he was doing me a favour!).

 

[londonbridge]

I use the same ticket as the OP when travelling from Croydon to Eastleigh to vist my mother. It doesn't work the barriers at East Croydon, on the way back I show the ticket to the gateline staff and say ""I'm breaking my journey" and they generally open the gate without saying anything. However last time the gateline attendant had an attitude problem. I held the ticket out and said "break of journey", he looked at it and said "Southampton to Brighton? Where have you just come from"? I replied "Clapham, I'm breaking my journey". "Good answer", he replied, in a sarcastic tone and with a smirk on his face as he opened the gate.

 

[marshmallow]

I use the same ticket as the OP when travelling from Croydon to Eastleigh to vist my mother. It doesn't work the barriers at East Croydon, on the way back I show the ticket to the gateline staff and say ""I'm breaking my journey" and they generally open the gate without saying anything. However last time the gateline attendant had an attitude problem. I held the ticket out and said "break of journey", he looked at it and said "Southampton to Brighton? Where have you just come from"? I replied "Clapham, I'm breaking my journey". "Good answer", he replied, in a sarcastic tone and with a smirk on his face as he opened the gate.

In my opinion if a ticket is valid for entry/exit at a station then one should be allowed through with no questions asked.
Similarly if a manual check is performed, this should be done to the same standard as an automatic gate. For example, the barriers at Victoria accept a railcard discounted ticket, however if I have my ticket manually checked (which they do at busy times to speed up the flow), I am sometimes asked to show my railcard. This seems rather pointless to me.