Diversionary route using tube?

[Ken_Ilworth]

Been lurking a while, now it's time to post. Tried a search, but not successfully found an answer..

I travel frequently from Bletchley down to Croydon via Kensington Olympia (to get the best fare and avoid the tube). Sunday coming (14-Feb'10) there are Engineering works Wembley - Clapham Junction. No problem with that, it has to be done, and on balance Sunday is probably the best day.

Journeycheck advises:
Engineering work starting on 14/02/10 between Wembley Central and
Clapham Junction.
Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 00:20 on
14/02/10 to 04:00 on 15/02/10 between Wembley Central and Clapham
Junction.
Southern services between Watford Junction and Clapham Junction WILL NOT RUN. Customers travelling to/from stations between Watford Junction and West Brompton are advised to travel via London Victoria using the
following diversionary routes: Watford Junction / Harrow & Wealdstone
London Midland to London Euston, then Victoria Line to Victoria.
Shepherd s Bush Central Line to Notting Hill Gate, then Circle Line to
Victoria. Kensington Olympia / West Brompton District Line to Victoria.
Valid Southern tickets will be accepted on the above diversionary routes
for the duration of the works. As a result some trains may be altered
causing extended journey times. Details of engineering works...

..And in fact there is a replacement bus between Willesden Jn and Clapham Jn though it's not mentioned there.

The formatting doesn't help the readability, but pretty clearly they are saying I should travel London Midland to Euston; then Victoria line to Victoria and then onto Croydon. But it's happened before and of course my Kensington Olympia-routed ticket doesn't operate the barriers and that's when the fun starts. In general National Rail staff at Euston & Victoria are OK and let me through the gate. But tube staff, particularly at Victoria are not helpful. Usually they radio to a supervisor who knows nothing about it and tell me that Southern have no right to put that information on the website.

This time I thought I would ask Southern in advance of Sunday what I could do to make my diversion smoother. After an initial exchange, they replied today:

The last sentence you have copied in your email explains "Valid Southern
tickets will be accepted on the above diversionary routes for the
duration of the works." As your ticket is routed 'Kensington Olympia',
your ticket is not valid on the diversionary routes.
You therefore have two options for this Sunday when travelling from
Wembley Central to Clapham Junction:
Travel via underground from Wembley Central to Willesden Junction,
followed by a rail replacement bus service from Willesden Junction to
Clapham Junction with your current ticket.
Travel via the suggested diversionary routes (Euston/Victoria) and
purchase a valid ticket for this route.
I apologise if our website has mislead you into thinking your ticket is
valid on the diversionary routes this weekend.

I don't buy that reply. Following that logic, their advice for passengers from Kensington Olympia to use District line to Victoria is also rubbish.

Anyway, after such a long post, can any members advise me if the advice from Southern on Journeycheck is wrong and I will indeed need to purchase a 'via London' ticket (or get the bus replacement) or should my 'via KO' ticket be accepted on the tube; If so, how can I make the process of negotiating the barriers smoother? Thanks all..

 

[yorkie]

If Southern advise you to go that way, do it, print & bring the documentation, and refuse to pay any extra to the overpaid TfL barrier drones. I've had arguments with them before. All you need is an IQ above average (that beats the barrier lot hands down) and a level head and you'll win the argument.

I just hope that people like that get what they dish to other people, dished out to them one day, so that they realise what it's like and then perhaps they'll change their ways.

 

[Daniel]

Okay, obviously as your ticket initially (prior to e/w) isn't valid on the underground, it won't work the gates, and you'll need a member of staff to let you through.

I personally don't see why a ticket via Kensington Olympia wouldn't be valid - but I'm sure others will go into that.

If Southern have asked for ticket acceptnace from the Underground, then the control centre will... or, should, have told the stations. But I don't think it's up to LU staff to say what Southern tickets are and what aren't valid.

If you do have any problems, with them refusing to accept Southern tickets, and the Supervisor has no knowledge, advise them to dial 1801 from an auto-phone and speak to the NOC Information Desk to ask about it.

Hope this helps.


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I just hope that people like that get what they dish to other people, dished out to them one day, so that they realise what it's like and then perhaps they'll change their ways.

C'mon Yorkie, we aren't all that bad..!

 

[yorkie]

C'mon Yorkie, we aren't all that bad..!

You're destined for MUCH bigger things than a gateline young Daniel!

But no, not all barrier staff are bad. It's the drones who act like robots and are unaware of the actual rules of ticketing but claim that they know it all that irritate me.

 

[Daniel]

You're destined for MUCH bigger things than a gateline young Daniel!

Why thank you sir

 

[Ken_Ilworth]

Thanks for the advice chaps. I've never taken a print-out with me before and of course that's what I will now do.

Call me naive, but Southern customer services appear to be saying that you can use a diversionary route only if you buy a ticket for the new route. They should know what they're talking about, shouldn't they?

They told me:

"...Valid Southern
tickets will be accepted on the above diversionary routes for the
duration of the works." As your ticket is routed 'Kensington Olympia',
your ticket is not valid on the diversionary routes..."
"...Travel via the suggested diversionary routes (Euston/Victoria) and
purchase a valid ticket for this route.
I apologise if our website has mislead you into thinking your ticket is
valid on the diversionary routes this weekend."