Elizabeth Line PRIV

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Hi all,

Random one this. I am a holder of a Rail Staff Leisure Card for Non Safeguarded staff. This is the one issued to all TOC staff from 1996 onwards.

Basically I am trying to travel from outside of London, but disembark the Elizabeth Line at one of the Central Core Stations. This being Canary Wharf. I am then hoping to switch to a bank card for my DLR from there to Pudding Mill Lane.

The last time I tried to disembark at one of these stations I was met with an angry staff member on the gateline so I am hoping not to repeat this. Mind you that time I was exhausted from a redeye flight over from the States. Thankfully something not relevant to this.

There’s a few options to me for my route but my intended plan basically involves a CrossCountry from where I’m starting at Southampton Airport, to Reading then to Canary Wharf on the Elizabeth Line. BR Fares quotes no fares for EL - I’m assuming this is EL for Elizabeth Line. However I am getting a result for a priv fare from SOA-ZQC with a lowest fare of about £12-13, which seems about right. However, ZQC is advertised as the TFL station not the EL one quoted above. Very confusing!

I could set up the oyster but I am in London literally once or twice a year and it’s not worth the bother just to do that for that alone so if I cannot use my PRIV I will just find another route and Tube/DLR it the shortest distance possible.

In other words can someone think of a solution to this and if it’s a no I will happily go with Plan B. There’s loopholes etc but I’d rather just avoid the hassle and stick with intended stops. The yell before has made me think twice about it.

Thanks

 

[Kite159]

If you are heading to Pudding Mill Lane, wouldn't it just as quick to stay on the Lizzy to Stratford and then touch in to head to Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR there?

[Or even Southampton Airport direct to Waterloo for the Jubilee line for £13.05 or £15.65 depending on the time of day, assuming you can't split along the way]

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

If you are heading to Pudding Mill Lane, wouldn't it just as quick to stay on the Lizzy to Stratford and then touch in to head to Pudding Mill Lane on the DLR there?

[Or even Southampton Airport direct to Waterloo for the Jubilee line for £13.05 or £15.65 depending on the time of day, assuming you can't split along the way]

Stratford would be easier but you can’t go direct from Reading to Stratford so that’s why I ruled that out and thought about this Canary Wharf idea.

Going into Waterloo was the back up plan. It’s a Sunday so I’m assuming there’s no restrictions?

 

[Kite159]

Unless you are carrying a lot of luggage, then doing the lizzy from Reading towards Paddington is a lot slower than taking a GWR and changing at Paddington.

As it will be a Sunday the £13.05 fare will apply, although you could get it cheaper by splitting at Winchester and/or Basingstoke

 

[ValleyLines142]

Stratford would be easier but you can’t go direct from Reading to Stratford so that’s why I ruled that out and thought about this Canary Wharf idea.

Going into Waterloo was the back up plan. It’s a Sunday so I’m assuming there’s no restrictions?

You just change at Paddington onto the Shenfield service for Stratford - it runs every 6/7 minutes.

However, from Southampton to Stratford, I concur with the previous advice, just a single straight into Waterloo on SWR and then the Jubilee Line. For what reason are you going up to Reading? That just seems very convoluted.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

However, from Southampton to Stratford, I concur with the previous advice, just a single straight into Waterloo on SWR and then the Jubilee Line. For what reason are you going up to Reading? That just seems very convoluted.

Just fancied something different and to avoid the hassle of changing at a major London terminal. I’m doing SWR on the Saturday as I have a reason to be in the suburbs, but not using TfL.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Just fancied something different and to avoid the hassle of changing at a major London terminal. I’m doing SWR on the Saturday as I have a reason to be in the suburbs, but not using TfL.

To be quite honest, as a GWR employee, Reading to Paddington is nothing but an absolute nightmare. I have the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with it tomorrow morning!

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

To be quite honest, as a GWR employee, Reading to Paddington is nothing but an absolute nightmare. I have the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with it tomorrow morning!

I find it depends what time of day it is. I’ve done a Didcot train out of Paddington during the day on a Friday and had a carriage to myself before.

If I do decide to do the Jubilee and I want to specifically stick to Pudding Mill Lane DLR, am I best doing Stratford or Canary Wharf?

 

[ValleyLines142]

I find it depends what time of day it is. I’ve done a Didcot train out of Paddington during the day on a Friday and had a carriage to myself before.

If I do decide to do the Jubilee and I want to specifically stick to Pudding Mill Lane DLR, am I best doing Stratford or Canary Wharf?

I mean moreso in terms of disruption because of overhead line issues, track defects etc.

For Pudding Mill Lane, I'd recommend changing at Stratford and then just hopping one stop to Pudding Mill Lane. At Canary Wharf, you have to change onto the DLR at West India Quay and then travel up via Poplar, All Saints and Bow Church.

 

[bb21]

Elizabeth Line core area ticketing is an absolute mare for non-safeguarded facility holders. I concur that the easiet option for you would be the through fare to Stratford at £13.05. If you want to travel via Canary Wharf you will have to split at Paddington. The single fare to Paddington is £11.80, and from there onwards you need a separate ticket. The iKB says:

Non-safeguarded staff who are not entitled to privilege discounts on Underground services can buy a National Rail privilege rate single cash fare that is valid on the Elizabeth line only (please note that the cheapest option is to use pay as you go on Oyster with the National Rail Privilege discount set). This cash fare needs to be issued as:

• Origin: Either London Paddington, London Liverpool Street, Farringdon, Whitechapel, Abbey Wood
• Destination: London Underground Zones 1-4
• Route: Via Elizabeth line
• Ticket type: SDS Anytime Day Single
• Status: PRV Staff Travel Card
• Price: Latest fare available in TIS

The trouble is if you put origin London Paddington or London Terminals and destination Zone U1234 into the Fares Finder the only routing options offered are either VIA UNDERGRD/DLR (£1.75) or . (dot) (£2.45). It is therefore anyone's guess what fare the Via Elizabeth line one should be issued as. (Using origin Paddington EL returns no fare.)

You are relying on finding someone who either issues them often (which I guess Paddington NR ticket office is likely your best bet) or failing that someone who knows how to look up the iKB and then knows what they need to do with no such fare defined in the Fares Finder.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The trouble is if you put origin London Paddington or London Terminals and destination Zone U1234 into the Fares Finder the only routing options offered are either VIA UNDERGRD/DLR (£1.75) or . (dot) (£2.45). It is therefore anyone's guess what fare the Via Elizabeth line one should be issued as. (Using origin Paddington EL returns no fare.)

This fudge has been removed and you can now buy point-to-point Single tickets (or use an Oyster with a Priv NR Only discount set on it) for journeys wholly within the core.

For example: Paddington - Canary Wharf

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

This fudge has been removed and you can now buy point-to-point Single tickets (or use an Oyster with a Priv NR Only discount set on it) for journeys wholly within the core.

For example: Paddington - Canary Wharf

So really unless you have a reason to get the priv discount applied to an oyster, it’s not worth the bother? Because as suggested above and what I agree with, unless you could do this route direct without a change at Paddington, it’s not worth it.

As I say I’m in London literally a handful of times a year so the Oyster doesn’t seem worthwhile to set up given it would be so sparsely used. I’m then sure you have to reapply this every time a new PRIV is issued so it just becomes never-ending. Ideal for the person who lives in London or is in London frequently, but for me it’s of so limited benefit that I can take the hit of a full fare in the rare circumstance I would need it, or I would just avoid any TfL Rail system in the process so just Tube/Bus at Full Fares.

Unfortunately this has just re-exposed the Oyster bit issue with Reading being in the contactless only zone if the change at Paddington is necessary for exiting at the Central Core.

Just one thing to absolutely clarify, if I were to go from Southampton Airport, change at Reading to EL, then change again at Paddington to get a Stratford train - without exiting the gates there and just staying on the platform and then just catching that last train and exiting at Stratford, would this actually work if a priv single/return was issued for this?

 

[bb21]

This fudge has been removed and you can now buy point-to-point Single tickets (or use an Oyster with a Priv NR Only discount set on it) for journeys wholly within the core.

For example: Paddington - Canary Wharf

Really you'd think the least they can do is update the iKB given how useless the instructions in there are now.

Just one thing to absolutely clarify, if I were to go from Southampton Airport, change at Reading to EL, then change again at Paddington to get a Stratford train - without exiting the gates there and just staying on the platform and then just catching that last train and exiting at Stratford, would this actually work if a priv single/return was issued for this?

Yes if you bought the through priv fare you can remain inside the gates until Stratford.