Excessing a season ticket

[BlueDanger]

Hi there. I'm hoping someone can help me with a season ticket query I have.

I'm starting a new job soon, and my normal commute will be from Havant to East Croydon. However, on some days I would like to go home via Petersfield.

From looking at the Routeing Guide, and some other threads on here, it seems that the route between Dorking and Guildford is not permitted. I can, I think, use the Redhill to Dorking stretch as it seems to be covered on map SD and combination CW+SD is allowed. Similarly, I can go south from Guildford, as maps PD+SC are permitted.

Assuming I'm right re the above, what would the fare be for the "gap" between Dorking and Guildford? Would it just be the single fare (£5.70 or £3.75 with a Gold Card) or is there a way of excessing my season ticket for an off route excess?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

 

[greatkingrat]

If you particularly wanted to travel via the North Downs line, then yes, you would need to buy a ticket from Dorking to Guildford.

However you can get from Croydon to Petersfield without paying anything extra by using maps SC+PD to go Croydon - Clapham Junction - Petersfield, or Croydon - Epsom - Guildford - Petersfield. I think these routes would be quicker than Croydon - Redhill - Guildford - Petersfield anyway.

 

[yorkie]

I believe that the route you require via Dorking Deepdene is within 3 miles of the shortest route, and if I am right, it would there therefore be valid.

However the official calculation for the shortest route rule is to use the National Rail Timetable (NRT). I'm not aware of any automated process for checking NRT mileages so cannot be sure it's within 3 miles as documented in the NRT. You could go through the NRT and attempt to calculate it, but this could be a time consuming process.

But as best I can determine, using data that is more accurate than the NRT mileages, it is no greater than 3 miles longer than the shortest route.

If it isn't valid, then there is no possible 'excess'. For a change of route excess to apply, there has to be a fare to excess it to (e.g. if there was a route: via Dorking), however an excess cannot be issued on a Season anyway.

 

[greatkingrat]

Looks like it is more than 3 miles whether you use actual mileages or NRT mileages

East Croydon - Redhill - Guildford - Havant 67.5 (NRT), 66m70ch (Railmiles)
West Croydon - Epsom - Guildford - Havant 61.25 (NRT), 61m22ch (Railmiles)
East Croydon - Selhurst - West Croydon - Epsom - Guildford - Havant 63.25 (NRT), 63m40ch (Railmiles)

 

[yorkie]

I used trainscanbeceaper.info (perhaps I broke it! It's not working now), but I think it may depend on how you calculate it also.

 

[BlueDanger]

Thanks a lot for looking into this guys.

Out of interest, I thought it was always the mileage quoted in the NRT that counted in determining the shortest route?

 

[wintonian]

Thanks a lot for looking into this guys.

Out of interest, I thought it was always the mileage quoted in the NRT that counted in determining the shortest route?

Yes you do, but that way you have to add it all up.