Farnborough to Guildford: Season ticket

[surreyhampgirl]

If I buy a Farnborough season ticket to Guildford, I noticed it says via any permitted route from Farnborough Main or Farnborough North for £1084.

Does this mean I can go via Woking also?

I'm only asking because there is another option, Farnborough North or Main to Guildford - Valid only for travel via (changing trains or passing through) Woking) which costs £1756. I couldn't figure out the difference between the two season tickets.

 

[bb21]

The Any Permitted ticket is only valid via North Camp.

To travel via Woking you require the more expensive ticket. The more expensive ticket is however valid via the cheaper route, ie. via North Camp.

 

[surreyhampgirl]

Thanks bb21. Couldn't figure out why they put Farnborough Main then as there is no direct route from Farnborough Main to North Camp. The National Rail site gives the journey of Farnborough Main via Woking to Guildford which for a single is the same price as that of Farnborough North to Guildford.

I should clarify that I'm trying to find the cheapest season ticket from Brookwood to Guildford. I used to live near Ash where my season ticket was around £900. Now that I've moved to Brookwood it is around £1500 - it doesn't seem to be that far to warrant the huge price increase.

The Any Permitted ticket is only valid via North Camp.

To travel via Woking you require the more expensive ticket. The more expensive ticket is however valid via the cheaper route, ie. via North Camp.

 

[greatkingrat]

How about Brookwood - Wanborough (£984 per year)? As the route via Woking and Guildford is less than 3 miles longer than the route via Aldershot, it is valid for travel to Guildford.

 

[Paul Kelly]

My opinion is that a Farnborough Stations to Guildford season is valid via Woking, because that is the shortest route that can be used by scheduled passenger services from Farnborough Main to Guildford. But anyway greatkingrat's suggestion is better.

 

[AshValePsngr]

My opinion is that a Farnborough Stations to Guildford season is valid via Woking, because that is the shortest route that can be used by scheduled passenger services from Farnborough North to Guildford. But anyway greatkingrat's suggestion is better.

Not trying to nit pick, but did you mean Farnborough Main, not Farnborough North? Also this thread seems appropriate.

 

[455driver]

My opinion is that a Farnborough Stations to Guildford season is valid via Woking,

My opinion is people who try to state opinion as fact dont help anyone who is asking for advice unless they can post links to documents that prove their opinion is accurate.

But thats just my opinion.

 

[kieron]

My opinion is people who try to state opinion as fact dont help anyone who is asking for advice unless they can post links to documents that prove their opinion is accurate.

Gosh, that'd cut right down on the number of posts in this forum. How many ticketing disputes a year make it to the court of appeal, anyway?

 

[Paul Kelly]

Yes I did mean Farnborough main - post edited now to fix it. A silly mistake, especially as I was looking at a map as I wrote it...

 

[bb21]

I am not convinced that you are allowed to choose your origin in this manner under the shortest route rule, since the ticket is from Farnborough Stns, not Farnborough (Main), but I am happy to be proved wrong.

 

[soil]

According to all available sources (*), Farnborough Stations - Guildford Route Any Permitted is valid via Woking.

(*The South West Trains website season ticket page, which says the tickets is
Between: Farnborough Main or North
And: Guildford (GLD)
Route Code: Travel is allowed via any permitted route.

, the Mixingdeck Season ticket app, which says the 'Any Permitted' ticket is valid via Woking, and the NRE website, which offers the £5.10 'Any Permitted' CDS for a journey via Woking, rather than the £5.20 'Via Woking' SDS.)

 

[surreyhampgirl]

Thanks - that sounds like a wonderful solution!!

How about Brookwood - Wanborough (£984 per year)? As the route via Woking and Guildford is less than 3 miles longer than the route via Aldershot, it is valid for travel to Guildford.

 

[adc82140]

I used to travel the Farnborough-Guildford route on an annual ticket. It was marked as "Farnborough Stns" to "Guildford", route "any permitted". The "Farnborough Stns" grouping includes Farnborough Main, Farnborough North and Blackwater. If you plan a journey using the National Rail journey planner it offers both routes. I asked SWT by email about validity via Woking, and they never responded (quite rude I thought). The ticket worked the barriers at Farnborough Main, and I never had a problem travelling via Woking- many guards and RPIs I asked said it was fine. To this day though I'm still not sure of the "correct" answer.

 

[surreyhampgirl]

So, I changed my season ticket from Brookwood to Wanborough yesterday (caused quite a queue - sorry people trying to get a ticket!).

Anyway, this morning coming into Guildford - I couldn't get through the barriers - it flashed me a 116 error code which means after looking it up says "station not listed as valid for entry/exit". I flashed my season ticket and someone let me through - but worried about doing it every day.

I know the route is valid from the national rail website and it is not more than 3 miles from the shortest route. What do you guys suggest I do?

Thanks - that sounds like a wonderful solution!!

 

[greatkingrat]

I think that is normal - ticket barriers are unable to calculate every possible intermediate station that a season ticket could be used at, so will generally reject anything that isn't specifically to/from that station.

 

[CNash]

Yes, that's right - my season ticket isn't from my home station, so it doesn't operate the barriers there and I have to be let through by the attendant staff member (on the rare occasions that the barriers are closed, mind!). This is normal and staff shouldn't have a problem with it, they'll have seen it all before.

surreyhampgirl, were you in Guildford at around 9.25? The person directly in front of me at the barriers this morning got an error code (can't remember if it was 116) and had to see a staff member; wonder if it was you?

 

[surreyhampgirl]

Great - Thanks both of you. Panic over
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It wasn't me ... was at the barriers a lot earlier than 9.25

surreyhampgirl, were you in Guildford at around 9.25? The person directly in front of me at the barriers this morning got an error code (can't remember if it was 116) and had to see a staff member; wonder if it was you?

 

[Solent&Wessex]

The issue was discussed at length in this thread.

There was no conclusion in this group, although opinions differed as to whether the journey you describe in the OP would be valid or not.

Of particular note is this post, which included a letter from ATOC saying it wouldn't be valid.

 

[bb21]

According to all available sources (*), Farnborough Stations - Guildford Route Any Permitted is valid via Woking.

(*The South West Trains website season ticket page, which says the tickets is
Between: Farnborough Main or North
And: Guildford (GLD)
Route Code: Travel is allowed via any permitted route.

, the Mixingdeck Season ticket app, which says the 'Any Permitted' ticket is valid via Woking, and the NRE website, which offers the £5.10 'Any Permitted' CDS for a journey via Woking, rather than the £5.20 'Via Woking' SDS.)

I am not convinced that is unequivocal proof that the route is intended to be valid.

Otherwise your source would allow a passenger to travel on a Hertford Stns - Bayford ticket via Broxbourne, for example, as the shortest route travelling wholly on the rails from Hertford East must go through Broxbourne. Your source says "no".

I used to travel the Farnborough-Guildford route on an annual ticket. It was marked as "Farnborough Stns" to "Guildford", route "any permitted". The "Farnborough Stns" grouping includes Farnborough Main, Farnborough North and Blackwater. If you plan a journey using the National Rail journey planner it offers both routes. I asked SWT by email about validity via Woking, and they never responded (quite rude I thought). The ticket worked the barriers at Farnborough Main, and I never had a problem travelling via Woking- many guards and RPIs I asked said it was fine. To this day though I'm still not sure of the "correct" answer.

This is probably of more importance to than a theoretical debate on this issue, as I am not aware of any official ruling on this matter.

 

[soil]

I am not convinced that is unequivocal proof that the route is intended to be valid.

Otherwise your source would allow a passenger to travel on a Hertford Stns - Bayford ticket via Broxbourne, for example, as the shortest route travelling wholly on the rails from Hertford East must go through Broxbourne. Your source says "no".

Which source?

it's valid here
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/HFE/BAY/tomorrow/0815/dep?via=Canonbury

 

[bb21]

Which source?

SWT.

it's valid here
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/timesandfares/HFE/BAY/tomorrow/0815/dep?via=Canonbury

Strange. If you ask for via Broxbourne, then it shows more than one ticket is required, and your link is now showing on mine as costing £18.40

 

[soil]

It doesn't like 'via Broxbourne' because the fastest route uses the Victoria Line, which it doesn't count as a shortest route. You need to force it not to use this link.