Hitchin to Farringdon with a Carnet

[rdwarr]

I was talking to a passenger on Twitter. They work part-time and so use carnet tickets from Hitchin to London Terminals. Later this month the "Thameslink" through trains come in so they wish to travel through to Farringdon on a single train.
GN have said that carnet tickets will not be available to London Thameslink and also come up with suggestions such as "Get off at St Pancras and get the tube to Farringdon"!
I can't think of an easy way to do the journey without getting off other than queueing up at the ticket office and buyig a STP-Farringdon return for £5.80. Is there a better way?

 

[Haywain]

How about using Oyster or contactless? How do they currently make the journey?

 

[Hadders]

The most straightforward way would be for GTR to introduce carnets to London Thameslink.

Not doing this is somewhat ridiculous, although this is GTR so nothing should surprise us.....

 

[rdwarr]

How about using Oyster or contactless? How do they currently make the journey?

Currently HIT-KGX then you can tap in at STP and out at Farringdon.
But, in future, they will be on a direct train from HIT-Farringdon so can't tap in at STP without having to get off there. I asked if a season ticket from StP to London Bridge (might as well; same price as Farringdon) was an option but it's not as they only work a couple of days per week.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Well, the STP to ZFD £5.80 ticket can be bought at Hitchin before the start of the journey (if you ask nicely) but the 'best' option on balance will probably be to get off the train, exit the station two floors up, re-enter with a contactless card, go two floors down and then exit at ZFD with the same card (not another one, as you be charged big bucks by various computers although you can be refunded the excess later c/o the Oyster 'Help' Line). That would cost £5 return.

However, if you fancy a little exercise, once you have exited the Thameslink station you could walk along to the TfL LUL station and get a tube train from there that (for reasons one can only begin to guess at) can do it all for you and save you 20p into the bargain. The serious savings come if you hop on a 45 or 63 bus, which stops just outside the Thameslink barriers in the Farringdon direction and which will cost you £1.50 each way (the stop in the return direction is on the other side of King's Cross so is less useful but you might still want to consider it to save £1.30 on the return leg.) Who knew that there could be such fun exploring all the options?!!! And what did you expect after a £5bn upgrade.... Just another example of how, despite lots of people who really want to help improve things working for it, the railway, its funders and regulators struggle to walk the walk when it comes to helping customers... Sounds like one for your MP.

 

[rdwarr]

Some cracking suggestions there. I used to do the 63 bus to Blackfriars before the south exit opened there. Sadly it takes about 20 minutes from St Pancras to Kings Cross so is always best caught at the latter!
Will raise with MP as I'm seeing him at the election count (albeit with a different coloured rosette on).

 

[Hadders]

Just to underline that GTR need to introduce carnets from GN stations to London Thameslink.

Hitchin - London Terminals Carnet £11.50 each way
Add paper St Pancras - Farringdon Anytime Day Return £5.80
Total £28.80

Hitchin - London Thameslink Anytime Day Return £27.70

Even using a carnet alighting the train at St Pancras to use Oyster/Contactless will not be cheaper than an Anytime Day Return.

 

[Steve Birks]

I'm in the same situation, I travel from Hitchin to Farringdon 2 or 3 times a week.
I see all the different options for getting from St. Pancras to Farringdon, they've always been there.
But its really frustrating to have to leave a train which is next stop my stop and will be there in 5 mins.
btw. oyster option is probably easier from Finsbury Park as they have card readers on (some of the) platforms there.

 

[Clip]

Well, the STP to ZFD £5.80 ticket can be bought at Hitchin before the start of the journey (if you ask nicely) but the 'best' option on balance will probably be to get off the train, exit the station two floors up, re-enter with a contactless card, go two floors down and then exit at ZFD with the same card (not another one, as you be charged big bucks by various computers although you can be refunded the excess later c/o the Oyster 'Help' Line). That would cost £5 return.

However, if you fancy a little exercise, once you have exited the Thameslink station you could walk along to the TfL LUL station and get a tube train from there that (for reasons one can only begin to guess at) can do it all for you and save you 20p into the bargain. The serious savings come if you hop on a 45 or 63 bus, which stops just outside the Thameslink barriers in the Farringdon direction and which will cost you £1.50 each way (the stop in the return direction is on the other side of King's Cross so is less useful but you might still want to consider it to save £1.30 on the return leg.) Who knew that there could be such fun exploring all the options?!!! And what did you expect after a £5bn upgrade.... Just another example of how, despite lots of people who really want to help improve things working for it, the railway, its funders and regulators struggle to walk the walk when it comes to helping customers... Sounds like one for your MP.

its not really got much to do with the '£5bn upgrade' and more of GTR not making carnets available for the journey requested so probably not quite one for an MP just yet but merely not asking the Great Northern section of GTR, possibly the Thameslink department as they will be the fare setter id imagine.

Or is that too sensible a suggestion?

 

[Hadders]

This is absolutely typical GTR behaviour. Open a new rail service but don't offer appropriate tickets that allow it to be used. Then wonder why people will travel beyond the validity on their ticket etc.

How hard can this really be to get right.

 

[Esker-pades]

I saw some advice which was to get a ticket to London Bridge from a Great Northern destination if a London Thameslink ticket was not available. Not sure if one can buy a carnet for Hitchin to London Bridge though.

 

[Hadders]

I saw some advice which was to get a ticket to London Bridge from a Great Northern destination if a London Thameslink ticket was not available. Not sure if one can buy a carnet for Hitchin to London Bridge though.

No carnet tickets from Hitchin to London Bridge...

 

[Haywain]

Open a new rail service but don't offer appropriate tickets that allow it to be used.

There are plenty of appropriate tickets, just not carnets. But carnets are not available for very many other journeys on Thameslink and Great Northern services.

 

[Hadders]

There are plenty of appropriate tickets, just not carnets. But carnets are not available for very many other journeys on Thameslink and Great Northern services.

But it’s bizarre that they haven’t introduced them seeing as garnets are available from all GN stations to London Terminals. Doesn’t exactly encourage people to travel to the ‘core stations’ and if anything encourages people to try it on with a London Terminals ticket.

 

[baz962]

Way off topic ... but I was scrolling down on my phone with cracked screen , and I thought the thread title read as :- Hitchin to Farringdon with a camel. Now sitting in mess room absolutely dying inside.

 

[Hadders]

Way off topic ... but I was scrolling down on my phone with cracked screen , and I thought the thread title read as :- Hitchin to Farringdon with a camel. Now sitting in mess room absolutely dying inside.

During the shambles there were times when it probably would’ve be quicker by camel.

 

[Haywain]

During the shambles there were times when it probably would’ve be quicker by camel.

With comparable comfort levels!