Is this journey valid via Underground?

[super_sprinter]

Hello

A few times a year at the weekends I make a journey between Billericay and Purfleet.

I usually buy a paper Super Off-Peak Return to Stratford and then use my Oyster card to take the Jubilee Line to West Ham and then board the c2c service there, touching out at PFL.

However, the last time I made this journey, I had forgotten my Oyster card and therefore bought a paper ticket for the whole BIC-PFL journey (I believe this was also a Super-Off Peak Return). Is this a valid ticket for taking the route on the Underground as I usually do?

 

[James Wake]

I can't see a Maltese cross next to the Billericay to Purfleet Super off peak day return at £11.20 on BR fares, I think it is a logical route, but a National Rail route is to take the train from Billericay to Romford, then London Overground to Upminster, then c2c to Grays and then Purfleet (or c2c from Upminster to Barking, then Purfleet).

 

[Paul Kelly]

Very interesting question. The ticket is also certainly valid all the way into Liverpool Street, then walk to Fenchurch Street and out again. Wasn't Stratford to West Ham formerly part of the North London Line, before it was taken over by DLR? Back then I'm sure it would have been an eminently reasonable route. Even now it seems to be traceable on maps CO+TS (Shenfield routeing point to Barking routeing point), but without a Maltese Cross most booking engines won't allow the itinerary because it includes an Underground leg, even though it is obviously not a cross-London journey (for which the Maltese Cross is intended).

You should ask c2c what routes you may take with a Billericay to Purfleet ticket. They may say via the Romford-Upminster line! You could also ask what tickets you need if you want to take the Jubliee Line from Stratford to West Ham. It would be very interesting to hear their response.

 

[kieron]

Stratford and West Ham are both listed as places where a cross-London journey can start and end on nationalrail.co.uk. The instructions on that page say only tickets with a Maltese cross include non-rail travel, so I'm not sure how helpful this is.

It's possible to travel from Stratford to Barking by walking from Forest Gate to Manor Park, or on one of the few trains C2C operate from Liverpool Street, so I'm not sure the maps show the West Ham route.

 

[super_sprinter]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think in future it's best for me just to be sure that I have my Oyster for the SRA > PFL leg and then I know I'm covered on the Tube.

Just out of interest, I put BIC > PFL via Stratford as a return journey for tomorrow lunchtime into the NRE app Journey Planner and it offered me the following tickets and itineraries:

Off-Peak Return £11.20 (travel to LST and then walk to Fenchurch St)

The itinerary for travelling via West Ham on the Jubilee Line comes up, but doesn't offer a price.

However, if I just do a single journey, the Jubilee line route is offered as an Anytime Single at £17.20.

It's always seemed to me like the quickest route and, when the connections work out, it does work pretty well. I used to travel via Stratford a lot about 10 years ago and West Ham was always such a good second option for getting the c2c line quickly if something was wrong on GA and using alternative Tube lines if the Central was down.

I don't think I've ever done this journey via Upminster. I've certainly done BIC > RMF > UPM > CHF and that probably put me off! I can see why RMF > UPM would be the recommended National-Rail only route, though.

I will certainly see what c2c or GA say when I have a moment to query it.

 

[James Wake]

Have you maybe thought about pricing up how much it would cost by bus and how much time it would save/cost, maybe get the First Essex 100 from Billiericay to Grays then the Ensignbus 44 to Purfleet.

 

[super_sprinter]

Have you maybe thought about pricing up how much it would cost by bus and how much time it would save/cost, maybe get the First Essex 100 from Billiericay to Grays then the Ensignbus 44 to Purfleet.

Thanks for the suggestion. I could try that in future, although I much prefer travelling by train than the bus. I like to read and write during my train journeys and I can't do that on the bus as it makes me travel sick.

I'm certainly open to travelling to LST and then walking to FST in future for the National-Rail only £11.20 ticket, which is probably cheaper than the SRA return and the extra Oyster cost.

 

[James Wake]

Thanks for the suggestion. I could try that in future, although I much prefer travelling by train than the bus. I like to read and write during my train journeys and I can't do that on the bus as it makes me travel sick.

I'm certainly open to travelling to LST and then walking to FST in future for the National-Rail only £11.20 ticket, which is probably cheaper than the SRA return and the extra Oyster cost.

I see, that's fair enough. I travel by bus and rail and only tend to read on the train too, but on the bus if I need to check a timetable, then I can without getting travel sick afterwards. I would suggest looking at the connections whether it is quicker to go via LST and Fenchurch, or do the route via Romford and Upminster. It depends on the connections at each of Romford and Upminster. There is also the Tfl 370 bus from Romford to Upminster and Lakeside as well.

 

[super_sprinter]

I see, that's fair enough. I travel by bus and rail and only tend to read on the train too, but on the bus if I need to check a timetable, then I can without getting travel sick afterwards. I would suggest looking at the connections whether it is quicker to go via LST and Fenchurch, or do the route via Romford and Upminster. It depends on the connections at each of Romford and Upminster. There is also the Tfl 370 bus from Romford to Upminster and Lakeside as well.

I suppose there shouldn't be too much of a time difference in using FST, especially as I'd only be getting on board the service that I would have boarded further down the line at West Ham. Would just have to get my timings right.

Oh, yes, I've used that 370 bus from Romford to Lakeside before – it felt like it took an eternity! Thankfully, Westfield Stratford has eradicated the need for such journeys!