Keygo, brighton, thameslink & engineering

[planetf1]

Hi,
I’m planning to travel Brighton-London Bridge next saturday for a social event.

This means I can use a thameslink only ticket - significantly cheaper at the weekend than southern.

In recent years I’ve been using KeyGo ie payg, and always been charged correctly. It has the benefit of being able to use on the bus from home to Brighton station, and then apply the plusbus fare - which is tricky with a paper ticket as I’d have to get it first (and e-tickets don’t work afaik with plusbus)

Next weekend there is engineering work, and lines in the gatwick area are closed. this means a much longer trip, but at least there is a schedule. Basically bus between three bridges and East Grinstead.

The journey planners (thameslink, lner) are still showing the Thameslink only price, which is great, as well as the modified route/time. Before I checked I was actually wondering if only the southern fare would be available, and it would be tricky to buy a ticket (except in person)

I am presuming then I should be pretty good to use the keygo, and should get charged thameslink prices, even though it won’t actually be a thameslink train?

 

[paul1609]

At the weekend there is a London Thameslink to Brighton Super Off Peak Day Return route not underground as well as route Thameslink only at the same price. So you can "legally" use Southern trains on any valid route on keygo from London Bridge.

 

[Jan Mayen]

If you tap in at East Grinstead, that may cause issues.

 

[MrJeeves]

If you tap in at East Grinstead, that may cause issues.

This!

If you tap out at Three Bridges and back in at East Grinstead, you will not be charged correctly.

keyGo simply isn't smart enough for that.

Your choice will be to use an e-ticket or paper ticket, unfortunately (or convince staff at Three Bridges and East Grinstead to both let you through the gateline without touching out/in so that you only tap out at London).

 

[Haywain]

If you tap out at Three Bridges and back in at East Grinstead, you will not be charged correctly.

keyGo simply isn't smart enough for that.

In my experience KeyGo is pretty good so I wouldn't assume that those taps would lead to an incorrect charge.

 

[MrJeeves]

In my experience KeyGo is pretty good so I wouldn't assume that those taps would lead to an incorrect charge.

If OP wants to try it, they can go for it, but I can almost assure you it would register as two journeys: Brighton to Three Bridges and East Grinstead to London Bridge.

 

[Jan Mayen]

I'm fairly sure that you are meant to tap in before getting on a replacement bus so you have a valid ticket, so in theory the gateline staff should allow someone who tapped in a Brighton to go through the gateline without tapping out if they say they are going on the replacement bus.

 

[JonathanH]

I'm fairly sure that you are meant to tap in before getting on a replacement bus so you have a valid ticket, so in theory the gateline staff should allow someone who tapped in a Brighton to go through the gateline without tapping out if they say they are going on the replacement bus.

This is an instance where Keygo has a failing, in that some interchange facility should be established between alighting from the train at Three Bridges and boarding the bus then the opposite at East Grinstead.

Given the issues that already exist with replacement bus arrangements on Oyster and Contactless in London, it is a major shortcoming that the railway has not come up with a suitable solution for using smartcards on replacement buses.

In my view, the two options here of a) not being touched in between Three Bridges and East Grinstead or b) having to ask to be let out / in without touching out / in at Three Bridges and East Grinstead are both unacceptable from a customer perspective because both lead to confusion.