London Thameslink validity on LU

[otter11]

Hi all

Apologies I have tried to search through the forum to find an answer to this but didn't manage to find a specific answer.

Is a Meldreth (or Royston) to London Thameslink season ticket valid on the C&H/Met lines between Kings Cross and Farringdon, to then exit at Farringdon?

If so, would there be any issues with the barriers at Kings Cross LU accepting the ticket, and is there any benefit to using paper Vs Key smartcard for this particular journey?

Finally, if there was severe disruption on the ECML and GTR put out ticket acceptance on Greater Anglia - I presume the season ticket would be valid via Liverpool Street with a double back at Cambridge?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@otter11. Wouldn't your season ticket, if it's the one priced at £165 per week, be specifically routed "NOT UNDERGROUND"?

 

[otter11]

Indeed it would but my understanding was there was some interavailability between certain national rail routes and underground lines.

Perhaps it doesn't apply here.

 

[Watershed]

The interavailability only applies to tickets to London Terminals. Even then, it covers you on the Underground between Kings Cross St Pancras and Moorgate; exiting at intermediate stations such as Farringdon isn't permitted.

For obvious reasons, the interavailability also does not apply to tickets routed "not Underground".

 

[swing]

When there are issues on the ECML, it is rare for GTR to have ticket acceptance with Greater Anglia, as they normally seem to just allow use on the Bedford line instead. Also, as there are few turning points on the Cambridge line, if the ECML is out of action it is likely to affect all trains towards Cambridge as well, so even if they did offer ticket acceptance with GA, you would often not be able to get any closer to home than Cambridge.

In terms of paper vs smartcard; I think if you have a monthly (or longer) season ticket, it is smartcard only; it's the weekly that could be paper. Whilst trying to not open up the paper vs smartcard discussion, one advantage of the paper ticket is that should there be an issue in the Thameslink core and GTR have ticket acceptance with LU, then that paper ticket will be accepted; whereas LU seem to struggle with smartcards as they can't quickly verify them in the same way as a paper ticket. Conversely, there's a risk the paper ticket will become unmagnetised, and stop working (which is less of a risk in this case as it would only be valid for a week, rather than an annual season ticket)

 

[jfollows]

See the Fares & Ticketing Guide, 7.3

RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Section 7 - Integrated fares

Section 7 - Integrated fares Contents 7.1 PlusBus 7.2 Bus & Tram Links 7.3 London Underground & DLR 7.4 Eurostar through ticketing 7.5 Rail & Sail to Ireland & other British Isles destinations 7.6 Rail & Sail to Continental Europe 7.7 CIV protections 7.8 Preserved Railways 7.9 Other tourist...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[otter11]

Thanks all for the help.

This is for a friend. Is there any combination of tickets (cheaper than the full zone 1-6 season ticket) which would allow him to choose his route either:
Train to kings cross, tube to farringdon
Train direct to farringdon (without having to exit at st Pancras to tap in)

If not I think I will advise the London Thameslink ticket and using contactless for the underground journey on days he decides to use the tube instead.

 

[Hadders]

Thanks all for the help.

This is for a friend. Is there any combination of tickets (cheaper than the full zone 1-6 season ticket) which would allow him to choose his route either:
Train to kings cross, tube to farringdon
Train direct to farringdon (without having to exit at st Pancras to tap in)

If not I think I will advise the London Thameslink ticket and using contactless for the underground journey on days he decides to use the tube instead.

With the London Thameslink ticket you can go to Kings Cross, than walk to St Pancras and catch a Thameslink train to Farringdon.

I’ve done that many times when I’ve got a LNER train from SVG to KGX.

 

[Watershed]

The best option will likely be for your friend to buy a London Terminals season ticket and have it fulfilled onto a GTR Key Smartcard. If he enables KeyGo, he can then travel to/from Farringdon on GTR services and will simply be charged the additional fare for the section of his journey not covered by his season ticket.

KeyGo charges either paper fares or TfL PAYG fares, whichever works out cheaper for the journey made (based on the time of day etc.). It also supports Railcard discounts so if he gets an annual season ticket, he will be able to apply his Gold Card to get a 1/3 discount on applicable journeys. Similarly with a 16-25, 26-30 or Senior Railcard if he is in those age ranges.

The only season ticket that would permit the use of the Underground between Kings Cross St Pancras and Farringdon would be a Travelcard, which is obviously considerably more expensive.

 

[Haywain]

The best option will likely be for your friend to buy a London Terminals season ticket and have it fulfilled onto a GTR Key Smartcard. If he enables KeyGo, he can then travel to/from Farringdon on GTR services and will simply be charged the additional fare for the section of his journey not covered by his season ticket.

KeyGo charges either paper fares or TfL PAYG fares, whichever works out cheaper for the journey made (based on the time of day etc.). It also supports Railcard discounts so if he gets an annual season ticket, he will be able to apply his Gold Card to get a 1/3 discount on applicable journeys. Similarly with a 16-25, 26-30 or Senior Railcard if he is in those age ranges.

The only season ticket that would permit the use of the Underground between Kings Cross St Pancras and Farringdon would be a Travelcard, which is obviously considerably more expensive.

For the £8 a week difference, I think that the season to London Thameslink offers better value. It still doesn’t cover the underground but must work out better than PAYG for the additional travel from St Pancras to Farringdon.

 

[otter11]

The best option will likely be for your friend to buy a London Terminals season ticket and have it fulfilled onto a GTR Key Smartcard. If he enables KeyGo, he can then travel to/from Farringdon on GTR services and will simply be charged the additional fare for the section of his journey not covered by his season ticket.

KeyGo charges either paper fares or TfL PAYG fares, whichever works out cheaper for the journey made (based on the time of day etc.). It also supports Railcard discounts so if he gets an annual season ticket, he will be able to apply his Gold Card to get a 1/3 discount on applicable journeys. Similarly with a 16-25, 26-30 or Senior Railcard if he is in those age ranges.

The only season ticket that would permit the use of the Underground between Kings Cross St Pancras and Farringdon would be a Travelcard, which is obviously considerably more expensive.

Unless I am misunderstanding this will work out way more expensive?

London terminals annual season is £6280.
Assuming he commutes 5 days a week for 47 weeks a year, this would be 470 single journeys between St pancras and Farringdon - at £2.90 per journey it is an additional £1363.

By contrast the Thameslink season ticket is only £320 more expensive.

 

[Haywain]

With the London Thameslink ticket you can go to Kings Cross, than walk to St Pancras and catch a Thameslink train to Farringdon.

It may be even easier to change trains at Finsbury Park.

 

[Royston Vasey]

It may be even easier to change trains at Finsbury Park.

I deduce that the OP's friend will be looking to use the fast Royston to Kings Cross services which originate at Kings Lynn and after Royston stop only at Letchworth.

Changing to the H&C/Circle/Met at Kings Cross isn't much less of a walk than to St Pancras Thameslink platforms, in fact depending on which way you take underground it may be longer.

I would get the London Thameslink ticket and have the option of walking from Kings Cross to St Pancras.

The main peak arrivals from Kings Lynn are all booked to arrive into P8, from which you can cut through to P9 and the P9-10 gateline, short straight line walk across the road and downstairs to St Pancras platform A, and be on a train to Farringdon within about 4 minutes of arriving at Kings Cross, giving an end to end time of about 50 minutes.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/simple/gb-nr:KGX/from/gb-nr:KLN/2025-09-23/0800/arrivals

Alternatively, the Brighton trains from Royston will usually have free seats in the declassified rear first class and aren't that much slower (56 minutes)

 

[Watershed]

Unless I am misunderstanding this will work out way more expensive?

London terminals annual season is £6280.
Assuming he commutes 5 days a week for 47 weeks a year, this would be 470 single journeys between St pancras and Farringdon - at £2.90 per journey it is an additional £1363.

By contrast the Thameslink season ticket is only £320 more expensive.

Ah, I didn't appreciate he would be travelling to Farringdon every day - I thought it would be an occasional extension.

In that case then I agree getting the London Thameslink season ticket is the best option. Getting it on a Key smartcard with KeyGo still has its advantages though.

 

[otter11]

Great thanks all

Additionally I see that from the timetable recast the Meldreth trains speed up significantly, being non-stop from Welwyn north onwards. So further incentive to just stay on to Kings Cross and then walk to St Pancras

 

[Royston Vasey]

Great thanks all

Additionally I see that from the timetable recast the Meldreth trains speed up significantly, being non-stop from Welwyn north onwards. So further incentive to just stay on to Kings Cross and then walk to St Pancras

Very cheap to park at Meldreth as well, thanks to the efforts of the local rail users group, but don't tell everyone or they'll all be flocking!