Mapped routes Cranbrook to Plumstead

[Class800]

Cranbrook to Plumstead

There are no direct trains.

So I look for the shortest route by rail. This is via Salisbury and Basingstoke into London Waterloo, then Waterloo East to Plumstead.

For additional routing options, I consult the routing maps. I am still not as proficient as I would like at the maps, but I have worked out that to reach London the following seem valid

Cranbrook - London Waterloo (direct via Salisbury and Basingstoke)
Cranbrook - Yeovil Junction - Castle Cary - London Paddington
Cranbrook - Salisbury - Westbury - London Paddington
Cranbrook - Exeter St Davids - London Paddington (I think but am not 100% sure - this only applies where the train runs via Westbury and not when it runs via Bristol?)
Cranbrook - Basingstoke - Reading - London Paddington

There may be some more but these are the main ones I think. Does anyone think any of these is not a valid mapped route.

From London, it is basically any relevant London Terminal - typically Waterloo East, Charing Cross or London Bridge - but I would expect Victoria and St Pancras international would be fine too.

My understanding is that Plumstead tickets would fail the routing check to be used via Dartford on one of the other lines to Dartford.

 

[Watershed]

So I look for the shortest route by rail. This is via Salisbury and Basingstoke into London Waterloo, then Waterloo East to Plumstead.

The absolute shortest route by rail (taking approx. 175.34 miles) actually requires you to diverge at Wimbledon, heading to Plumstead via Tooting, Tulse Hill, Peckham Rye, Lewisham and Blackheath. Obviously not a very convenient or quick route!

However, as all through tickets (except Day Travelcards) are routed via London, you are technically barred from taking that shortest route and instead shortest routes must be calculated to/from the via point, i.e. London Terminals. It then depends on how you calculate this - do you take the shortest route to any Terminal? - but broadly speaking into Waterloo and out of Waterloo East is correct.

1 Cranbrook - London Waterloo (direct via Salisbury and Basingstoke)
2 Cranbrook - Yeovil Junction - Castle Cary - London Paddington
3 Cranbrook - Salisbury - Westbury - London Paddington
4 Cranbrook - Exeter St Davids - London Paddington (I think but am not 100% sure - this only applies where the train runs via Westbury and not when it runs via Bristol?)
5 Cranbrook - Basingstoke - Reading - London Paddington

I've added in route numbers above in bold. I'm afraid that only route number 1 is unquestionably valid. The remainder are only valid if you assume it's permissible to make your own way across London on a "London not Und" ticket, and even then, 2, 3 and 4 rely on Exeter passing the fares check, which it doesn't.

So there's certainly liable to be some 'discussion' about using any of those routes, in the absence of any ticket acceptance related to the Salisbury "incident".

From London, it is basically any relevant London Terminal - typically Waterloo East, Charing Cross or London Bridge - but I would expect Victoria and St Pancras international would be fine too.

St Pancras can't be used as you would have to pass through Farringdon, which isn't a London Terminal, to get to Plumstead.

The others are all acceptable in principle however again, it's same issue of making your own way across London on a "London not Und" ticket (apart from Victoria, which you can simply reach by changing at Clapham Junction.

 

[Class800]

Thanks for your expertise @Watershed . This shows how complex routing can be even with a moderate amount of knowledge. The routing code for the Cranbrook to Plumstead tickets has changed (some time in 2020) from VIA HONITON to LONDON NOT UND. But as you show, that may not actually make a practical difference. I used the Paddington and St Davids route due to 'Salisbury incident' and the ticket worked in the gates at Paddington. This is a complex one - different people have different views on it. But in practice I think I'll stick with the direct route.

 

[Haywain]

The remainder are only valid if you assume it's permissible to make your own way across London on a "London not Und" ticket, and even then, 2, 3 and 4 rely on Exeter passing the fares check, which it doesn't.

I'm curious how routes 2 and 3 are impacted by the Exeter fares check as they don't pass through Exeter.

 

[Watershed]

I'm curious how routes 2 and 3 are impacted by the Exeter fares check as they don't pass through Exeter.

Because they are only valid routes if you use Exeter as your origin Routeing Point. Salisbury-London's mapped routes are rather more limited - via Basingstoke and Reading, or the SWML all the way, or the SWML until Byfleet then via Addlestone and Feltham.

 

[Haywain]

Because they are only valid routes if you use Exeter as your origin Routeing Point.

I didn't think of that!

 

[30907]

The routing code for the Cranbrook to Plumstead tickets has changed (some time in 2020) from VIA HONITON to LONDON NOT UND. But as you show, that may not actually make a practical difference. I used the Paddington and St Davids route due to 'Salisbury incident' and the ticket worked in the gates at Paddington.

...presumably because the VIA HONITON routeing included Paddington via Basingstoke, and Paddington - as does the VIA SALISBURY on a London ticket.

 

[infobleep]

...presumably because the VIA HONITON routeing included Paddington via Basingstoke, and Paddington - as does the VIA SALISBURY on a London ticket.

Would this be something worth challenging? As in are the other routes reasonable ones that have existed for many years?

 

[30907]

Would this be something worth challenging? As in are the other routes reasonable ones that have existed for many years?

Via Yeovil Jn and PM would seem reasonable, but for 50-odd years there was no regular train service anyway, so it is understandable if the routing guide doesn't cover it
Via Warminster is very much longer (at a guess 30 miles).