Overground fare anomaly

[island]

The fare from Shoreditch High Street (SDC) to New Cross (NWX) is charged as a National Rail zone 1-2 journey at £2 (all fares quoted are adult Oyster off-peak) but to New Cross Gate (NXG) it's a TfL journey at £2.20.

Any ideas why? I understood that journeys made on London Overground attracted the more favourable of National Rail or TfL rates applicable to the journey. Does the fact that NWX is managed by Southeastern play a part?

 

[Clip]

Without looking into it that is the first thing that came into me head ( the SET station bit)

 

[Matt E Raffles]

All of the journeys wholly on the London Overground are configured for Oyster as TfL local fares, even when the actual price charged appears to be on the NR local tariff. In this way TfL is able to maintain its policy of not charging 5-10 year olds for travel on its services, for example.

The London Overground local journeys which appear to be on the NR local pricing structure are so priced to ensure that they are not undercut by longer journeys along the same corridor that are charged on the (sometimes cheaper) NR tariff. So, for example, Shoreditch High Street to New Cross (which would be priced at £2.20 adult off-peak on the normal TfL structure) is priced to be no more expensive than Shoreditch High Street to St. Johns (£2.00). In other words, the pricing is cheapest of the TfL local and NR local scales across all fare types. Shoreditch High Street to New Cross Gate, on the other hand, is priced at £2.20 off-peak, presumably as there are no unfavourable comparisons to be made with Brockley which is also on the TfL scale.

Similar things occur elsewhere on the rail network where TfL fares apply. For example, London Liverpool Street to Tottenham Hale is currently priced at £2.30 adult off-peak (rather than £2.70 which is the normal TfL local fare).

 

[yorkie]

In other words, the pricing is cheapest of the TfL local and NR local scales across all fare types.

I'm not sure on the rest of your post, but I agree with this.

Island has found an exception to this, and I believe that must surely be a mistake.

 

[Matt E Raffles]

If the fact that the fare from Shoreditch High Street to New Cross is less than the fare to New Cross Gate is seen as an anomaly then, yes, the fares are anomalous. Perhaps the fact that TfL attempts to portray its fares as zonal is the problem here.

However, if the policy is to ensure that a journey to either of the New Crosses is not more expensive than the next station along the line (St. Johns in the case of New Cross and Brockley in the case of New Cross Gate) then that remit is fulfilled and that potential anomaly has been avoided.

 

[greatkingrat]

You still get an anomaly somewhere, as a journey to Surrey Quays is more expensive than one to New Cross.

 

[Matt E Raffles]

You still get an anomaly somewhere, as a journey to Surrey Quays is more expensive than one to New Cross.

Shoreditch High Street to Surrey Quays is priced the same as New Cross but there are anomalies in neighbouring journeys. Shoreditch High Street to Whitechapel/Shadwell/Wapping are priced at £2.20 off-peak in comparison to Rotherhithe which is £2.00.

Looks like there are definitely anomalies one way or another!

 

[yorkie]

There will always be anomalies, but I still believe the fare quoted by Island is a mistake.

 

[bicbasher]

TfL's Fare Finder has the Shoreditch High Street to New Cross fare at £2, BRFares.com at £2.20.

 

[MikeWh]

TfL's Fare Finder has the Shoreditch High Street to New Cross fare at £2, BRFares.com at £2.20.

Never believe PAYG fares on NRE. They are only a guide and there are lots of places where they are wrong or incomplete, ie alternative routes not shown.