Reading to Hatfield Via Moorgate- keep getting stopped!

[tokinbear]

Im starting to get frustrated...

I keep getting stopped at moorgate station.
So I buy a anytime single ticket “via any permitted route” and with the little cross indicating i’m allowed one tube journey with it. And I break my journey at moorgate for a few hours before carrying on my journey. TFL staff have both told me that “if i go through the barrier my ticket becomes invalid” and I just got stopped today because apparently my ticket isn’t valid via moorgate. I am under the impression you can break your journey at a station you’re travelling through, and any that I can do this journey via Moorgate. Please let me know if I am wrong. Thanks in advance, a frustrated passenger.

 

[PeterC]

Break of journey isn't automatic on the Underground. Their own tickets do not permit it.
My understanding of the situation with a "maltese cross" ticket is that you can alight anywhere in zone 1 but cannot rejoin the Underground on that ticket but have to make your own way to the appropriate NR terminus.
I don't know what the rules are when you wish to rejoin a National Rail service at an LUL operated station like Moorgate. I have certainly heard of people holding Chiltern tickets on the Aylesbury line being told that they cannot break their journey at a Met Line station.

 

[MikeWh]

It's going to be the fact that Moorgate is operated by LU but is also served by the NR train you intend to use for part 2. I'd suggest contacting Great Northern and asking them for assistance.

 

[Hadders]

Your ticket is valid for what you are doing but it's not the 'usual' route someone would use to make this journey (as it's faster from Kings Cross).

A Reading - Hatfield ticket route: +Any Permitted is valid on any permitted route between Reading and London Terminals, and via any permitted route between London Terminals and Hatfield. It is also valid for an Underground journey on an appropriate route between the two London Terminals.

Reading - London Terminals is valid into Paddington and Waterloo (and all the other 'south' London Terminals)
London Terminals - Hatfield is valid from St Pancras, Kings Cross, Moorgate or Old Street.

So the OP takes the Underground to Moorgate, pops out for a bit and resumes that National Rail part of the journey later. This is not a break of journey on the Underground.

The issue is that the Underground and National Rail share a gateline at Moorgate so ordinarily you would not expect a passenger to exit and enter using the same ticket. Of course staff manning the gateline should realise this is a possibility and let passengers through without unnecessary hassle.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I'd suggest contacting Great Northern and asking them for assistance.

Moorgate is operated by TfL as you say, so I see no reason to contact Great Northern. It's TfL who are in breach of contract when they refuse to let passengers out with valid tickets, and much though I am put off by their attitude to certain kinds of ticketing issues, you can at least expect a half-decent response from them compared to a train company.

 

[MikeWh]

Moorgate is operated by TfL as you say, so I see no reason to contact Great Northern. It's TfL who are in breach of contract when they refuse to let passengers out with valid tickets, and much though I am put off by their attitude to certain kinds of ticketing issues, you can at least expect a half-decent response from them compared to a train company.

The trouble is it's a grey area. When stopped the service that is required is run by GN, but they don't control the access. I was thinking that GN might provide a letter to show to the gate staff, or might liaise with LU to refine the training of the gate staff.