Tilehurst to Farringdon - any creative options?

[Kristofferson]

Asking on behalf of a colleague who travels between TLH and ZFD in peak every day.

Trying to apply the "hacks" I use for my own unrelated journey, I still can't find a cheaper way for him to travel than a £4900 yearly season ticket.

> Daily Anytime return tickets over a 228-day working year are £11k/year.
> A yearly season to Paddington (London Terminals) then Oyster to & from Farringdon is no cheaper either @ £5200/year!

Does anyone know of a cheaper way of doing this journey - any opportunities for stopping short etc? He's not eligible for any railcards.

Cheers

 

[button_boxer]

I suspect you'll struggle to beat the through Travelcard unless he's prepared to take the bus rather than the tube for the last leg from Paddington. A season ticket just to London Terminals ought to be valid as far as City Thameslink but he'd have to travel via Reading to Waterloo, walk to Waterloo East, then travel to London Bridge and change there for City Thameslink so the journey time penalty would be ridiculous.

 

[Kristofferson]

I think he'll choose to spend the extra £700/year to avoid that roundabout trip! Creative suggestion indeed

Thanks for letting me know I haven't missed a (reasonable) alternative route though.

 

[LexyBoy]

Tilehurst - London Terminals annual @ £4188 would allow travel Tilehurst-Reading-Waterloo-Waterloo East-London Bridge-City Thameslink (a short walk from Farringdon). Painfully slow though. Cycling from Paddington is also viable though not especially pleasant.

Basingstoke - London Terminals Any Permitted @ £4188 would allow travel Reading-Basingstoke-Waterloo-Waterloo East-London Bridge-City Thameslink which would be a bit quicker, but he'd have to add on travel to Reading (a bus annual is £575). Reading West might be more convenient on this route depending on timings.

Splitting at stations between Paddington and Tilehurst seems to come out much the same as the though fare (for Travelcards). Without a much longer journey or using significant loopholes I don't think it's possible to save on this journey.

I'd imagine there will be more options post-2018 but that's not much help for the time being!

 

[Kristofferson]

Many thanks - I've suggested the Thameslink route as a joke anyway!

 

[pne]

then travel to London Bridge and change there for City Thameslink

I thought that as of this week, there are no Thameslink trains that call at both London Bridge and City Thameslink (LB only having a reduced southbound service).

So he'd have to change at Clapham Junction and East Croydon instead (or something like that) to get to City Thameslink.

so the journey time penalty would be ridiculous.

Indeed.

 

[MikeWh]

Many thanks - I've suggested the Thameslink route as a joke anyway!

Is it feasible to walk from Waterloo to Blackfriars? Through Waterloo East and Southwark LU would keep half of it under-cover.

 

[greatkingrat]

I've PM'd you a couple more options although they won't be hassle-free.

 

[Metobusfan]

Is it feasible to walk from Waterloo to Blackfriars? Through Waterloo East and Southwark LU would keep half of it under-cover.

It's a 10 - 15 min walk from Waterloo to blackfriars

 

[Kristofferson]

Half hour walk in total then, for a journey time of 2 hours (as RDG-WAT is 1hr 30).

Might mention that one.