Tonbridge to Dorking (any)

[ngood77]

Hi guys,

Struggling to find a suitable through-ticket for my journey below, given I want to avoid the rail replacement bus on the Tonbridge to Redhill line.

My journey is :-

Tonbridge to Dorking (either of the stations)
Return
Mon 25th August, arrive before 11am, depart after 5.30pm
Network Railcard

Best I can come up with is Tonbridge-London Bridge-Redhill-Dorking (Deepdene), or...

Tonbridge-London Victoria-Dorking (main). Two separate tickets.

Many thanks.

 

[Watershed]

There's two fare routes for through tickets from Tonbridge to Dorking - "via Edenbridge" (which would necessitate the RRB) and "via Tramlink 1" (which is intended for use on the London Tram between East Croydon and Wimbledon).

I really have no idea why they're expecting you to use the London Tram for this journey, and in any event the electronic data restrictions associated with the "via Tramlink 1" fare route mean that it requires itinerary to only include Southern trains - a clearly implausible restriction.

The trams also aren't in the National Rail timetable data feed, and there isn't a 'fixed link' in the way you have for the Tube between London Terminals. Together, any one of those would prevent you from being able to buy the ticket online - you'd only be able to do so at a ticket machine, and even then it's really not clear what route the ticket is supposed to be used on.

So yes, buying a ticket from Tonbridge to Dorking won't work; you could buy a combination of tickets splitting somewhere like London.

Alternatively you could buy a ticket to somewhere beyond Dorking, like Holmwood. There are fares from Tonbridge to Holmwood routed "not via London" (cheap but requiring a somewhat convoluted route - like changing at Orpington, Herne Hill, Streatham and Mitcham Eastfields) and "+Any Permitted" fares (valid via Waterloo East and Waterloo for example), giving you a choice of routes.

 

[ngood77]

There's two fare routes for through tickets from Tonbridge to Dorking - "via Edenbridge" (which would necessitate the RRB) and "via Tramlink 1" (which is intended for use on the London Tram between East Croydon and Wimbledon).

I really have no idea why they're expecting you to use the London Tram for this journey, and in any event the electronic data restrictions associated with the "via Tramlink 1" fare route mean that it requires itinerary to only include Southern trains - a clearly implausible restriction.

The trams also aren't in the National Rail timetable data feed, and there isn't a 'fixed link' in the way you have for the Tube between London Terminals. Together, any one of those would prevent you from being able to buy the ticket online - you'd only be able to do so at a ticket machine, and even then it's really not clear what route the ticket is supposed to be used on.

So yes, buying a ticket from Tonbridge to Dorking won't work; you could buy a combination of tickets splitting somewhere like London.

Alternatively you could buy a ticket to somewhere beyond Dorking, like Holmwood. There are fares from Tonbridge to Holmwood routed "not via London" (cheap but requiring a somewhat convoluted route - like changing at Orpington, Herne Hill, Streatham and Mitcham Eastfields) and "+Any Permitted" fares (valid via Waterloo East and Waterloo for example), giving you a choice of routes.

Many thanks for your reply, how odd. Out of interest, how do you find those Holmwood routes you suggest ? I can’t seem to get them up via the NR app or the forum’s ticketing site. Ta.

 

[Watershed]

Many thanks for your reply, how odd. Out of interest, how do you find those Holmwood routes you suggest ? I can’t seem to get them up via the NR app or the forum’s ticketing site. Ta.

Holmwood doesn't have Sunday services, if that's the date you're looking for. You'd have to either buy the ticket from a ticket machine/office, or use a website/app like GTR/SE's that allows you to "Favourite" fares when logged in, and then repurchase them for other dates without having to search for itineraries.

I didn't specifically look for that route on booking sites, it's just a route I came up with in FastJP when entering appropriate 'via' and 'avoid' points.

It might not validate in journey planners, because it relies on 'intersecting' Routing Guide maps to & from London - i.e. taking the valid maps to London, and from London, working out where they meet and then constructing an itinerary that avoids London Terminals such as to validate the use of a "not via London" fare. Most journey planners don't support this kind of map construction but it's valid.

 

[ngood77]

Holmwood doesn't have Sunday services, if that's the date you're looking for. You'd have to either buy the ticket from a ticket machine/office, or use a website/app like GTR/SE's that allows you to "Favourite" fares when logged in, and then repurchase them for other dates without having to search for itineraries.

I didn't specifically look for that route on booking sites, it's just a route I came up with in FastJP when entering appropriate 'via' and 'avoid' points.

It might not validate in journey planners, because it relies on 'intersecting' Routing Guide maps to & from London - i.e. taking the valid maps to London, and from London, working out where they meet and then constructing an itinerary that avoids London Terminals such as to validate the use of a "not via London" fare. Most journey planners don't support this kind of map construction but it's valid.

Blimey ! Thanks once again, I think I’ll settle for the double the price ticket via London for the privilege of not using the RRB. Cheers.

 

[ngood77]

Hi all. Re. above planned journey for this Monday, it isn’t clear whether the easements mentioned at the below link permit me to travel between Tonbridge and Redhill via London, using my Tonbridge to Dorking (via Edenbridge) ticket. Would be grateful for your views. Many thanks.

https://www.southernrailway.com/service-updates/planned-engineering-work

 

[CyrusWuff]

Frustratingly, GTR haven't requested an update to the Routeing Guide to reflect those easements, despite it being an extended period of Engineering Work.

As such, journey planners will show that you'll need a combination of tickets to avoid the replacement buses.

 

[Watershed]

Hi all. Re. above planned journey for this Monday, it isn’t clear whether the easements mentioned at the below link permit me to travel between Tonbridge and Redhill via London, using my Tonbridge to Dorking (via Edenbridge) ticket. Would be grateful for your views. Many thanks.

https://www.southernrailway.com/service-updates/planned-engineering-work

It's unclear whether the 'easements', as worded, cover journeys that involve travelling via the Redhill-Tonbridge line, rather than purely travel to/from intermediate stations on the line. But I'd be happy to rely on it in case anyone queried the route. At worst you can only be charged a 'change of route' excess for half the difference to the appropriate fare (e.g. "Any Permitted"), which you could then later dispute with customer services if it came to it.

 

[ngood77]

Thanks guys. Twitter agents from both TOCs have confirmed I’m ok. Is that now foolproof ? Ta

https://x.com/southernrailuk/status/1958795611903308245?s=46&t=3I3hO44DoIN5owNnOiT_9w

 

[Watershed]

Thanks guys. Twitter agents from both TOCs have confirmed I’m ok. Is that now foolproof ? Ta

https://x.com/southernrailuk/status/1958795611903308245?s=46&t=3I3hO44DoIN5owNnOiT_9w

Yes, that would be great evidence in case of any dispute.

 

[ngood77]

Yes, that would be great evidence in case of any dispute.

Smashing. It’s going to be a much more comfortable journey now if not that much shorter.

I appreciate I’m stretching things now but would I be able to break my journey on the journeys out of and into London ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Aug 2025 ==

I appreciate I’m stretching things now but would I be able to break my journey on the journeys out of and into London ?

Is this permitted or am I being cheeky ? Ta

 

[Watershed]

Smashing. It’s going to be a much more comfortable journey now if not that much shorter.

I appreciate I’m stretching things now but would I be able to break my journey on the journeys out of and into London ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Aug 2025 ==


Is this permitted or am I being cheeky ? Ta

There isn't anything that specifically says you can't, but it is definitely pushing things a little as the intention of the ticket acceptance is to allow you to avoid replacement buses, not get a cheaper fare to London.

I also wouldn't be sure that the ticket would work the barriers at London Bridge.

 

[ngood77]

There isn't anything that specifically says you can't, but it is definitely pushing things a little as the intention of the ticket acceptance is to allow you to avoid replacement buses, not get a cheaper fare to London.

I also wouldn't be sure that the ticket would work the barriers at London Bridge.

Yeah I’m thinking the same. I’m nearly at Redhill already but might try it on the way back. Thanks