Unable to specify route!

[SAPhil]

Hi,

I want to travel from St Albans to Gatwick on Sat 5 Feb arriving at about 8.00 in the morning. If I attempt to get train times from either the First Capital Connect or the National rail sites, I am routed via St Pancras, Victoria and the Gatwick Express. I would prefer to go via London Bridge but if I specify this as an option I am told to change at Kentish Town -which means a slow train from St Albans. What I want to do is change at St Pancras and go to London Bridge but I cant seem to get this option to work. If I specify via both St Pancras and London Bridge the sites seem to ignore the London Bridge option and route me via Victoria again! Is there some reason why I am not allowed this option or should I just go ahead and go this way anyway?

 

[Dewedin]

I'm not a Londoner but wouldn't your plan involve using the closed-at-weekends Thameslink?

 

[jopsuk]

On the FCC site, without adding any "via" options, I selected "Direct Trains only"- and it came back with no services arriving before 8am.

There's a very simple reason though for this. There's no through trains due to the "Core" being closed.

 

[Caped Crusader]

If you are travelling on a standard Anytime Day Single at £18:00, the ticket is valid on either route and includes your cross London tube journey.

The last train you can catch from London Bridge to Gatwick to arrive by 08:00 is the 07:27 arriving at 07:56.

FCC run xx:12, xx:27, xx:42, xx;57 from LBG to GTW at that time. Journey time approx 30 mins. Southern also run a service st that time, but this is a slow stopping service taking 50+mins.

 

[SAPhil]

I am aware there are no through services. I wish to get the tube from St Pancras to London Bridge. I have a zone 6 gold card so will simply be purchasing a ticket from the end of zone 6 to Gatwick. As far as I know my ticket is not valid on the Gatwick Express and I prefer to go via London Bridge anyway. I'm just surprised that all the sites route me via Kentish Town and wondered if there was some reason for this.

 

[Caped Crusader]

Weekly, Monthly and Annual Z1-6 travelcards are valid on the Gatwick Express if you purchase an extension to/from either BZ6 or East Croydon (Same Price at £5.30) from/to Gatwick.

Gold Card Discount is not applicable.

 

[Firestarter]

Hi,

I want to travel from St Albans to Gatwick on Sat 5 Feb arriving at about 8.00 in the morning. If I attempt to get train times from either the First Capital Connect or the National rail sites, I am routed via St Pancras, Victoria and the Gatwick Express. I would prefer to go via London Bridge but if I specify this as an option I am told to change at Kentish Town -which means a slow train from St Albans.

There are no fast trains at that time in the morning, it is a Saturday after all.

 

[Deerfold]

There are no fast trains at that time in the morning, it is a Saturday after all.

That's simply not true - did you check that? First fast train in from St Albans on a Saturday is 0616 and there's plenty more after that.

Edited: actually that makes it just on the cusp of being on time so might not have been spotted!

 

[SAPhil]

I think the 6:16 will do nicely. I should have plenty of time to get to London Bridge for the 7:27 - with a bit of luck I might even make the one before!

I guess the absence of fast trains before that explains the change at Kentish Town issue.

Thanks for all the replies.