Winchester - Rugby and Network Area

[wintonian]

A SDR Winchester to Zone U1256 London with railcard is £40.90, however a Winchester to Rugby SVR route Kensington Olympia is £26.15 + a Zone 12 SDR travelcard £4.95 from Clapham Junction is £31.10.

I am assuming that the "Network Area" as described in the restrictions in Avantix Traveller: (Off-Peak tickets for journeys starting within the Network Area to destinations outside the Network Area with travel via London are valid by any train to London, to connect with trains from London) is the same as the "Network Railcard" area, if so am I correct in thinking that the above is a valid way to avoid paying the peak time fare into London?

 

[John @ home]

Your main point is right, but there are some mistakes in the detail. Yes, the combination of Virgin's concession allowing Railcards at any time on their trains for journeys where they set the fare, taken together with the lack of time restrictions from south of the Thames for most former InterCity journeys to Rugby and beyond, can give savings to Railcard holders travelling in the morning peak.

But you are not comparing like with like. A SDR Winchester - Zone U1256 London is an Anytime Day Return from Winchester to London Terminals together with one Underground journey in each direction between (usually) the Underground station at the London Terminal and any other Underground station in Zones 1 to 6. It is not an unlimited travel ticket.

On the other hand, a One Day Travelcard Clapham Junction - London Zones 1-2 does allow unlimited travel, but only in Zones 1 and 2 (and on buses throughout London). For a 16-25 Railcard holder on Monday-Friday, a Clapham Junction - London Zones 1-2 Travelcard costs £7.20 from 0439-0929, £5.60 from 0930-0959 (except in July and August) and £5.00 from 1000.

 

[wintonian]

But you are not comparing like with like. A SDR Winchester - Zone U1256 London is an Anytime Day Return from Winchester to London Terminals together with one Underground journey in each direction between (usually) the Underground station at the London Terminal and any other Underground station in Zones 1 to 6. It is not an unlimited travel ticket.

How then do you find the Travelcard fares in Avantix Traveller from stations outside of zone 6?

Edit: Just worked it out as London Zones 1-6 (0035)

 

[yorkie]

a Winchester to Rugby SVR route Kensington Olympia is £26.15 + a Zone 12 SDR travelcard £4.95 from Clapham Junction is £31.10.

I am assuming that the "Network Area" as described in the restrictions in Avantix Traveller: (Off-Peak tickets for journeys starting within the Network Area to destinations outside the Network Area with travel via London are valid by any train to London, to connect with trains from London) is the same as the "Network Railcard" area, if so am I correct in thinking that the above is a valid way to avoid paying the peak time fare into London?

Winchester to Rugby is £35.80 via London, this then qualifies to be valid from any train Winchester to London, this is 15p more than Winchester to London Terminals.

Winchester to Rugby is £26.15 avoiding London, via Kensington Olympia, it is unclear exactly what the restrictions of this ticket are (but be careful; an excess to the SOR is just under £40 extra) however it appears that it may not be used through Kensington Olympia for departures before 0915, however arrivals before 1100 are also banned, it is unclear if this applies to the leg from Winchester or not. This would be valid to Clapham Jn (but you could not use fast trains that do not stop at Clapham Jn, unless you had a weekly or longer Travelcard) but it is unclear what the restrictions between Winchester and Clapham Jn would be.

The fare to Clapham Jn alone is between £15.40 and £29.45 depending on time of day, so the maximum saving on that ticket to Clapham Jn is £3.30.


A Zone 1-2 Travelcard would be valid from Clapham Jn but at that price (actually 5p more than you quoted) is valid after 10am, as John @ Home quoted.

Given that a straight-through Winchester to London Zones 1-6 Off Peak Travelcard is valid for arrivals into Waterloo after 10am (not just departures from Clapham after 10am!) and includes non-stop trains and is only £24.90 this seems the better ticket.

 

[wintonian]

Still trying to find that elusive saving on SWT's expensive peak fares into London.