On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 22:37:49 +0100, Spyke wrote:

In message , Paul Corfield
writes

You obviously do not appreciate that there is extensive through
ticketing between the systems and that such has existed for many, many
years. The fact that people do not ask for through tickets is not
necessarily anything to do with the organisation or ownership of the
railway companies. You can buy a ticket from Aberdeen to Worthing that
works via the LUL system.

The trouble is, it's all very well getting through travel between London
terminals but you can't get a through ticket from a NationalRail station
to somewhere on the LUL network or vice-versa, except for standard day
returns to zone 1/2.

I'm probably out of date but I thought any NR Station could issue to any
combination of "U" zones.

checks

well I've just looked up the ATOC National Fares Manual on the web and
it says that you can issue to any U Zone combination as well as to the
"out county" LU stations like Chesham. Don't see that there is any
problem there then apart from the knowledge or willingness of the
operating staff.

This leads to the silly situation where, if I want to travel from home
in Alton to a tube station in zone 4, its cheaper to buy a single to
Waterloo and a zone 1-4 single when I get there than to buy a travelcard
at Alton, and if I want to travel from the station in zone 4 to Alton, I
have to buy the ticket for the main line part of the journey from the
ticket office at Waterloo, because the LUL ticket office at the origin
station can't sell it.

I think Alton need to learn how to press some buttons on their APTIS or
whatever is in ticket office. You are, of course, correct about the LU
station.

There's also lots of silly differences, for example, I can buy an
all-zones travelcard with my Disabled railcard at a NationalRail station
and get one for a travelling companion at the same discounted price, yet
buying the same travelcard from a LUL station with the same railcard, I
can't get a discounted ticket for my companion.

Not sure what to say about that as it does seem a bit inequitable. These
things are getting dealt with slowly but surely.

What we need is for all LUL ticket offices to be brought up to the
standard of those on National Rail, able to sell any ticket that an NR
ticket office can sell with the same conditions and discounts.
Meanwhile, NR ticket offices should be able to sell through tickets to
any zone on LU.

Sorry I fundamentally disagree with this. There are quite bad enough
queues at many LU stations without adding on the huge transactional cost
(in time and money) of being able to buy a Saver return to Fort William
on a Scotrail mega granny discount complete with a reservation for a
sleeper for the return trip. It makes no sense whatsoever for LU to be
retailing such products.

The volume of tickets sold for those NR destinations which are deemed to
be popular enough to be included from LU ticket offices is woefully
small. The cost vs the benefit does not make sense.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!