On Apr 20, 2:00*pm, Paul Weaver wrote:

On 20 Apr, 13:42, Mizter T wrote:

[snip]

Vauxhall's routing point is Clapham Junction, which is a destination
on map LM. A Bletchley/Watford - London ticket should presumably be
valid to Vauxhall via CLJ, as the valid route is LM, and that covers
CLJ.

I use a LBZ - SPB season ticket almost every day, so asked National
Rail enquiries.

I'm shortly renewing my Leighton Buzzard - Euston (rail only) annual
season ticket. While this is my normal route, I'd like the option to
use the new station at Shepherds Bush in future.

I've asked guards on the Southern service from Watford and they've
told me my ticket is valid, however I'm completely confident, and
would prefer to avoid any future arguments - I don't want to be on the
wrong end of a penalty fare.

My ticket is valid from Leighton Buzzard to London Terminals. I
believe London Terminals includes Vauxhall, and the shortest route
from Leighton Buzzard to Vauxhall is via Kensington Olympia. When I
check the online journey planner for "Leighton Buzzard to Vauxhall via
Kensington Olympia", it tells me it's a valid route, and tries to sell
me a single to London Terminals, at £15.90 (same as a single to
Euston).

I think this means my season ticket is valid on this route. However a
ticket from "Leighton Buzzard" to "Shepherds Bush" or "Kensington
Olympia" is £16.70.

As my season ticket is valid for a break of journey anywhere along a
valid route, and the ticket to Vauxhall via Kensington Olympia passes
through Shepherds Bush, I'd assume my ticket would be valid for
alighting at either of those stations. Is this correct?

The response was positive:

Thank you for you eMail regarding using a Season Ticket.

If you were travelling direct into London the 7 Day Standard Season
would only be valid to London Euston as this ticket does not include
use of the London Underground. ***However according to the information
that we hold if you travel via Kensington Olympia you will be allowed
to use this ticket to Vauxhall.***

A break of Journey is allowed on both portions of this ticket as long
it is within the validity of the ticket. For further ticket
information please select the following link:

If ATOC say it's

You trailed off at the end there! I presume you were to say something
like 'if ATOC says it's valid, then doesn't that by definition make it
valid', or some such. I do note their get out clause, which is "[...]
according to the information that we hold[...]" - the author is not so
bold as to state that the answer given is completely definitive.

As I say elsewhere, I'm not really convinced that a Watford Jn to
London Terminals ticket is supposed to be valid to Vauxhall. ('But
what do you know', I hear you say - 'you haven't even got your head
around the routing guide' - that's a very fair criticism, I say.)

The critical thing here would be whether or not the gates at
Shepherd's Bush WLL accept your "London Terminals" ticket. I bet that
they don't, and I reckon that the gateline staff would be suspicious
of it too. I suppose that brandishing a print-off of the email you got
from NRE might help, but that fact that it doesn't explicitly mention
finishing/starting short from other stations could be problematic
(though it does mention travelling "via Kensington Olympia" which
might provide a clue).