"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

On Apr 20, 8:28 pm, "Zen83237" wrote:

"Mizter T" wrote:
[x-posted to uk.railway]
[original thread on uk.transport.london]

On Apr 19, 9:34 pm, "Zen83237" wrote:

I know that a Watford Junc to London Terminals ticket is valid to
Vauxhall
but can I use it to Shepherds Bush.

Kevin

I have previously come across this notion that Vauxhall is a valid
"London Terminal" for journeys from the West London Line, but I'm
really not convinced by it. I readily admit that I have not delved
into the mysterious depths of the Routing Guide, but this proposition
just seems to be pretty counter-intuitive to me.

~~~~~~~~~~

Believe me, I used to do it every day. And just to confirm it a season
ticket bought at Vauxhall to Watford was endorsed London terminals. It was
at Watford that I used to get trouble convincing them.

Kevin


You won't like what I'm going to say - but just because a ticket is
issued with assurances that it is valid doesn't actually mean it is
legit under the rules. The ticket you had issued at Vauxhall was from
London Terminals to Watford Jn - but just because Vauxhall is itself a
London Terminal that doesn't mean that the ticket is valid from
Vauxhall to Watford Jn. The ticket could just as well have been issued
at say Fenchurch Street - after all, theoretically speaking all ticket
offices are capable of issuing tickets from anywhere to anywhere else
on the National Rail network.

Certainly all longer distance tickets from Vauxhall are issued from
"London Terminals". I think it used to be the case that all tickets
from Vauxhall were issued from "London Terminals", but since zonal
fares for all rail journeys wholly within London were introduced in
2007 I believe this may have changed, reason being that Vauxhall is in
zone 2, so issuing a ticket as if it were also valid from/to Waterloo
in zone 1 would mean it would be more expensive than it should be - so
I think fares for journeys within London are now issued from Vauxhall.

Anyway, that's a sideline issue - as I said tickets for longer
distance journeys are all issued from "London Terminals". The fact
that this is how things are done might well have led to ticket office
staff at Vauxhall thinking that this means a London Terminals to
Watford Jn ticket that spews out of their machine is inevitably valid
from Vauxhall.

By the sounds of other posts on this thread it would appear there are
perhaps several systems - e.g. RJIS - that show it as a valid route. I
contend that they are likely to be wrong, and that a Watford Jn to
London Terminals ticket is actually only valid between Watford Jn and
Euston.

However, given the apparent state of distinct confusion on the matter,
replete with NRES proclaiming that it is valid to use it to Vauxhall,
along with ticket office staff at Vauxhall and seemingly also
Bletchley saying likewise, then if a passenger uses such a ticket for
a journey via the WLL then I can't see how they can possibly be
accused of any wrongdoing whatsoever.

Unless that is I'm very wrong and Watford Jn to Vauxhall via the WLL
really is valid. I just can't see that making much sense though.

Well what can I say. With the exception of occasionally the staff at Watford
wanting to sell me a travel card the ticket I was sold was Watford Junc to
London terminals if I bought it at Watford or London terminals to Watford if
I bought it at Vauxhall. Not once, not twice, but every week for a year.
Whether it was right or not I don't care. That is what they sold me and it
worked at the gates at Vauxhall.

Kevin