I was going to Chatham today, from Z3 West London, and thought the
cheapest fare might be to get a Travelcard and use that as far as
Bromley South (where all the Victoria-Chatham trains stop, so no
problems with 2-ticket rules) plus a Bromley South to Chatham CDR.

The latter was 7.20 when I looked online.

I explained this all to the chap at the ticket office, after he'd tried
to sell me a significantly more expensive dedicated day return.

"Oh, you want to do it like that, do you?" He asked, and looked
something up in a big book. The train was due so I paid up and ran.

He had sold me a Z6 Travelcard [which was correct in any event] plus BZ6
to Chatham CDR which was charged at £8.00.

Why is that more expensive than the Bromley South CDR, particularly
considering that Bromley is on the inner edge of Z5?

Q1: Did he deliberately (or even accidentally) diddle me out of 80p?

Q2: As the station nearest BZ6 is actually St Mary Cray (or is it
Swanley, the online map has a big ATOC watermark obscuring the exact
boundary), and the train I caught stopped there too, how much cheaper
yet is a St Mary Cray to Chatham CDR?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
y.com...
Q1: Did he deliberately (or even accidentally) diddle me out of 80p?

Possibly - since zone extensions are meant to be issued. In any case CDRs
are usually cheaper. Is this policy perhaps?

Q2: As the station nearest BZ6 is actually St Mary Cray (or is it
Swanley, the online map has a big ATOC watermark obscuring the exact
boundary), and the train I caught stopped there too, how much cheaper
yet is a St Mary Cray to Chatham CDR?

5.40 (1.80 cheaper)

The train has to stop at St Mary Cray (which is the last station in zone 6).

--
TC

In message , TC
writes
Q1: Did he deliberately (or even accidentally) diddle me out of 80p?

Possibly - since zone extensions are meant to be issued. In any case CDRs
are usually cheaper. Is this policy perhaps?

Even when I've specifically asked for a Bromley South-Chatham CDR, *and*
all the trains stop there (so we can ignore all the complex rules about
joined-up tickets).

Q2: As the station nearest BZ6 is actually St Mary Cray (or is it
Swanley, the online map has a big ATOC watermark obscuring the exact
boundary), and the train I caught stopped there too, how much cheaper
yet is a St Mary Cray to Chatham CDR?

5.40 (1.80 cheaper)

The train has to stop at St Mary Cray (which is the last station in zone 6).

Yes, I know, and only the slow trains do. Which is why I originally
chose Bromley South where they all stop. (And I have to admit I'd
forgotten about the BZ tickets, but would have expected it to be cheaper
than 7.20 not more!)
--
Roland Perry

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 18:43:34 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

I was going to Chatham today, from Z3 West London, and thought the
cheapest fare might be to get a Travelcard and use that as far as
Bromley South (where all the Victoria-Chatham trains stop, so no
problems with 2-ticket rules) plus a Bromley South to Chatham CDR.

The latter was 7.20 when I looked online.

I explained this all to the chap at the ticket office, after he'd tried
to sell me a significantly more expensive dedicated day return.

"Oh, you want to do it like that, do you?" He asked, and looked
something up in a big book. The train was due so I paid up and ran.

...

I did something similar today. I had a weekend travelcard, and wanted
a BZ6 (or Bromley South) to Chatham return. A chap at East Croydon
told me this would be expensive, and I would be better off going to
Victoria and buying a ticket from Victoria to Chatham. I said that was
fair enough, but could I buy the ticket at Croydon to save queuing
again at Victoria. He told me he couldn't sell the ticket to Chatham,
as it was on "a different line"(!). I asked how much the BZ6 ticket
would be, he reluctantly looked at up, and said GBP5-summat (with Y-P
railcard). I got one of those, as I suspected any saving would hardly
compensate for (probably) missing the connection from Victoria while
buying another ticket there.

I didn't really understand what he was trying to sell me, and why he
claimed he couldn't sell a ticket valid from another station.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , Arthur Figgis
] writes
I did something similar today. I had a weekend travelcard, and wanted
a BZ6 (or Bromley South) to Chatham return.

There's a co-incidence!

A chap at East Croydon told me this would be expensive, and I would be
better off going to Victoria and buying a ticket from Victoria to
Chatham.

Poor advice, obviously. That ticket is going to be about £14 I guess.

I said that was fair enough, but could I buy the ticket at Croydon to
save queuing again at Victoria. He told me he couldn't sell the ticket
to Chatham, as it was on "a different line"(!).

Wrong.

I asked how much the BZ6 ticket would be, he reluctantly looked at up,
and said GBP5-summat (with Y-P railcard). I got one of those, as I
suspected any saving would hardly compensate for (probably) missing the
connection from Victoria while buying another ticket there.

I didn't really understand what he was trying to sell me,

Sounds like a Victoria to Chatham CDR. And ignore the Travelcard's
ability to cover the route as far as BZ6.

and why he claimed he couldn't sell a ticket valid from another
station.

Bad training?

--
Roland Perry

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 11:37:16 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , Arthur Figgis
] writes
I did something similar today. I had a weekend travelcard, and wanted
a BZ6 (or Bromley South) to Chatham return.

There's a co-incidence!

Model railway show?



--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , Arthur Figgis
] writes
Model railway show?

Of course :-)
--
Roland Perry

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 08:04:20 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , Arthur Figgis
] writes
Model railway show?

Of course :-)

I suppose there are very few other reasons to want to go to
Chatham....
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK