I've just received an email from London Travelwatch with the following
information - something good from FCC, at last:

First Capital Connect has announced that, from January 2007, as part
of the introduction of zonal fares that all their stations in Zone 1
including Farringdon will be classed as London terminals when buying a
ticket. This means that Kings Cross will now be classed as a London
terminal when travelling from the south, and City Thameslink,
Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant and Castle will now be viewed
as London terminals when travelling from the north. The confusion the
current arrangement has caused has been a real passenger bugbear for
many years, and has turned up periodically in our complaints file, so
we are extremely pleased that FCC are rectifying the matter, meaning
many passengers will pay less for their journeys.

Al Holmes

Al Holmes wrote:
First Capital Connect has announced that, from January 2007, as part
of the introduction of zonal fares that all their stations in Zone 1
including Farringdon will be classed as London terminals when buying a
ticket.

Long overdue. Whilst we're ironing out anomalies in the system, when
will we get Hampstead Heath in Zone 2?

Patrick

Al Holmes wrote:
meaning
many passengers will pay less for their journeys.

Or meaning there will be a fares increase?

Neil

Hampstead was in Zone 2. They moved it to screw more money out of NLL
users.

In article ,
(Al Holmes) wrote:

I've just received an email from London Travelwatch with the
following information - something good from FCC, at last:

First Capital Connect has announced that, from January 2007, as part
of the introduction of zonal fares that all their stations in Zone 1
including Farringdon will be classed as London terminals when
buying a ticket. This means that Kings Cross will now be classed as a
London terminal when travelling from the south, and City Thameslink,
Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant and Castle will now be
viewed as London terminals when travelling from the north. The
confusion the current arrangement has caused has been a real passenger
bugbear for many years, and has turned up periodically in our
complaints file, so we are extremely pleased that FCC are rectifying
the matter, meaning many passengers will pay less for their journeys.

Strangely, it was confirmed to me by the Tribute system at Cambridge
that my London Terminals to Brighton Saver Return ticket was valid to
King's Cross Thameslink on my return journey (I went out from Clapham
Junction). This was despite the FCC-only London Terminals to Brighton
Saver Return fare being higher. As I didn't use a barrier at KXTL on my
actual journey (too much luggage) I never tested this claim to
destruction.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

Strangely, it was confirmed to me by the Tribute system at Cambridge
that my London Terminals to Brighton Saver Return ticket was valid to
King's Cross Thameslink on my return journey (I went out from Clapham
Junction). This was despite the FCC-only London Terminals to Brighton
Saver Return fare being higher. As I didn't use a barrier at KXTL on my
actual journey (too much luggage) I never tested this claim to
destruction.

Yes...But then Tribute will quite happily issue a Saver Return from
Edmonton Green to Stansted Airport for travel at 08:30 in the morning,
or at least it did last time I made the journey in question.

Bottom line, at present, is that if the journey passes through
Farringdon, you need a ticket either explicitly from/to the appropriate
station or to/from Zone U1.

Cheers,

Barry

In article ,
(Barry Salter) wrote:

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

Strangely, it was confirmed to me by the Tribute system at
Cambridge that my London Terminals to Brighton Saver Return
ticket was valid to King's Cross Thameslink on my return journey
(I went out from Clapham Junction). This was despite the FCC-only
London Terminals to Brighton Saver Return fare being higher. As I
didn't use a barrier at KXTL on my actual journey (too much
luggage) I never tested this claim to destruction.

Yes...But then Tribute will quite happily issue a Saver Return from
Edmonton Green to Stansted Airport for travel at 08:30 in the
morning, or at least it did last time I made the journey in
question.

Bottom line, at present, is that if the journey passes through
Farringdon, you need a ticket either explicitly from/to the
appropriate station or to/from Zone U1.

The only choice of ticket offered for a journey from London to Brighton
and back 6 days later was the one I bought or the "FCC only" one. What
was I supposed to buy?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Al Holmes wrote:

First Capital Connect has announced that, from January 2007, as part
of the introduction of zonal fares that all their stations in Zone 1
including Farringdon will be classed as London terminals when buying a
ticket. This means that Kings Cross will now be classed as a London
terminal when travelling from the south, and City Thameslink,
Blackfriars, London Bridge and Elephant and Castle will now be viewed
as London terminals when travelling from the north.

Is this for the "line formerly known as Thameslink" only, or for Great
Northern as well?

For FCC services on the Great Northern route, King's Cross and Moorgate
are London Terminals (using LU services if desired) but Farringdon is
not, unless things have now changed.

PaulO

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

The only choice of ticket offered for a journey from London to Brighton
and back 6 days later was the one I bought or the "FCC only" one. What
was I supposed to buy?


A London Terminals to Brighton route Any Permitted Saver, plus a Single
Overdistance Excess to Kings Cross Thameslink route Not Underground for
the return leg would seem to be the optimal combination, as you can't
excess from/to a TOC-specific route.

The excess being HALF the difference in fares, as you're only doing it
for one direction.

HTH,

Barry

In article ,
(Barry Salter) wrote:

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:

The only choice of ticket offered for a journey from London to
Brighton and back 6 days later was the one I bought or the "FCC
only" one. What was I supposed to buy?

A London Terminals to Brighton route Any Permitted Saver, plus a
Single Overdistance Excess to Kings Cross Thameslink route Not
Underground for the return leg would seem to be the optimal
combination, as you can't excess from/to a TOC-specific route.

The excess being HALF the difference in fares, as you're only doing
it for one direction.

HTH,

That's not what Cambridge said when they sold me the ticket. And they
are usually much better informed than NRE, either phone or web site.

--
Colin Rosenstiel