"Albert" wrote in message
...
"Richard J." wrote in message
m...
Albert wrote on 25 July 2009 18:33:28 ...
Can someone explain why it is that if you buy a cheap-day return from a
station on the Brighton Line in Sussex to City-Thameslink you are only
allowed to return by First Capital Connect (ie. from C-T or London
Bridge) and not from Victoria? The ticket is marked "Route - FCC only".

If you ask for "cheap day return to City Thameslink", surely the natural
assumption is that you want to return from City Thameslink? If you
wanted to return from a different London station, perhaps you should have
said so.

Our original intention was to return via City Thameslink, but it was not
until we were already in London that we noticed what the ticket said, and
though Victoria was now far nearer, we still had to go right back to
Ludgate Hill (hooray for pensioners' bus passes!). Being seldom a train
user, I thought "London Terminuses" meant just that, I didn't realise they
made these distinctions.

Oh, forgot to say, I bought the ticket over the counter from a clerk, and
mentioned CT.

"Albert" wrote in message
...
"Richard J." wrote in message
m...
Albert wrote on 25 July 2009 18:33:28 ...
Can someone explain why it is that if you buy a cheap-day return from a
station on the Brighton Line in Sussex to City-Thameslink you are only
allowed to return by First Capital Connect (ie. from C-T or London
Bridge) and not from Victoria? The ticket is marked "Route - FCC only".

If you ask for "cheap day return to City Thameslink", surely the natural
assumption is that you want to return from City Thameslink? If you
wanted to return from a different London station, perhaps you should have
said so.

Our original intention was to return via City Thameslink, but it was not
until we were already in London that we noticed what the ticket said, and
though Victoria was now far nearer, we still had to go right back to
Ludgate Hill (hooray for pensioners' bus passes!). Being seldom a train
user, I thought "London Terminuses" meant just that, I didn't realise they
made these distinctions.

Oh, forgot to say, I bought the ticket over the counter from a clerk, and
mentioned CT.

In message , at 12:15:48 on
Sun, 26 Jul 2009, Albert remarked:
Can someone explain why it is that if you buy a cheap-day return
from a station on the Brighton Line in Sussex to City-Thameslink you
are only allowed to return by First Capital Connect (ie. from C-T or
London Bridge) and not from Victoria? The ticket is marked "Route -


If you ask for "cheap day return to City Thameslink", surely the
natural assumption is that you want to return from City Thameslink?
If you wanted to return from a different London station, perhaps you
should have said so.

Our original intention was to return via City Thameslink, but it was
not until we were already in London that we noticed what the ticket
said, and though Victoria was now far nearer, we still had to go right
back to Ludgate Hill (hooray for pensioners' bus passes!). Being
seldom a train user, I thought "London Terminuses" meant just that, I
didn't realise they made these distinctions.

But you paid less for the specific ticket to City Thameslink. We've told
you about the more expensive one if you want to come back from Victoria.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 12:15:48 on Sun,
26 Jul 2009, Albert remarked:
Can someone explain why it is that if you buy a cheap-day return from a
station on the Brighton Line in Sussex to City-Thameslink you are only
allowed to return by First Capital Connect (ie. from C-T or London
Bridge) and not from Victoria? The ticket is marked "Route -

If you ask for "cheap day return to City Thameslink", surely the natural
assumption is that you want to return from City Thameslink? If you
wanted to return from a different London station, perhaps you should
have said so.

Our original intention was to return via City Thameslink, but it was not
until we were already in London that we noticed what the ticket said, and
though Victoria was now far nearer, we still had to go right back to
Ludgate Hill (hooray for pensioners' bus passes!). Being seldom a train
user, I thought "London Terminuses" meant just that, I didn't realise they
made these distinctions.



But you paid less for the specific ticket to City Thameslink. We've told
you about the more expensive one if you want to come back from Victoria.
--
Roland Perry

Yes, I realise that now you have explained, but I didn't at the time and was
puzzled as to what was going on.

Thanks for the clarifications folks.

On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:18:45 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

The machines are confusing, even for someone who knows what he's looking
for. There should be a "not Gatex" fare to City Thameslink, as well as
to "London terminals", but whether the machine displays it without a
fight is another matter.

Since City Thameslink is a member of London Terminals, those two
tickets are one and the same. Presumably the machine offers London
Terminals tickets if you select City Thameslink.

There are other oddities too, for example the "FCC only" ticket to
Farringdon is actually marked "Not Underground" (on the ticket, who
knows what the screen says). In practice the only extra flexibility that
this apparent re-naming gives is the ability to change at Croydon.

IIRC it also allows the route Gatwick - Clapham Junction - Waterloo -
Waterloo East - London Bridge - Farringdon. (Obviously the only
practical usefulness of this is that it allows you to start/end the
journey at Waterloo.)

In message , at 18:41:33 on
Sun, 26 Jul 2009, asdf remarked:
On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:18:45 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

The machines are confusing, even for someone who knows what he's looking
for. There should be a "not Gatex" fare to City Thameslink, as well as
to "London terminals", but whether the machine displays it without a
fight is another matter.

Since City Thameslink is a member of London Terminals, those two
tickets are one and the same. Presumably the machine offers London
Terminals tickets if you select City Thameslink.

The OP claims he has a ticket to CT, albeit bought over the counter.

There are other oddities too, for example the "FCC only" ticket to
Farringdon is actually marked "Not Underground" (on the ticket, who
knows what the screen says). In practice the only extra flexibility that
this apparent re-naming gives is the ability to change at Croydon.

IIRC it also allows the route Gatwick - Clapham Junction - Waterloo -
Waterloo East - London Bridge - Farringdon. (Obviously the only
practical usefulness of this is that it allows you to start/end the
journey at Waterloo.)

Yes, you are right. It involves reversing at London Bridge, but not
doubling back. So that should be OK. (Always assuming, of course, that
the fact it omits to put the "FCC only" on the ticket can be taken as
permission to travel on other TOCs as well).
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 18:41:33 on
Sun, 26 Jul 2009, asdf remarked:
On Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:18:45 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

The machines are confusing, even for someone who knows what he's looking
for. There should be a "not Gatex" fare to City Thameslink, as well as
to "London terminals", but whether the machine displays it without a
fight is another matter.

Since City Thameslink is a member of London Terminals, those two
tickets are one and the same. Presumably the machine offers London
Terminals tickets if you select City Thameslink.



The OP claims he has a ticket to CT, albeit bought over the counter.


That is almost correct.

The ticket I had didn't mention CT, just London Terminals, but was marked
FCC Only.

By the way, I don't know where all the talk about Gatwick Express is going
as this had no involvement with GE (or is that just an OT bit of chatter?).

In message , at 09:48:43 on
Mon, 27 Jul 2009, Albert remarked:
The OP claims he has a ticket to CT, albeit bought over the counter.

That is almost correct.

The ticket I had didn't mention CT, just London Terminals, but was
marked FCC Only.

OK, I must have misinterpreted you earlier.

By the way, I don't know where all the talk about Gatwick Express is
going as this had no involvement with GE (or is that just an OT bit of
chatter?).

99 out of 100 ticket questions on this line are about Gatwick. And of
course one way for you to get to London is to change to GatEx at the
airport. Also, I think some GatEx trains now start south of Gatwick and
change their spots at the airport.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 09:48:43 on
Mon, 27 Jul 2009, Albert remarked:

The ticket I had didn't mention CT, just London Terminals, but was marked
FCC Only.

By the way, I don't know where all the talk about Gatwick Express is going
as this had no involvement with GE (or is that just an OT bit of
chatter?).

99 out of 100 ticket questions on this line are about Gatwick. And of
course one way for you to get to London is to change to GatEx at the
airport.
Indeed, I advised someone who thought they wanted a "Gatwick to London on
the first train to depart regardless of route and destination" ticket they
might be best served with a Three Bridges to London Terminals Any Permitted
Route ticket, because you can't buy such a thing from Gatwick itself!

Also, I think some GatEx trains now start south of Gatwick and change
their spots at the airport.

The peak services between 0705 and 0820 from Gatwick and 1730 and 1845 from
Victoria (six in each direction) run from/to Brighton, calling at an
assortment of stations between Haywards Heath and Brighton.

D A Stocks

And in other news...

I've noticed EMT making announcements at Luton Airport Parkway to the
effect that "Easyjet tickets" are not valid on their services to London.

So presumably the airline has recently(?) started selling FCC-only
tickets to London.
--
Roland Perry