Can a Gold Card be used on the Gatwick Express?

[penaltyfines]

I am buying Clapham Junction to Gatwick Airport to use in conjunction with my Z12 annual season travelcard on Oyster which comes with a Gold Card.

Does anyone know if I can get a Gold Card discount on this ticket?

Thanks

 

[jon0844]

It is fine, assuming Clapham Junction is in or on the boundary of Zone 2 which it must be.

I got a Gold Card discounted ticket on Wednesday from Gatwick to Coulsdon South (and a Z1-6 annual) and the only restriction is you can't get the discount until after 10am.

 

[penaltyfines]

Thanks - what about a Network Railcard?

 

[jon0844]

The same, but isn't there a £13 minimum fare then?

 

[radamfi]

http://www.railcard.co.uk/clientfiles/File/map.pdf

shows the Gatwick Express as not valid with a Network Railcard.

http://www.railcard.co.uk/network/terms says

"Network Railcard discounts are available for journeys on Gatwick Express services between Gatwick Airport and Brighton. On Mondays to Fridays (except Bank Holidays) passengers holding Network Railcard discounted tickets can travel on selected Gatwick Express train services from London Victoria to Haywards Heath or beyond during the evening peak - see Easements for further details."

 

[jon0844]

Does this still apply now the 'Express' is nothing more than a Southern train that simply runs fast?

The 'new' trains only say 'Express' not Gatwick Express, which only distances itself further from any restrictions.

Well, I went on the 'Gatwick' Express with my Z1-6 TC and a Gold Card discounted ticket, so I really wish someone had been on board to check my ticket(s). Of course, the stopping trains take hardly any longer anyway and you'd be fine on them.

 

[LexyBoy]

NRE lists Gatwick Express under the list of applicable TOCs for the Gold Card, but not for the Network Railcard.

 

[jon0844]

Odd. If you show a Gold Card for Heathrow Express, they issue it as a NSE discounted ticket!

 

[yorkie]

NRE lists Gatwick Express under the list of applicable TOCs for the Gold Card, but not for the Network Railcard.

Indeed, though Gatwick Express isn't a TOC any more, so they really should update that page.

 

[island]

Odd. If you show a Gold Card for Heathrow Express, they issue it as a NSE discounted ticket!

I wonder how that works as the fare is different on weekdays!

 

[LexyBoy]

Indeed, though Gatwick Express isn't a TOC any more, so they really should update that page.

And every other page it's mentioned on NRE, including the, er, list of TOCs.

 

[calc7]

And every other page it's mentioned on NRE, including the, er, list of TOCs.

Currently on hold in a call to NRE about this.

 

[yorkie]

Currently on hold in a call to NRE about this.

Hmm, interesting but you won't get through to anyone useful!

Just in case they deny it:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/gatwick_express_and_stansted_exp

Question:
"Can you confirm whether Gatwick Express and Stansted Express are
separate companies, as defined in Appendix A of the NRCoC?"

Answer:
"I confirm that neither Stansted Express nor Gatwick Express are a Train Operating Company: Stansted Express is a trading name of the London Eastern Railway Limited Train Operating Company. Gatwick Express is a trading name of the Southern Railway Limited Train Operating Company"

Try calling Southern, if you speak to Customer Services, they denied that Southern operated the Gatwick Express (well, they used to anyway), yet their Press department admitted Southern does operate the service and it's all one company, so you get a different answer depending on who you call (unless that's changed recently).

John Horncastle ( john.horncastle@atoc.org ) at ATOC has also told members of this forum that Gatwick Express is still a Train Operating Company, so feel free to contact him too.

 

[calc7]

So, I was on the phone to NRE for 15 mins then Southern for 32.
Got a similar level of bull**** from both as to what yorkie experienced.

I don't expect the staff to be well-versed in the legalities but I do expect a proper answer from a manager.

 

[yorkie]

So, I was on the phone to NRE for 15 mins then Southern for 32.
Got a similar level of bull**** from both as to what yorkie experienced.

I don't expect the staff to be well-versed in the legalities but I do expect a proper answer from a manager.

Thought that might happen! If they claim to be a company, you could ask what their company number is? http://www.gatwickexpress.com/en/about-us/company-information/

Also the company of that name registered at Companies House is the old National Express defunct company from the old franchise.

Writing to Chris Burchell is no use; he just gets someone else to write some waffle and weasel their way out of it.

They used to say that it was the DfT who said they were a separate company, but now that the DfT have confirmed this isn't true, they give some other waffle like "Gatwick Express is not an actual company, but is a company for the purpose of ticketing" :roll:

The article in Todays Railways was a real let-down and I and others are not prepared to assist Todays Railways further if that's the best they can do. Anyone got some good media contacts?

 

[calc7]

Thought that might happen! If they claim to be a company, you could ask what their company number is? http://www.gatwickexpress.com/en/about-us/company-information/

Also the company of that name registered at Companies House is the old National Express defunct company from the old franchise.

Writing to Chris Burchell is no use; he just gets someone else to write some waffle and weasel their way out of it.

They used to say that it was the DfT who said they were a separate company, but now that the DfT have confirmed this isn't true, they give some other waffle like "Gatwick Express is not an actual company, but is a company for the purpose of ticketing" :roll:

The article in Todays Railways was a real let-down and I and others are not prepared to assist Todays Railways further if that's the best they can do. Anyone got some good media contacts?

Will base my next line of attack around this. I'm to expect a call from the lady's manager at some point this weekend.
Funnily enough, she said "Gatwick Express runs a very different service to Southern". I compared the rolling stock and journey times (31 mins vs 30 - and the cynic in me thinks this is only so they can say Gatwick Express is the fastest).
She also said that you can buy Gatwick Express tickets on-board, until I informed her that barriers are just being installed at Gatwick! Poor staff briefing there.
She also tried to tell me how I could buy online to save on returns. I said I was only interested in the SDS.

Oh well, it'll be interesting to see what they come back at me with.

 

[jon0844]

Well, this is the video I made on the (Gatwick) Express on Wednesday night - which still claims you can.

Of course, you'll struggle to get ON the train to even try. Given there were no staff members on the train either, you'd then struggle at the other end to get through the gates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3rYtT9AFQ

There is certainly a difference in services. One has only one stop yet crawls in places, getting in just a minute or so earlier (but, on mine, it was 1 minute down at VIC anyway). Well worth a premium price, not.