Cheapest way to travel from Sevenoaks to Canary Wharf 3 times a week at peak?

[l0Gan]

Morning all, looking for some advice from seasoned CW travellers. After many years of relatively easy travel into the City from Sevenoaks station I now need to make it to Canary Wharf and I'm not sure what is the most cost effective solution.

I will generally only be travelling 3 days a week (TWT) and I guess the best route is Sevenoaks to London Bridge on South Eastern and then Jubilee line from London Bridge to Canary Wharf.

I was previously getting monthly Flexi tickets which I think worked out marginally cheaper for 3 days with only the rail travel. Not sure whether to carry on the same way with Rail and then just tap and go on the tube daily or whether there is a better solution.

Any guidance much appreciated.

 

[miklcct]

Sevenoaks now have harmonised fares thanks to Oval phase 1.

To begin with, a through single ticket costs £17.30 one-way, which means £34.60 daily and £103.80 weekly, this is the amount we aim to beat. By using a Flexi Season to London (£194.30 for 8 days) and contactless afterwards (£3.40 + £2.80), the daily cost becomes £30.49.

However, by buying a suitable railcard, the return journey in the evening peak can be discounted. For example, using a Network Railcard, the morning peak, which can't be discounted, is still £17.30, while the evening peak, using a Network Railcard, will be discounted to the minimum fare of £13.00, such that the daily cost becomes only £30.30, which marginally beats the use of Flexi Season ticket. It will be further cheaper if you can avoid peak hours on some days so this (a full-priced single out, a discounted single back) is the new, preferred way to go.

 

[island]

Welcome to the forum.

Sevenoaks will be joining the contactless area soon (TM) at which point you'll probably be best served just touching in and out – you can already buy a through paper ticket for £17.30 one way (no returns just buy two singles £34.60) from Sevenoaks to Zone U12* Londn (0780). This beats a straight return from Sevenoaks to London Terminals £35.60 when you add in the Jubilee back and forth at peak, but not a flexi-season which is £31.09 per trip all in.

Depending on your tolerance for faff, that could be brought down to under £20 a day if you avoid zone 1 – but you'd have to take a stopping service and change 3 times: at Orpington or Hither Green or Lewisham, then at New Cross and Canada Water, combining a flexi season from Sevenoaks to New Cross with pay as you go for the last bit.

 

[alistairlees]

The cheapest (via London Bridge) is as follows I think:
- Anytime Day Single Sevenoaks to London Bridge (£13.90)
- contactless London Bridge to Canary Wharf (£3.40)
- contactless Canary Wharf to London Bridge (£3.40)
- Off-Peak Day Single London Bridge to Sevenoaks (£7.60)

Total £28.30

 

[miklcct]

The cheapest (via London Bridge) is as follows I think:

- contactless Canary Wharf to London Bridge (£3.40)
- Off-Peak Day Single London Bridge to Sevenoaks (£7.60)

Total £28.30

These two are wrong if travelling is during PM peak.

Canary Wharf to London Bridge is off-peak during PM peak because it is outside Zone 1 to inside Zone 1, while off-peak single London Bridge to Sevenoaks isn't valid evening peak.

 

[l0Gan]

Many thanks both for the feedback and info

My tolerance for faff is very low so the changing option to avoid Zone 1 won't work. I'll also be travelling at peak times both way so I don't think I can take advantage of off peak discounts on the way home either.

Based on that if I understood the advice above correctly it looks like continuing with the Flexi season (on key card) still makes sense for the train journey (about £300 for the 12 journeys required per month) and then to just go contactless for the two way Tube journeys (£3.40 x2) every day?

So about £31 quid a day. Bargain...

 

[alistairlees]

Many thanks both for the feedback and info

My tolerance for faff is very low so the changing option to avoid Zone 1 won't work. I'll also be travelling at peak times both way so I don't think I can take advantage of off peak discounts on the way home either.

Based on that if I understood the advice above correctly it looks like continuing with the Flexi season (on key card) still makes sense for the train journey (about £300 for the 12 journeys required per month) and then to just go contactless for the two way Tube journeys (£3.40 x2) every day?

So about £31 quid a day. Bargain...

You've misunderstood; the Off-Peak Day Single from London Bridge to Sevenoaks is valid at any time after 09.30. There are no evening peak restrictions (yet) on Southeastern.

 

[hkstudent]

Welcome to the forum.

Sevenoaks will be joining the contactless area soon (TM) at which point you'll probably be best served just touching in and out – you can already buy a through paper ticket for £17.30 one way (no returns just buy two singles £34.60) from Sevenoaks to Zone U12* Londn (0780). This beats a straight return from Sevenoaks to London Terminals £35.60 when you add in the Jubilee back and forth at peak, but not a flexi-season which is £31.09 per trip all in.

Depending on your tolerance for faff, that could be brought down to under £20 a day if you avoid zone 1 – but you'd have to take a stopping service and change 3 times: at Orpington or Hither Green or Lewisham, then at New Cross and Canada Water, combining a flexi season from Sevenoaks to New Cross with pay as you go for the last bit.

Not really,
There is regular half hourly direct stopper train from Sevenoaks to Lewisham that can change to the DLR to Canary Wharf, which is the same as one change at London Bridge for Jubilee Line.


So that would be
£9.10 Anytime Day Single to Lewisham
£1.90 × 2 Contactless PAYG on DLR
£7.70 Off Peak Day Single back Sevenoaks

That would be £20.50, further savings

Flexi season from sevenoaks to Lewisham is £127.70, £15.96 per day equivalent, just save OP 80 pence.

So OP can still save a lot with the minimal faff

 

[miklcct]

You've misunderstood; the Off-Peak Day Single from London Bridge to Sevenoaks is valid at any time after 09.30. There are no evening peak restrictions (yet) on Southeastern.

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

Outward Travel & Return Travel​
RESTRICTIONS
Restriction Code: PY Restricted Days: Monday to Friday ​
Not valid on trains timed to depart after 04:29 and before 09:30 and trains timed to depart after 16:00 and before 19:00.

 

[CyrusWuff]

You've misunderstood; the Off-Peak Day Single from London Bridge to Sevenoaks is valid at any time after 09.30. There are no evening peak restrictions (yet) on Southeastern.

As it's in the Oval area, evening peak restrictions came into effect for London - Sevenoaks on 3rd December, so off-peak tickets aren't valid leaving London before 0930, nor between 1600 and 1900.

 

[island]

You've misunderstood; the Off-Peak Day Single from London Bridge to Sevenoaks is valid at any time after 09.30. There are no evening peak restrictions (yet) on Southeastern.

That is incorrect. Off peak day singles from London Terminals (or Lewisham) to Sevenoaks are barred between 1600-1900.

 

[l0Gan]

Thanks again for all the suggestions and advice. It is very much appreciated.

If I understand Cyrus above there is peak restriction on the return leg too between 4 and 7pm?

What I hadn't considered at all was the route suggested by hkstudent avoiding zone 1 altogether and getting the stopping train to Lewisham. I had assumed that it would take too long but actually it might be viable.

It looks like 7Oaks to Lewisham takes about 35mins then Lewisham to CW takes another 15 minutes. If those estimates are accurate then it won't be very different to going to London Bridge and then taking the Jubilee and probably less crowded too.

I'll have to give it a trial run to check the timings but if it does work then that is a good saving.

 

[alistairlees]

Yes, I was mistakenly looking at the Off-Peak restriction from Sevenoaks to London (and not from London to Sevenoaks) - they are different. Ooops.

 

[James Wake]

Depending on where your workplace is if you use the DLR route, South Quay, Heron Quays or West India Quay might be more beneficial than Canary Wharf. West India Quay though on homeward journeys you might have to change trains at Canary Wharf anyway, as services from Bank to Lewisham don’t stop there normally

 

[miklcct]

It looks like 7Oaks to Lewisham takes about 35mins then Lewisham to CW takes another 15 minutes. If those estimates are accurate then it won't be very different to going to London Bridge and then taking the Jubilee and probably less crowded too.

I'll have to give it a trial run to check the timings but if it does work then that is a good saving.

However the stopping train only runs every half an hour even during peak hours, compared to very frequent fast trains, which makes the non-Zone-1 route unattractive for regular use.