Have to pay for Zone 1 although I'm not getting off there?

[shino]

I need to travel to Enfield Lock (Zone 6) from Vauxhall (Zone 2). The weekly travelcard would cost me £36.40. However I've been told that, because my journey (on the Victoria line) going past stations in Zone 1, I would also need to pay for this - which would cost me around £53 a week. This is an extra £680 a year. But why am I required to pay for this if I don't intend to get off at any of the stations in Zone 1? Why cant I just pay for a 2-6 travel card?

 

[Brucey]

Because your ticket must cover the zones in which you travel, not where you board/alight.

 

[Daniel]

Well you also don't get off at a station in Zones 3, 4, or 5 - but you still need a ticket which covers it - that's how a zonal system works.

 

[34D]

Why don't you move to near Enfield Lock? I feel for people who travel the 'wrong' way in the rush hour

You could go via Clapham Jun/Kensington Olympia/Highbury but that would take ages.

Note that by travelling via zone 1 without a relevant ticket you are liable to prosecution.

 

[benk1342]

You could go via Clapham Jun/Kensington Olympia/Highbury but that would take ages.

Checking TfL's single fare finder it doesn't look like that's a recognised alternative route, so the OP would still be charged as going via Zone 1 even if he/she weren't actually doing so.

I suppose with a 2-6 travelcard, though, if the OP stuck to your suggested route he or she would be ok.

 

[swt_passenger]

I wonder if they'll have to look again at the fare for Highbury and Islington to Clapham Jn once it is easily possible to go two ways, with the ELL/SLL a direct train via zone 1 (because of Shoreditch High St, and the NLL/WLL route NOT via zone 1, but also having direct trains.

(I noticed someone had already worked out the times, (from opentraintimes) and there's only a couple of mins difference between the two obvious LO routes.)

 

[OxtedL]

I wonder if they'll have to look again at the fare for Highbury and Islington to Clapham Jn once it is easily possible to go two ways, with the ELL/SLL a direct train via zone 1 (because of Shoreditch High St, and the NLL/WLL route NOT via zone 1, but also having direct trains.

(I noticed someone had already worked out the times, (from opentraintimes) and there's only a couple of mins difference between the two obvious LO routes.)

There's no way they could - if you're not physically getting off a train then you can't be expected to hit a pink oyster card reader, so the cheapest fare has to apply.*

*OxtedL accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.

 

[DavyCrocket]

As I understand the Shoreditch High Street being in Zone One was a stipulation from the DfT. I can't recall if this was because of pressure from other train Cos or as conditions of the funding agreement.

 

[NY Yankee]

I think you should get a ticket that covers the zones you are going. I'm American, never visited London, but I know some of this.

 

[jopsuk]

The reason for having cheaper fares for journies that avoid Z1 is to "reward" you for not using the busiest part of the London transport system.