London Zones 1-6 Travelcard not valid between Stratford Int and St Pancras Int HS1

[Robin Edwards]

I'm used to London Travelcards being valid for all overground, underground, trams & buses Zones 1-6 but was surprised to get told that my card was invalid on South Eastern between Stratford and St Pancras. Surely inclusion of this short link wouldn't add much to ticket pricing?

 

[JonathanH]

Surely inclusion of this short link wouldn't add much to ticket pricing?

It is a matter of capacity.

It has never been valid, as a lot of people could potentially want to travel from Stratford to St Pancras, so it is not part of Travelcard. Special fares are charged on Oyster and Contactless, that are not part of capping.

The gatelines for platforms 11-13 at St Pancras, and the 'High Speed' platforms at Stratford International do not have 'out of station interchanges' with other gatelines.

 

[James H]

It's because the Southeastern trains use HS1 which has higher prices to recoup some of the construction costs.

 

[miklcct]

Because it is a premium service.

 

[Hadders]

Officially Stratford International (HS platforms) is an enclave outside of the Zones. Similar situation with Heathrow Express not being valid if using a Travelcard.

 

[MrJeeves]

ITSO Z1-6 travelcards do still let you through the barriers at St Pancras incorrectly though, which caught me out once.

 

[Robin Edwards]

ITSO Z1-6 travelcards do still let you through the barriers at St Pancras incorrectly though, which caught me out once.

And bizarrely mine let me through at Stratford International.

Thanks for all responses - not something I'd considered but now I know. My ticket office man at my local station didn't know either but does now.

 

[crablab]

Officially Stratford International (HS platforms) is an enclave outside of the Zones.

Neither the TfL nor NRE pages I looked at mentioned this, although the HS1 services aren't included on the Travelcard map.

They mention that Travelcards are valid on all "National Rail services" within the zones. To be honest I didn't know that excluded the HS1 services either.

 

[Western Sunset]

The printed London Connections map, which I found really useful when it was issued twice yearly, explicitly stated that HS1 services were excluded, as were HEX and the cross-Thames cable car, from the Zones 1-6 Travelcard.

 

[crablab]

That's the map I'm referring to - it does show the HS1 link after all which I missed - and does have a note in the bottom left about the validity, as @Western Sunset says.

It's not explicitly stated on the supposedly authoritative websites I looked at and I think people could be forgiven for overlooking that minor note in the bottom left of the map!

Presumably this problem "goes away" when most Travelcards are withdrawn though.

 

[penguin8967]

The 'London Rail & Tube Services' map explicitly states this at the bottom

 

[JonathanH]

Presumably this problem "goes away" when most Travelcards are withdrawn though.

What you call a problem will go away as far as the Travelcard is concerned, noting that there is not yet a plan to remove period travelcards, but the route will still not be included in Oyster or Contactless capping.

 

[Sunil_P]

I'm guessing an analagous situation will arise on HS2 journeys from Old Oak to Euston and back?

 

[JonathanH]

I'm guessing an analagous situation will arise on HS2 journeys from Old Oak to Euston and back?

Yes, almost certainly, and potentially GWR from Paddington Main Line station as well, other than late evening local services, although practically this would be by pick up only restrictions on those services, whereas Stratford International is an open stop for set down and pick up, so a bit different.

Travelcard may well be long gone by the time HS2 opens though.

 

[Haywain]

I'm guessing an analagous situation will arise on HS2 journeys from Old Oak to Euston and back?

We're a long way off needing to worry about that.