off peak tickets and Thameslink oddity

[SAPhil]

I travel to and from the Isle of Wight and St Albans on a fairly regular basis. I have noticed that, depending on the route I take, the same ticket is either valid or not valid! With an off-peak return, the fastest valid routes for the 14:25 red jet from Cowes require using the Elizabeth line to get to Farringdon. I assume this is because the off peak tickets won't work the barriers at Thameslink stations but by changing at Farringdon you are already inside the barriers? It seems daft to me that if I try to go by another route to join exactly the same Thameslink train the ticket is not valid! Normally I prefer to walk from Waterloo to Blackfriars just for the exercise but in order to use this ticket I must get the Northern line to Tottenham Court Road and then the Elizabeth line to Farringdon, or go via Reading, Paddington and the Elizabeth line.

The same sort of thing also happens if you get an earlier ferry and take the much longer journey via East Croydon. You still end up on the same peak hour train.

Why is travel so complicated!

 

[Starmill]

The ticket gates working or not working with the ticket is a red herring I'm afraid.

If you can tell us the exact price(s), stations and ticket name(s) you're looking at, we can investigate further.

 

[SAPhil]

Senior Railcard off-peak return St Albans to Cowes West. Outward times are not relevant, Return is for 14:25 from Cowes West.
Fare is £59.65.
Same thing with the super-off peak return at £48.

 

[30907]

My guess is that it is something to do with the walk along the Embankment!

I used the Forum site, selected Blackfriars, and excluded Tube and was able to get an itinerary via London Bridge.
I can't get it to show the walking route (eg "avoid LBG").

BTW excluding London Underground didn't work, and I got a slower itinerary the second time I tried!

PS with the itinerary I got it's perfectly OK to do the walk.

 

[SAPhil]

My guess is that it is something to do with the walk along the Embankment!

I used the Forum site, selected Blackfriars, and excluded Tube and was able to get an itinerary via London Bridge.
I can't get it to show the walking route (eg "avoid LBG").

BTW excluding London Underground didn't work, and I got a slower itinerary the second time I tried!

PS with the itinerary I got it's perfectly OK to do the walk.

That's sort of the same issue. You are already behind the gateline at Waterloo East with that route. If you select a route that avoids Farringdon - in affect forcing a tube connection to St Pancras and entering the barriers there, the price goes up!