Season Ticket options: Zone 3 to Merstham (Travelcard + Season Ticket)

[deoiub]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forums, and have had a good look around trying to get my bearings, and now I'm ready to ask for some help.

I live near Tulse Hill (Zone 3) with my nearest NR stations being Tulse Hill (TUH) and West Norwood (WNW).

I also stay a few nights a week in Morden (Zone 4) with the nearest NR station being Morden South (MDS).

I'll be starting a new job next week in Merstham (MHM).

So I'm looking for my options to get a season ticket to Merstham, while still keeping a travelcard for moving around in London.

The way I have figured, my cheapest option is to try to combine:

Travelcard for Zone 3-6: £98.40
and Season Ticket for Coulsdon South (CDS) to Merstham: £71.10

Is this allowed?

Along with wanting to maintain the travelcard for my non-work journey travels, there is also the concern that my journey from Morden to Merstham is a completely different route than from either Tulse Hill or West Norwood, though all include the Couldon South stop (in Zone 6).


Thanks for any help,

Duane

 

[clagmonster]

Doing that, you would have to travel on trains stopping at Coulsdon South, as both tickets are seasons and only one is a zonal ticket.
You would save £12 per month if you bought a through Merstham-London zones 3-6 season for £157.50. You would save even more, and get gold card benifits if you get an annual season, assuming you can afford to pay in a lump sum for the year. This would cost £1644.

 

[deoiub]

Where can I find the Merstham-London Zone 3-6 ticket price? On the National Rail season ticket calculator I could only see how to find Merstham-Zone 1-6.

Thanks for the help.

 

[clagmonster]

Playing around with the National Rail calculator, I managed to get said price by asking for Merstham to Tulse Hill.

 

[t0ffeeman]

The TFL 405 bus takes about 15 mins to reach Coulsdon South from Merstham, 30 to reach Croydon and accepts all travelcards. If money is an issue i'd just stick with a 3-5 travelcard.

 

[jon0844]

Write to the train operator and see if they would enforce the rule about the train needing to stop at the boundary station.

First Capital Connect (and Wagn before it) will allow it, for example, and they've said this on record on various online 'meet the director' forums.

In 3 or 4 years, I've never once had any grief. Mind you, that might be because nobody ever actually reads the ticket that close up to see the start and end stations!

 

[yorkie]

I remember asking for a BZ6 to Ipswich in 2005. I forgot Ipswich was out of the 'Network area' so such a ticket didn't exist. I was given Savers from Harold Wood. This was accepted on the train without question. I also recall asking for a BZ6 to Reading on a FGW HST out of Waterloo, the guard issued it from West Drayton (despite the train not taking that route) despite BZ6 being available (before anyone asks, we asked the guard if we could buy on board before departure, oh and he turned out to be an enthusiast too). Many operators do not enforce the rule about needing to stop when using Day travelcards and point to point day tickets.

 

[jon0844]

I'm not even aware of why there should be such a rule either, especially for season ticket holders (weekly, monthly or annual).

I guess it's down to the sharing of revenue.

 

[deoiub]

Thanks for the help. If I do the search as clagmonster suggested and search with Merstham first (from Merstham to Tulse Hill, instead of From Tulse Hill to Merstham) I see the travelcard + season ticket options. And as pointed out the cost is cheaper than buying them individually.

So a followup question on routing. I would guess that if I have a Merstham + Zone 3-6 then the following would be valid route.

East Croydon -> Redhill -> Merstham

In the morning there is a result in Journey Planner that shows that route.

You've guys have been a great help,

Duane

 

[b0b]

Ok Routing Experts

I see a Tulse Hill > Merstham Season Ticket for 149.00 that has restriction NOT LONDON.

Looking at the routing guide:
Tulse Hill is a RP, Merstham is associated with Croydon Group and Redhill Group.

Travel between TH and either Croydon or Redhill says to use map LONDON (which is ignored due to the NOT LONDON ticket restriction), LB or SC:

Map SC appears to allow Tulse Hill > Sutton (the Thameslink loop) then Sutton > Croydon then Croydon > Merstham.

Since its a season ticket, aren't you allowed to finish journeys at any intermediate station, ie: Morden South on the Sutton loop?

Therefore should the OP just buy the Tulse Hill > Merstham season ticket ?

 

[yorkie]

I'm not even aware of why there should be such a rule either, especially for season ticket holders (weekly, monthly or annual).

I guess it's down to the sharing of revenue.

It would be absolutely fine on a season to combine with a point-to-pont day ticket, but I guess you are talking about combining seasons.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Since its a season ticket, aren't you allowed to finish journeys at any intermediate station, ie: Morden South on the Sutton loop?

Yes, that's right

Therefore should the OP just buy the Tulse Hill > Merstham season ticket ?

I agree it's valid. This saves around £20/month, but does have less flexibility than a Travelcard. But if the OP doesn't need any additional flexibility than just being able to use the Sutton loop, then I agree this is the best deal! A very good find for your first post welcome to the forum!

 

[Railjet]

Therefore should the OP just buy the Tulse Hill > Merstham season ticket ?

Perhaps not, because he said:

So I'm looking for my options to get a season ticket to Merstham, while still keeping a travelcard for moving around in London.

 

[b0b]

If he wants the travelcard, then it seems the Merstham (5745) to London Zones 3-6 (0040) Travelcard at 157.90 is his best option and avoids the calling at Coulsdon South problem.




--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So a followup question on routing. I would guess that if I have a Merstham + Zone 3-6 then the following would be valid route.

East Croydon -> Redhill -> Merstham

It seems like doubling back via Redhill would not be valid?



--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I can't decide if going via Redhill is valid:

"Identify the route to which the code(s) refers using the maps
Each code refers to a map. If a single code is indicated the route is via any
route on that map from the first routeing point to the final routeing point
without doubling back (passing through the same station twice on a single
journey)."

so if we consider a Tulse Hill to Merstham fare; the routing point is either Croydon or Redhill. So it seems like you can make the journey from TH to Redhill and then Redhill to Merstham.

Using the fares check rule:
TH to Redhill is 6.00 SDS
TH to Merstham is 6.20 SDS

so does that make it valid? (even though the season ticket fare from redhill to london zones 3-6 is more than merstham)

What I don't know is how you use the fare check rule when one of the stations is a "London Zones" station. Is it the first station in the zone (Couldsen South)? first routing point inside the zones (Croydon) ?