Stansted Aiport to Raynes Park/Wimbledon Chase

[Doppelganger]

I hope that you guys will be able to give me a few fare options (the cheaper the better) for the following journey I will be undertaking:

Travelling from Stansted Airport to either Raynes Park or Wimbledon Chase, leaving this evening (5th July) around 8:30pm and returning Sunday 7th July to arrive at Stansted Airport around 3:30pm

I don't have any rail cards, but do have an Oyster card.

So far I have found a rtn from Elsenham to Liverpool St and then using Oyster on the tube/train to get to Raynes Park/Wimbledon Chase. I was planning on stopping short at Tottenham Hale on the way out and then due to engineering works, I was going to start short on the return at Seven Sisters.

Is there a cheaper fare available that doesn't include the bus?

 

[jopsuk]

With the engineering works, I'd presume a return to Tottenham Hale would be valid at Seven Sisters on Sunday? Direct Victoria line then to Vauxhall, trains from there to Raynes Park are frequent.

 

[greatkingrat]

I think the problem is there are only day returns to Tottenham Hale, so it is cheaper to buy an off peak return to Liverpool Street rather than two singles to Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters.

 

[Doppelganger]

So in the end I had to buy a return from Stansted to Tottenham Hale. The guy in the ticket office said Elsenham is no longer a part of Stansted Group. Is his correct? He said it changed about 6 months ago...

Anyway it was £22 for a return, which is very expensive, compared to the Elsenham ticket. This has helped me decide that flying into Stansted is a rip off and from now on it's going to be Gatwick as all in, it works out cheaper/the same and at least Ryan Air won't get my money.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Sounds like the clerk was talking a load of rubbish. Elsenham is indeed not in Stansted group. If it were, you would not be allowed to double back between Stansted Mountfitchet and Stansted Airport on an Elsenham to London ticket since doubling back in a routeing point group is only allowed "for interchange purposes", and not if you start at a station in the group.

When using a ticket from Elsenham, your theoretical journey would be Elsenham - Stansted Mountfitchet - Stansted Airport - double back to Stansted Mountfitchet - London. And you would be starting short at Stansted Airport. Some people (not me though) believe you are not permitted to start short at Stansted Airport because then you are no longer doubling back "for interchange purposes". I take the view that nothing in the Routeing Guide can restrict your right to start short or break your journey on a ticket, since any restrictions on break of journey/starting short are a function of the ticket type (and, in the case of Off-Peak tickets, also the ticket restrictions) and nothing to do with the Routeing Guide.

Having said that, I would not make this journey on this ticket myself! I wouldn't fancy dealing with the potential hassle. I would buy a ticket from Audley End instead, which is still cheaper than a ticket from Stansted Airport but much easier to explain why its valid.

For future reference, if you want to start at Stansted on a "non-conventional" ticket and wish to avoid undue hassle before starting your journey, I would recommend to buy the ticket online and then, instead of entering the station by the main entrance at the booking office, where the ticket machines are before the (manual) barrier, enter at the far end, down the long sloping ramp. There are also usually revenue inspectors at the bottom of this ramp, and they have portable machines and are keen to sell you a ticket. But you just need to explain to them that you have purchased your ticket online and need to pick it up from the machine behind them. After picking up your ticket you can then normally walk straight over and board the train without further checks.

 

[Doppelganger]

OK, so I have just checked the routeing guide and it shows that Stansted Group is a routing point for Elsenham.

Does this mean that had I bought a ticket from Elsenham and started short for a journey to London- I would have been ok.

If so can I get a refund as the ticket clerk did not sell the ticket I originally asked for.

I actually feel like he has tried to make me pay as much as he could, despite my understanding that any ticket should be sold if asked for...

 

[yorkie]

If you had pre-bought a ticket from Elsenham, then I do not think there would be any grounds for anyone to challenge it.

I am one of the "some people" referred to above, so I think that if you are admitting that you want to use the ticket in the manner described, you can be told that the ticket isn't valid for that journey.

Asking for a cheaper ticket to start/finish short for immediate travel is often a bad idea, unless the ticket is 100% valid and you don't mind the anomaly being exposed and therefore withdrawn.

 

[bb21]

Does this mean that had I bought a ticket from Elsenham and started short for a journey to London- I would have been ok.

Yes.

If so can I get a refund as the ticket clerk did not sell the ticket I originally asked for.

Am I missing something? An Off-Peak Return from Standsted Airport to Tottenham Hale is £30.50, but you said you were charged £22?

 

[Doppelganger]

Yes.



Am I missing something? An Off-Peak Return from Standsted Airport to Tottenham Hale is £30.50, but you said you were charged £22?

Well there were 2 of us. To be honest I have no idea, fares are so over complicated, despite the "simplicity", it's little wonder the public (me) are so confused!

So in fact I may have paid less then I was supposed to? Does anyone know what's going on?

 

[greatkingrat]

It sounds to me like you may have actually bought an Offpeak Day Return from Stansted to Tottenham Hale which is 21.60?

 

[bb21]

Is there any chance you could upload a scan of your ticket?