"Arthur Figgis" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 31/08/2011 15:00, tim.... wrote:

What a strange choice of stations outside of GL that are included.

Grays/Elstree/Epsom Downs in, Epsom/Dartford/Swanley not.

Given that there are Zones 7-9 for outside of GL it seems strange not to
use
them for the stations at the appropriate distance, at least for those
places
that the bus network extends to

In the case of Epsom Downs (and Tattenham Corner) I think it could have
been a case of tidying things up by bringing the whole of each branch into
the zones, rather than having loose ends hanging out over the edge. Epsom
itself is a slightly different situation, as there are non-London ways in
and out (and if Epsom comes in, it's not far to Leatherhead. But seeing as
the trains run through to Dorking, why not end there? And while we are in
Dorking, there's not actually that many trains on the line to Horsham, so
why not... and thus serious mission creep appears).

Are Zones 7-9 about funding - maybe Surrey doesn't chip in?

Zones 7-9 were originally A-D, and solely concerned the Metropolitan line in
the NW extremities. The question of funding maybe largely academic, because
the Met has run that way for so long now. When the Bakerloo last ran beyond
the zones it ran into 'special fares apply' territory.

Whenever it was that zones A-D became 7-9, (introduction of LO maybe?) it
was decided that 7 and 8 would also be used for the DC lines as far as
Watford High St, but Watford Jn remained outside the zones. (Many people
misread the map and wrongly assume it is in zone 9.) Apparently the
software system uses 'zone W' but this is not advertised.

Zone 7 isn't used for the eastward extensions beyond zone 6 on 'c2c' ,
because the fares that apply are the National Rail fares already extant. I
believe this is 'zone G' in internal systems.

If the National Rail fares to somewhere like Epsom are significantly
different to zone 7, (I haven't bothered to check), then if PAYG is extended
I presume another special 'pseudo zone' would have to be set up...

Paul S