Chris wrote:
Hi,

Bought a saver return ticket to Putney yesterday. Was told the usual stuff
"Platform 2 for the fast trains to London once you get to Peterborough...
theres no engineering works today or tomorrow"

Travelled there via Peterborough, KX & Vauxhall

Coming back today I got to Putney station to find it closed due to "planned
engineering works". The replacement bus was heaving and couldn't take
everyone + I had heard the district line was closed somewhere. Not wanting
to risk walking to East Putney and it be closed, I decided to pay to go on a
number 14 bus to South Kensington and then get the piccidilly line to KX. I
wasn't too bothered about the bus fare + extra time taken and assumed that
since my ticket would have been valid for a train + a tube to get to KX it
must be valid from South Kensington to KX.

Got to SK and checked with a member of staff who said he didn't think so
because my ticket is only valid between the two stations. Said I was on my
way to the destination but the origination station was closed but he was
adamant that the + didn't mean anything and called a colleague over. He
said "oh why not" and let me in.

What should officially have happened? + I would rather not be made to feel
(as a paying customer) that I am being let on as a favour.

Chris

I think that whilst "+" does mean valid for a cross-London transfer, it
*doesn't* mean that it is valid for any tube journey to get to King's
Cross. The fare for whereever you started to Putney will be different to
the fare to East Putney - the latter fare will be more expensive as it
will be the cost of a return to King's Cross plus a Zone 1&2 return on
the Underground (£4.40).

I think the cross-London transfer is a "courtesy" provided by London
Underground to the train operators; it's not priced the same as tube
journeys. Hence you can get a cheaper ticket travelling from a train
station to another train station than to a tube station, even if the
latter stations are within the immediate vicinity of each other (e.g.
East Putney and Putney, or South Hampstead and Swiss Cottage). I'm not
sure how it works for joint NR/LU stations.

I think officially, you should have had to pay for a tube fare to King's
Cross at £2.00. I know it sounds stupid as you were avoiding engineering
work, but the railways are full of ticket oddities.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London