Aidan Stanger wrote:

One other point is that never to my recollection have Epsom and Epsom
Downs
been treated as "Epsom stations" with tickets valid for either and they
really can't be used as an interchange in any meaningful sense (unlike,
say,
Canterburys East & West). Epsom Downs serves a combination of semi-rural
suburbs and a school and has always had separate fares from Epsom.

Also just Southern extending Zone 6 to Epsom would create the problem
that
one Ewell station would be within the zone and the other wouldn't - and I
think there has been a "Ewell stations" use in fares.

How long has this been the case? I once tried to get to Ewell East but
never made it there, as the line was closed between Croydon and Sutton
because of trackwork (and because Connex had lost SouthCentral they
failed to mention it on their information poster and map...)
The next day I went there via Ewell West, and the fare was much higher.

I honestly don't know as I've never bought a ticket for either - on the few
occasions I've got off there it's been on a season ticket.

Though wasn't the Hackbridge line running as an alternative?

Plus it's debatable as
to whether Epsom alone on the South West Trains network should be
incorporated - what about some parts of the Cobham line or Shepperton? -
and
equally should the zone stop at Epsom or carry on to Ashtead (still in
the
M25), Leatherhead (occasional terminus) or even Dorking?! This is of a
different order to two backwater branches.

AFAIK there's no final goal - just zones that occasionally incorporate
other places. Shepperton may get incorporated in the next round of
expansion. Meanwhile you can get a bus if you want to travel to
Leatherhead (or even Dorking) on a travelcard.

Which route is this and from where? I always shunned buses