"MIG" wrote in message
oups.com...
Peter Masson wrote:
"Charles Ellson" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:39:32 +0100, "Chris Read"
wrote:
"Aosmosis" wrote:
Hi I am travelling from Harrow on the Hill to Grays in essex by
train,
and
need to be in Grays by 12.30.
I will be making a return journey as well
I have a PAYG oyster card,
whats the best way of buying a ticket for the BR part of the
journey? I
dont
want to double pay, as I feel my oyster would become maxed out as a
travel
card, so I need a zone 6 to Grays extension, unless Oyster is
availible
at
Grays.
Oyster pre-pay is not valid to Grays.
Can I buy this at a LU station?
I assume you will be changing at/passing through Fenchurch Street,
West
Ham
or Barking as part of this journey, and all three should be able to
sell
a
Z6 - Grays return. West Ham is an Underground booking office, rather
than
National Rail, but I'm 99.9% certain they will sell you a ticket to
c2c
destinations such as Grays.
If he's going that way then instead of going from Harrow Met. (he
hasn't said which day of the week) he could go:-
Harrow and WealdstoneWillesden JunctionWest Ham
Wouldn't it be tactically better just to buy a One Day Travelcard
(plus NR ticket or with extension) at Harrow and forget the Oyster
Card ?
Oyster PAYG isn't valid on National Rail, except for a few specific lines
where the service basically parallels LUL. So Oyster PAYG plus Z6-Grays
wouldn't cover the entire journey. Depending on the route the OP will
take,
he will need either Oyster PAYG plus an Upminster - Grays ticket, or
Oyster
PAYG plus a Barking - Grays ticket, or, as suggested, a ODTC plus a
Z6-Grays
extension.
If he does use Oyster PAYG he'd need to touch out at Upminster or Barking
(dependent on route), so could rebook to Grays at either of these
stations.
Peter
This is one of those unacceptable things about Oyster PAYG. At, say,
Fenchurch Street or West Ham (or Harrow and Wealdstone), you can book a
ticket from Upminster to Grays, but you can't use the PAYG to Upminster
without having to get out at Upminster and wait half an hour (or an
hour, depending on the day). Or else you end up with an unresolved
journey.
If you want to use PAYG get the train that leaves Fenchurch Street 10
minutes before the Grays train, it will also call at Upminster. Get out at
Upminster and touch out on the platform validator. Then pick up the Grays
train that follows on the same platform.