On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:30:18 +0100, AndreaC
wrote:


I'm possibly about to change jobs and am trying desperately to figure
out how much it's going to cost me to get to work if it comes off.

I currently split my week pretty much 50/50 between Kent & Hounslow
(where he-who-thinks-he-knows-best lives) and I've got prices for
trains from both locations to Waterloo but what I really need to know
is how much it would cost for monthly travelcards on an Oyster for
zones 1&2 and zones 1-4 so that I can build up a clear picture in my
mind of whether I'll be able to afford to say yes if they offer me the
job!

Also, can two people share one Oyster travelcard so that if I had a
zones 1-4, himself could use it on the days I'm not going to work from
his place if he didn't fancy cycling to work (which is what he usually
does)

If the above is allowed does anyone think that it would be best if he
got a 1-4 and I got a 1&2 so that all my/our options would be covered.

Blimey, this new job lark is trickier than it seems!

If you need the flexibility of travel within zones 1-4 then that is what
you should buy - especially if you cannot narrow down to weekly "lumps"
when you might be travelling 1-2 or 1-4.

Fare info is here

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tick...006.pdf#page=1

An Oyster card can hold two types of validity - a Travelcard season
ticket *and* money for use as "pay as you go". A Travelcard on Oyster
has all the validity of an old paper / magnetic stripe ticket so no
change. It is valid on the main line trains. If someone decides just to
use "pay as you go" then that is typically (there a few exceptions) NOT
valid on the main line network. PAYG fares are less than you would pay
if you paying with cash for bus / tube / dlr fares. The two products
can work together to provide a travelcard season ticket for regular
trips and then provide a fund of cash on the card for ticket extensions
if you travel beyond your normal zonal validity (but only for tube and
dlr modes).

An Oyster card that has a weekly, monthly or longer travelcard on it is
NOT transferable so you cannot share the card with the other half.

The other half may find it beneficial to have an Oyster card with money
on it for pay as you go use in the Hounslow area as it will be valid on
the tube and bus services there. This is where money is deducted from
the card for each trip but a discount to the normal cash fare and also
the card will cap deductions at the equivalent One Day ticket less 50p.
However it is not valid on the SWT main line service to Waterloo and
won't be for a few years yet. The extent to which main line train
services are used is the key determinant as to whether

If you were prepared to travel by tube and bus rather than main line
rail then you would need a Z12 travelcard for your main journeys and
provided you had some cash in your Oyster PAYG "purse" then you can
travel beyond Z12 by tube and the ticket gates will deduct any money due
for an extension ticket automatically at the end of your journey. Your
travelcard already gives you bus validity all over London anyway so
there is no charge for any of those you might use at Richmond /
Hounslow. Only you can tell if the incremental cost of a Z14 travelcard
is worth having if you would prefer the convenience of using SWT direct
train services via Waterloo rather than diverting to the tube and bus
network.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!