On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:57:26 -0800 (PST),
MIG wrote:
On Nov 20, 10:35*pm, "Paul Scott"
wrote:
"Tim Woodall" wrote in message
e.uk...
On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:52:12 -0000,
* *Stephen Osborn stephen.osborn wrote:
I've only recently started using PAYG (I used to have a Z1-3 Travelcard
on
my Oyster) so I am not familiar with all the intricacies. *Can you please
explain why using two Oyster cards is cheaper in this case.
* * * * * * * Peak *OffPeak PeakCap OffpeakCap
WJ-Euston * * 5.50 *3.00
WJ-Zone 1 * * 6.00 *3.50 * *17.10 * 12.60
Z1-Z1 * * * * 1.50 *1.50 * * 6.30 * *4.80
The problem is that the peak time for WJ-Euston is only 7:00-9:30 (I
think, check that end time before relying on it) but the peak time for
WJ-Z1 and Z1-Z1 is 07:00-19:00
That means doing WJ-Euston plus Euston-Z1 as two separate journeys
after 9:30 is an offpeak 3.00 plus peak 1.50. But if you do it on the
same card, despite touching all the same readers it will be charged as a
single WJ-Z1 journey at peak time.
Of course the LU peak charging times change in January IIRC, making this
less of an issue, with an additional off peak period from 0930 - 1600, but I
suspect this was lost in the noise when all the 'massive fare hike shock -
blame Boris' stories appeared...
Paul S- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
I'm confused now. Are we talking the period when single fares are at
a higher rate, or are we talking about the period during which the
start of a journey contributes to a peak cap rather than an off-peak
cap?
I think only the former could advantage someone using two cards, if
the second journey starts after 0930, assuming no caps are reached.
If the off-peak cap is reached on a single card, one peak journey
won't affect it.
The current problem is that WJ-Euston can be offpeak but WJ-Z1 can be
peak for the same starting time. And the fare difference for those two
journeys is more than the Euston-Z1 fare
Even worse, the WJ-Zone1 being peak means that your cap will be the WJ
peak cap even though the WJ-Euston bit will have been offpeak. If you
did WJ-Euston, walked to KX and then lots of Z1 journeys will be less
than doing WJ-Euston and then walking to Euston LUL (and the same on
the return).
WJ 11am - Euston 3.00
KX +Z1 +KX 6.30 (Z1 cap)
Euston 3pm - WJ 3.00
12.30
WJ 11am - Z1 6.00
Z1 journeys 6.30 (Z1 cap)
Z1 3pm - WJ 6.00
18:30 (capped at 17:10)
Then there's the issue of different caps for different zones. I am
confused by the terminology as to what is actually the issue here.
This started from someone pointing out that they could get a cheaper
journey by jumping out of a train, touching the validator and jumping
back on the same train. There are a number of possible journeys where
things like this are possible. But the WJ-Zone1 journey is peculiar in
that you MUST[1] touch the validators when you change from Euston NR to
Euston LUL.
[1] Very occasionally, a Watford Junction train will come in on platform
12 where there are no validators. I suspect (but have never tried) that
if you were to go straight down onto the underground you would get an
unresolved WJ-Euston journey charged at 5.50 plus a 1.50 Z1 single.
Tim.
--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t,"
and there was light.
http://www.woodall.me.uk/