On 20 Oct 2006 13:03:38 -0700, Mizter T wrote:

I assume that in every case the more expensive presumed route via zone
1 can be overridden by validating your Oyster at the interchange point,
or exiting and re-entering the gates - i.e. for Shepherds Bush to West
Harrow you would validate your Oyster card at Rayners Lane.

I OTOH would assume that TfL don't provide that facility at all. There
are certainly no validators at Rayners Lane, other than the usual ones
on the ticket gates (but presumably if you touch out then in again, it
simply charges you for two single journeys, Shepherds Bush to Rayners
Lane and Rayners Lane to West Harrow[1]). Ealing Broadway does have
"standalone" validators, but these are intended for people changing
to/from NR (which doesn't involve passing through the barriers), and
whilst it's possible they've been set up to still charge the correct
fare if you touch one while changing from Central to District on a
journey like North Acton to Ealing Common, I don't suppose the logic
has been added that would charge you the not-via-Z1 fare instead of
the via-Z1 fare for Shepherds Bush to West Harrow.

[1] Of course this might be desirable if you have a Z2345 Travelcard
and don't want to be charged for an extension via Z1. Even if you're
using PAYG, paying for the two non-Z1 journeys (1.80+1.00) would still
actually be cheaper than paying for the one via-Z1 one (3.50).