Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

I have a PAYG Oyster card. Today I have to get from Balham to Turnham Green
and was intending to take a Southern East CroydonMilton Keynes train that
goes direct from Balham...

Urgh - apologies. I meant, of course, to say direct from Balham to West
Brompton where I then get a tube to TG.

Ian

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
I have a PAYG Oyster card. Today I have to get from Balham to Turnham
Green and was intending to take a Southern East CroydonMilton Keynes
train that goes direct from Balham...

Urgh - apologies. I meant, of course, to say direct from Balham to West
Brompton where I then get a tube to TG.

Ian
I think your options a

1. Buy a *paper* one-day travelcard that covers the zones required for the
journey, and keep the Oyster card in your pocket - this assumes you will
want to do the return journey on the same day.

2. Buy a paper ticket to cover Balham to Clapham Jct, and nip off the train
during the stop at Clapham Jct to touch in your Oyster card on the
standalone pad on platform 16. There is one close to the stairway at the
country end of platform 16, and there may be one near the subway as well.

3. as (2), but catch the previous train to Clapham Jct to make sure you find
the Oyster pad in good time.

I would probably go for (1), but let us know what you did. I did a similar
journey a week or two back - the major difference being I *had* to change at
CLJ - so Oyster PAYG was a sensible option. However, the resulting charge
and journey history on Oyster was a bit weird - see the "Oyster on National
Rail - Variable Minimum Journey Times" thread.

D A Stocks

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

"David A Stocks" wrote in message
...

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
I have a PAYG Oyster card. Today I have to get from Balham to Turnham
Green and was intending to take a Southern East CroydonMilton Keynes
train that goes direct from Balham...

Urgh - apologies. I meant, of course, to say direct from Balham to West
Brompton where I then get a tube to TG.

Ian
I think your options a

1. Buy a *paper* one-day travelcard that covers the zones required for the
journey, and keep the Oyster card in your pocket - this assumes you will
want to do the return journey on the same day.

2. Buy a paper ticket to cover Balham to Clapham Jct, and nip off the
train during the stop at Clapham Jct to touch in your Oyster card on the
standalone pad on platform 16. There is one close to the stairway at the
country end of platform 16, and there may be one near the subway as well.

3. as (2), but catch the previous train to Clapham Jct to make sure you
find the Oyster pad in good time.

I would probably go for (1), but let us know what you did. I did a similar
journey a week or two back - the major difference being I *had* to change
at CLJ - so Oyster PAYG was a sensible option. However, the resulting
charge and journey history on Oyster was a bit weird - see the "Oyster on
National Rail - Variable Minimum Journey Times" thread.

D A Stocks

Actually, looking at your original post and Avantix I see that the single
fare to WB is the same as that to CLJ, so your own suggestion is probably
even simpler.

D A Stocks

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

On May 12, 10:28*am, "David A Stocks" wrote:

"David A Stocks" wrote:

"Ian F." wrote:

I have a PAYG Oyster card. Today I have to get from Balham to Turnham
Green and was intending to take a Southern East CroydonMilton Keynes
train that goes direct from Balham...

Urgh - apologies. I meant, of course, to say direct from Balham to West
Brompton where I then get a tube to TG.

I think your options a

1. Buy a *paper* one-day travelcard that covers the zones required for the
journey, and keep the Oyster card in your pocket - this assumes you will
want to do the return journey on the same day.

2. Buy a paper ticket to cover Balham to Clapham Jct, and nip off the
train during the stop at Clapham Jct to touch in your Oyster card on the
standalone pad on platform 16. There is one close to the stairway at the
country end of platform 16, and there may be one near the subway as well.

3. as (2), but catch the previous train to Clapham Jct to make sure you
find the Oyster pad in good time.

I would probably go for (1), but let us know what you did. I did a similar
journey a week or two back - the major difference being I *had* to change
at CLJ - so Oyster PAYG was a sensible option. However, the resulting
charge and journey history on Oyster was a bit weird - see the "Oyster on
National Rail - Variable Minimum Journey Times" thread.

Actually, looking at your original post and Avantix I see that the single
fare to WB is the same as that to CLJ, so your own suggestion is probably
even simpler.


Good point. Rail fares in London are priced on a zonal basis, albeit
issued on a point-to-point basis, which is certainly worth bearing in
mind in such a situation (i.e. how far can I go for my £2.20!).

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

"David A Stocks" wrote in message
...

I would probably go for (1), but let us know what you did.

I am such an idiot! I had totally forgotten that I have to come back to
Balham and then go into the West End tonight, so a One Day Travelcard Z1-4
is the obvious choice.

Many thanks for all the input everyone. For future reference, the
jump-off-the-train-at-Clapham-Junction-and-swipe-the-card option sounds
definitely the most fun! ;-)

Ian

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

On May 12, 10:48*am, "Ian F." wrote:

"David A Stocks" wrote in message:

I would probably go for (1), but let us know what you did.

I am such an idiot! I had totally forgotten that I have to come back to
Balham and then go into the West End tonight, so a One Day Travelcard Z1-4
is the obvious choice.

Many thanks for all the input everyone. For future reference, the
jump-off-the-train-at-Clapham-Junction-and-swipe-the-card option sounds
definitely the most fun! ;-)


As David says upthread, it'd be unnecessary - a Balham to WB single
costing the same as a Balham to CJ single (at least from origin
stations within London) - but in terms of it being possible or not,
I'd say this is perhaps one of the locations where it is more doable!
(Though not perhaps at peak times, what with the crowds.)

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...

As David says upthread, it'd be unnecessary - a Balham to WB single
costing the same as a Balham to CJ single

Ah, yes - I should have read that properly.

Shame though - I was relishing the possibility of a challenge and at my age
that's about the biggest challenge I could cope with! ;-)

Ian

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 10:48:50AM +0100, Ian F. wrote:

Many thanks for all the input everyone. For future reference, the
jump-off-the-train-at-Clapham-Junction-and-swipe-the-card option sounds
definitely the most fun! ;-)

Given how few through trains there are from Civilisation to West
Brompton et al, I strongly recommend learning exactly where the card
reader is and practicing your shoulder charges so you can swipe and get
back on the next train without having to wait ages for the next one!

--
David Cantrell | Bourgeois reactionary pig

Please stop rolling your Jargon Dice and explain the problem
you are having to me in plain English, using small words.
-- John Hardin, in the Monastery

Oyster Southern rail/LU advice please
 

"David Cantrell" wrote in message
k...

Given how few through trains there are from Civilisation to West
Brompton et al, I strongly recommend learning exactly where the card
reader is and practicing your shoulder charges so you can swipe and get
back on the next train without having to wait ages for the next one!

Thanks - I will. It all went to cock yesterday afternoon anyway, as all
Southern trains were delayed by about 30 minutes.

Ian