The Southeastern website confirms that Oyster will be accepted at Dartford from Sunday September 6th. It doesn’t list any fares, and customer services can’t confirm them either, but a little digging through the new fares database reveals that these are likely to be the adult fares:
| Dartford to Zone | Peak fare | Off-peak fare |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | £2.40 | £1.60 |
| 5 | £3.20 | £2.00 |
| 4 | £3.90 | £2.20 |
| 3 | £4.70 | £2.70 |
| 2 | £5.80 | £3.40 |
| 1 (NR only) | £7.00 | £4.00 |
| 1 (NR + TfL) | £9.30 | £6.30 |
The add-on for using the tube in zone 1 looks too high. I’ll try and confirm fares after the bank holiday.
Update: September 1st: Fares information is still being sought, but I can confirm that Oyster readers have been added to half the gates and the ticket machines at Dartford. The yellow pads confirm that Oyster PAYG will be accepted from Sunday 6th September.
A recent note on the LU staff intranet states that Dartford will be in Zone 8.
So here we are on 1 September with this going live on 6 September and the CS at the TOC don’t know what the fares are going to be for certain?
I have been commuting to London for 36 years now and, sadly, nothing like this surprises me any more. Phrases concerning the ability (or not) of the TOC to organise heavy drinking in a brewery spring to mind. 🙂
Thank you ….does this now mean that I can apply for a 60+ Oyster card even though Dartford (where I live) is not a London Borough?….if not, what would be my best option for travelling to London off peak?
Kind Regards
Charles
Hi Charles,
Sadly not. The 60+ Oyster card is strictly for London taxpayers. However, if you have either a 60+ Oyster or a Freedom Pass, you will now be able to enter and exit at Dartford without asking to be let through the barriers.
As to the best options for off-peak travel, it will almost certainly be to use Oyster with a senior railcard discount attached. I can analyse this further when the fares have been clarified. If Dartford does end up in zone 8 then a travelcard might also be an option, but again I need further confirmation before advising.
Thank you for all the updates. So if Crayford is Zone 6, how does that make Dartford Zone 8??
Hi Jo,
There’s nothing that states all zones have to have stations in them. There are a few other places where zones are effectively skipped. Zone 8 will have been chosen for Dartford because it most closely matches the existing travelcard fares.
Dartford PAYG. Will the Off Peak Day Fares be capped to the price of a Z6 Travelcard even if you return in the evening peak from London. Do the pay as you go peak fares with a railcard discount added to the oyster card get discounted.
I take it that the 9.30 off peak departures apply from Dartford even though the 9.18 9.22 and 9.29 and possibly the 9.31 are off peak with paper tickets.
Hi Len,
Dartford fares will NOT be capped at the zone 1-6 rate. If it is being added to zone 8 then the caps for zones 1-8 will apply. Evening peak fares do count towards the off-peak cap. If you have a disable railcard then all fares and caps are reduced. If it is a 16-25, senior, forces, or gold card then only off-peak fares and caps get discounted. Off-peak fares will definitely only apply to touch ins after 0930. The off-peak cap may be allowed earlier, but I’ve not heard anything to that effect just yet.
Since the 31st July PAYG only Oyster and contactless has been available between St Pancras and Stratford International.
Fares are at a similar level to paper tickets and do not count towards daily or weekly caps.
Thanks Malcolm,
I have mentioned this a couple of times in responses, but I’ve noticed I never actually made a post. I’ll sort that out soon.