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I’m a bit confused…
I’m starting a one day a week commute from Leighton Buzzard to Kensal Green (or alternatively Shepherd’s Bush – I’m cycling to an office in White City)
It seems I can buy an Anytime Day Return LBZ to Kensal Green – if I take a very slow train to Harrow and Wealdstone, then an Overground to Kensal Green.
But I’d prefer to take the fast train LBZ to Euston, then the overground on the same line back out to Kensal Green – but the online ticketing apps (I’ve tried London Northwestern and Trainline) want to charge me for a TravelCard for that route. Is that because Euston isn’t seen as on the route from LB to KG?
It’d be cheaper for me to get a day return to Euston, and then use contactless to get the overground to Kensal Green. But would it be OK to just get an Anytime Day Return and go via Euston? Would the automated barriers and the like accept that?
(I can also do the Shepherd’s Bush route but there’s only one train an hour on that line, so it’d be risky if anything goes wrong)
I’ve just checked with the Yellow Pages and Pink Pages of the Routeing Guide https://data.atoc.org/routeing-guide and the route point calculator https://data.atoc.org/rp_calc seems to indicate that the ANY PERMITTED ticket ISN’T valid via Euston because tickets to Euston are priced more expensively, so I don’t think the automated barriers would accept that also because you are in effect doing a double back on the route.
So indeed, it would be cheaper for you to get a day return to Euston and use Contactless to Kensal Green or Shepherd’s Bush.
OMG, I really need a second chance of edit!
On second reading of fares, it IS NOT cheaper to travel to Euston on Anytime Day return ticket and then take the tube on contactless, as the Euston fare costs 50p more on Anytime Day return than to Kensal Green, but of course other combination of fares exist subjected to time restrictions.
https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=LBZ&dest=EUS&period=20231001
https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=LBZ&dest=KNL&period=20231001On the main question, Leighton Buzzard to Kensal Green is not valid via Euston because it would undercut the fare to Euston itself.
If you must go via Euston then I agree that an Anytime return LBZ-EUS plus two contactless fares is cheaper than a travelcard from LBZ, especially since contra-peak travel between EUS and KNL is off-peak.
Thanks – that sadly all makes sense. The routing calculator is especially helpful.
I suspect for my sanity too, it’s easier to just get a Euston ticket on my phone and then use paywave for the overground, than a Kensal Green ticket which last time seemed to require me to get a physical paper ticket. At least it’s only one day a week!
As an aside, Leighton Buzzard is one of the 53 stations in the extended Pay As You Go area that’s due to be introduced by the end of the year, so you’ll be able to use contactless (but not Oyster) all the way from Leighton Buzzard to Kensal Green when it goes live.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/53-train-stations-to-benefit-from-tap-in-tap-out-rollout (DfT News Story from July)
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