How much does it cost to walk from Waterloo East station to Waterloo station at 10.00 hours on a weekday, and return later in the day? £2.70 with a Senior Railcard discount!
The first off-peak service from Bat & Ball to Egham is the 10.21 via Sevenoaks, Waterloo East, and Waterloo arriving at 11.57, fare £14.35. However, the first off-peak service from Bat & Ball to Waterloo East via Sevenoaks is at 09.21 arriving at 09.59, return fare £8.65. The connecting service from Waterloo to Egham departs at 10.20 arriving at 10.57, off-peak return fare £8.40. Why is the through off-peak return fare of £14.35 to Egham not offered on the 09.21 departure from Bat & Ball? The “Anytime return” fare for this journey is £40.40.
I have referred this to Southeastern Customer Services and in reply all I received was a link to the National Rail website and they advised that they could not provide any further help in this respect. I have replied asking why if their office could not answer this query did they not forward it on to somebody who can provide the relevant answer. Still waiting!
It’s certainly a crazy fare system.
However, you could spend £15.15 and arrive at 1057 by buying an off-peak travelcard from Bat & Ball to Feltham plus an off-peak day return from Feltham to Egham.
Or you could spend £14.25 and arrive at 1127 by buying off-peak returns from Bat & Ball to Chelsfield and from Chelsfield to Egham.
The above two fares are straightforward: although the trains need to stop at the intermediate stations, you can remain on board.
However, Oyster helps to deliver the real Bargain Basement fares. End to end it’s only £11.50 return using Oyster between Chelsfield and Feltham (via Brixton and Vauxhall), or £12.90 (via Waterloo East and Waterloo Main Line, provided that you touch out and in again within 30 minutes). Unfortunately these two fares may be a bit too impractical because of the need to disembark and reboard as you switch between paper and Oyster, and having to avoid the 1600 – 1900 Oyster weekday peak.
Through fares including the conditions of travel are set by the TOC providing the longest part of the journey in this case South West Trains. The question which SER declined to answer should be addressed to South West Trains who set the rules and the conditions of travel.
@Roger Actually the Bat & Ball to Egham fare is set by Southeastern – see http://www.brfares.com/#expert?orig=BBL&dest=EGH, so the fare is for Southeastern to justify. Of course, they will probably say that they have to agree it with South West Trains ….
Pedants’ Corner: South West Trains were shunted up to the Great Siding In The Sky in 2017 !
I would buy the ticket in advance as the first off peak train to Egham from Waterloo seems to be the 9.20, I can’t imagine anyone would stop you getting on the first off peak train from Sevenoaks with an off peak ticket!