How accurate are the route annotations for alternative fares in TfL's Single Fare Finder?
When using Transport for London's (TfL) Single Fare Finder to find costs for journeys where multiple possible routes exist, Alternative Fares are sometimes available. These are listed with a note such as "changing at Vauxhall" to indicate the route for which that fare is applicable. However, these notes do not appear to be completely accurate.
Taking a journey from Surbiton and Watford Junction, and excluding the Zone 1 fares, gives us two choices: the default fare (applied for the default route via Clapham Junction and then direct via Willesden Junction), and a cheaper fare which according to the annotation is valid when "Avoiding Zones 1 and 2 via New Malden, Richmond and Willesden Junction".
However, it's also possible (and usually quicker) to get from Surbiton to Richmond via Clapham Junction, which is in Zone 2. Based on the annotation given, the cheaper fare is not valid for that route - but I don't see how TfL could know that you've journeyed that way. Since the only pink validators at Clapham Junction are on the Overground platforms, which you wouldn't visit if travelling to Richmond, you'd next touch in at the pink validator at Richmond - as far as I can tell this would then charge the cheaper fare (as long as you touch in again on the pink validator at Willesden Junction).
Also, the standard fare between Surbiton and Richmond doesn't have any zonal restrictions, so it seems odd that a journey incorporating that leg would add restrictions which only affect that leg.
Is the annotation wrong, and travelling to Richmond via Clapham is allowed, or is the fare really not valid even though there's no way for TfL to know your route between Surbiton and Richmond?
Best Answer
When it comes to point to point fares like this, the zones are only really binding when it comes to paper tickets or Travelcards - if you have a validated pay as you go Oyster card or contactless card then there would be no way for a ticket inspector between Clapham Junction and Richmond to know if you intended to leave the train or to change when you got there, and having a validated card means you have a valid ticket to travel (which wouldn't be the case if you were at Clapham Junction with a Zones 3-6 Travelcard, for example).
Condition 7.2 of the Conditions of Carriage (http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-conditions-of-carriage.pdf) makes a distinction between "a ticket that is valid and available for the journey you are making" and "a validated Oyster card, Oyster photocard or other smartcard, when you are paying as you go, showing a record of the start of your journey [or] a validated contactless payment card", which would tend to agree with the idea that Oyster or Contactless fares are valid between station pairs, with or without intermediate pink validator touches, regardless of zones - but then Condition 7.3 gives an exception to this if it is believed you are trying to defraud TfL.
If there was engineering work on the Kingston loop and the only available route to Richmond was via Clapham Junction, it's not clear whether the "avoiding zones 1 and 2" fare would be available for journeys via Clapham Junction and Richmond (there's no upcoming work on that line that I could find in order to check).
The most correct answer is that it's not really valid - but there is no practical way for anybody to know if you got to Richmond via Kingston or via Clapham Junction. However, if you're suspected of trying to get a cheaper fare than you should pay, then you may have your Oyster or Contactless card removed or banned from the service.
Pictures about "How accurate are the route annotations for alternative fares in TfL's Single Fare Finder?"
How do you get through Zone 1 at no extra cost?
To save money, you can purchase a Travelcard that's valid for Zone two and a number of zones outwards. Then, if you need to get into zone one, you can simply transfer to buses at no extra charge since the Travelcard covers all bus journeys.Is it cheaper to use an Oyster card or contactless?
There is a very small financial advantage to using a contactless card if you're in London for more than a week and travel extensively every single day (weekly capping) but otherwise it's no cheaper than using an Oyster.Do you have to tap when changing trains?
Always touch in and out on a yellow card reader with your contactless payment card at the start and end of your journey (even if the gates are open) to ensure you pay the right fare. When changing trains you may need to touch your card on a pink reader. If you're travelling on a bus or tram you only have to touch in.Do you need to tap Oyster when changing trains?
You can touch on a pink card reader using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or Travelcard when travelling on London Overground, Elizabeth line and the Tube. If you're travelling across London but not through Zone 1, you need to: Touch in on a yellow card reader at the start of your journey.Oyster Tips That Will Save You Money
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Maria Orlova, Kamaji Ogino, Keira Burton, Kęstutis Paškevičius