Train routeing

Olleh_2

Hello!

Was wondering if anyone could help me at all? I have received several penalty fares for apparently being out of the right zone of my ticket, but I can't see how!!

I have a season ticket from Chafford Hundred to Southend Stations. (Southend Stations: Southend Central, S. Victoria, S. East and S. Airport) Both Chafford and S. Central are on the same line (c2c/National Express). The season ticket says "Any permitted" route.

I frequently travel to Wickford (NXEA line). The route is Chafford Hundred - Upminster (c2c), Upminster - Romford (NXEA), Romford - Wickford (NXEA). The following three stops after Wickford is Southend Victoria. As I have a season ticket, surely I am allowed to go this route (via Romford), and break my journey to Southend Victoria early at Wickford?

I have tried to read the ATOC Routeing guide but it is way too confusing. I never seem to "go back on myself" as the trains are all in one geographical direction.

When I try to protest to ticket inspectors, they reply with "You could have gone to Southend Central because it's on the same line as Chafford Hundred." Is this right/fair?

Could someone please please help me? As I am fed up of getting on the train with my (hopefully) valid ticket, wondering if I am getting another fine today.

Thanks very much.

Livingthedream

Right my knowledge of the routing guide is not the best, but what I do to assist me in routing problems is throw the station names into a website search engine ie East Coast Trains and use the 'more options' and 'via', if it comes out with a fare its valid, so;

Chafford Hundred to Southend Stations via Romford, unfortunately it comes up with no fares for selected route, which IMHO means its not valid.

However, I'm no routing expert and for an expert opinion I would post your question here

dzug1

Your ticket is not valid to all Southend stations, only to those you can reach via a permitted route, which will be Upminster - Pitsea or Grays - Pitsea to Central or East. It's not valid on the Victoria line at all.

Southend Stations is a convenient shorthand but doesn't literally mean what it says.

A similar confusion sometimes exists with tickets to 'London Terminals' that most London tickets are issued to. Whilst you can get from Birmingham to Euston, Marylebone and Paddington on an 'any permitted' ticket, there is no permitted route to say London Bridge.

Livingthedream

Olleh, I see that you have already posted on the UK Rail forum and at present there's a bit of confusion over a definite answer, give it a day or two and hopefully you will have an answer.

If you haven't paid your penalty fare, I would appeal on the advice that tony_mac gave regarding the National Rail website' saying the route was valid and enclose a few print off to prove your point, It will buy you some time and might get the penalty fares rescinded.

masterlumps

did you not ask them to explain whay you were 'out of your permitted route' when they slapped you with a penalty?

dzug1

Having just looked up Chafford to Southend via Romford, there IS a fare, which is the same as via Pitsea - so my previous statement about validity was wrong. I used the FGW site for this - why it differs from the East Coast site used by Livingthedream and which I took as gospel I've no idea.