Lower Sydenham Train Ticket

[MissDee]

Dear people

probably my question is a bit stupid, but I dont get an explanation from the staff at Sydenham station, so I put my hopes on you.

I always used to travel from Sydenham station with a ticket for a month. With this I could go to all London stations (like Victoria and London Bridge). This month I decided to buy a travel card from Lower Sydenham for a horrible £89 on the ticket is stated "London Stations-any route permitted"
Saturday I wanted to go to Victoria but couldn't enter Sydenham station.
I never had problems before like this, even when they checked my ticket they would let me go through.
But now with the barriers...I am not allowed.
So how do I take a train to Victoria? Only if I go to Lower Sydenham-London Bridge-Victoria?
To me this is complete rubbish as this more expensive tickets seems to get me nowhere...any explanation for this??

Many thanks

[bensonby]

is it a travelcard or a season ticket?

[MissDee]

wups...season ticket

[Ella]

You could walk to Penge East and take the train to Victoria - there are no barriers at Penge East.

[bensonby]

wups...season ticket

Thin Ice then I'm afraid.


Arguably you could refer to Condition of Carriage 13(e) which refers to making the journey by a different route than otherwise stated. (you will be liable to pay the difference for that journey - but the ticket you paid will is more expenseive anyway, thus you don't pay any more)

You could also argue Condition of Carriage 13(a) - in so far as you are taking the shortest route possible between stations.

Or, if the trains are not running properly from lwr sydenham then you could refer to Condition of Carriage 43 - (entitled to take another companies trains to complete journey in case of disruption)


All of which are a little spurious to be honest.

[digime2007]

I can't say if your ticket is valid on the route you tried or not but I've had problems with my ticket not opening the barriers too. I use a Forest Hill to London Terminals ticket and sometimes get off at Sydenham. This currectly won't work and the ticket inspectors claim I'm not allowed to get off there.

I've taken this up with their customer services and they have confirmed that I am allowed to get off there and that the barriers have not been configured correctly. They are looking into this.

[MissDee]

Hi Digime

I moved from Forest Hill to Sydenham about 3 months ago, somehow it was too difficult for the staff to renew my ticket from Sydenham instead of Forest Hill...had the same problem as you...really annoying indeed!!

[MissDee]

I wrote to Southern just to make things clear and this is what I received back

I was sorry to read about the problems you have been having with your ticket at Sydenham Station. The issues arises from the gates needing to be updated to allow this customer's ticket through. All anomalies have now been corrected but unfortunately cannot be uploaded until the September software update. The staff on the side gate should still allow you through until this update is complet.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and I hope your future journeys are trouble free.

So...this letter will be in my bag for the future and if they will deny me acces I will show it to them...actually really bad that staff isn't aware of rules. So people who do have a ticket from Lower Sydenham...you can get through
Regarding trouble free journeys in the future...not to sure...but we will see

[bensonby]

so what is the logic that allows you to go from sydenham to LB with a ticket that is from lwr sydenham to LB?

[MissDee]

To be honest I dont see why I shouldnt be able to do this.
My main point was that if I want to go to Victoria (as my ticket is valid for all London stations) I do not want to go from lwr Sydenham to LB and then take a train from LB to Victoria that goes via Sydenham anyways...get the point?
I like to take the shortest and most logical route...

[bensonby]

To be honest I dont see why I shouldnt be able to do this.
My main point was that if I want to go to Victoria (as my ticket is valid for all London stations) I do not want to go from lwr Sydenham to LB and then take a train from LB to Victoria that goes via Sydenham anyways...get the point?
I like to take the shortest and most logical route...

fair enough - I wasn't questioning the common sense of it, but when are train companies sensible?! I think your perfectly reasonable and sensible in wanting to take that route.

I was just thinking about it in a "letter of the law" kind of way. Does this mean if I buy a ticket to bromely south from sydenham then I'd be entitled to walk to penge east and get the train....or go to penge west then walk to penge east - as that's the most sensible route? (i suppose I would be...)

Its always good to know what you are entitled to do and not to do - and have the letter of the CoC to back it. As invariably you will come across some ignorant ticket inspector who will try and fine you.

[MissDee]

Aaaah get your point

But indeed... I am really pleased with the reply.
Now I'll just have to fight the ticket inspectors...or buy a monthly ticket from Sydenham again and walk an extra 5 minutes in the morning

[roundasapound]

They have to let you through on a lower sydenham ticket. Even though you have a season ticket, Lower Sydenham is in zone 4 and technically further out than Sydenham station which is in zone 3.

[MissDee]

That is what I thought as well Roundaspound, and that is what is actually true.
The only thing is that there were 4 inspectors telling me it was not possible. They even showed me 3 times were Lower Sydenham was on the map, and that that was not Sydenham....OH DOH, REALLY?

[bensonby]

They have to let you through on a lower sydenham ticket. Even though you have a season ticket, Lower Sydenham is in zone 4 and technically further out than Sydenham station which is in zone 3.

flawed logic. Does that mean if I buy a ticket from London Termini to Wimbledon (zone 5 i think) then I can get the train to Sydenham?

Its not to do with zones - it's to do with induvidual destinations.