[Travel] Southern scraps off-peak Brighton to Victoria trains

[halbpro]

Better information from the Southern website. So Gatwick Express every 30 minutes (except between 0712-0812 and 1729-1829), Thameslink roughly normal, and services via Hove and Lewes should be unaffected with higher capacity. Thameslink trains are much less comfortable to be honest.

It's frustrating, but the railway always needs an upgrade and upgrades mean disruption.

 

[Ernest]

Not that they want you to know but Southern only tickets to Victoria are valid on the Gatwick Express . They cannot legally enforce any excess fare on a Southern ticket on a Gatwick Express train.
Southern and GE are the same company and such just a brand like Thameslink and not a separate company so the tickets are valid on any of the trains.

 

[Weststander]

Not that they want you to know but Southern only tickets to Victoria are valid on the Gatwick Express . They cannot legally enforce any excess fare on a Southern ticket on a Gatwick Express train.
Southern and GE are the same company and such just a brand like Thameslink and not a separate company so the tickets are valid on any of the trains.

Can you legally board a Gatwick Express train at Victoria, with a Southern ticket?

 

[halbpro]

Not that they want you to know but Southern only tickets to Victoria are valid on the Gatwick Express . They cannot legally enforce any excess fare on a Southern ticket on a Gatwick Express train.
Southern and GE are the same company and such just a brand like Thameslink and not a separate company so the tickets are valid on any of the trains.

How far are you going to have to go to actually avoid the excess fare though?

 

[Ernest]

How far are you going to have to go to actually avoid the excess fare though?

Tell them you’re not paying it or pay it and demand a refund and compo after

 

[Ernest]

Can you legally board a Gatwick Express train at Victoria, with a Southern ticket?

Yes but they won’t want you to or know that legally you can

 

[worthingseagull123]

Just use Thameslink instead.

They are so uncomfortable

 

[Weststander]

Yes but they won’t want you to or know that legally you can

We tried only because it was the next train leaving, but at that special GE gate at Victoria, the jobsworth wouldn’t let us through,

 

[Durlston]

I'm going to Lewes tomorrow by train from Haywards Heath for a consultation at the Victoria hospital. Leaving plenty of time (three hours nearly!) as I always fear something going wrong. I'll put a couple of bets on the FA Cup to kill some time in the bookies. It's about a mile away so definitely walkable although I don't know the direction. Cabs never let you down.

 

[Durlston]

Yes but they won’t want you to or know that legally you can

I've been refused even when the next available train was half an hour away. My plan was to change at East Croydon and pick up a Thameslink service. Jobsworths.

 

[Ernest]

We tried only because it was the next train leaving, but at that special GE gate at Victoria, the jobsworth wouldn’t let us through,

‘Obeying orders’

 

[Durlston]

We tried only because it was the next train leaving, but at that special GE gate at Victoria, the jobsworth wouldn’t let us through,

They can be very aggressive as well, Weststander. I pleaded with them as I was coming back quite late from football, but made me feel like a peasant.

 

[drew]

Not sure how making platforms a bit longer and a new concourse area ends up with a bill of £150 million?

Have you seen the plans?

 

[halbpro]

Doubt it'll actually change things, but I've emailed Caroline Lucas about it. Hopefully they'll at least scrap the ticket restriction for Gatwick Express trains, regardless of the legality of its current stance.

 

[Superseagull]

Have you seen the plans?

Yes I have. Project Cost has gone up by £30 million in a year from when it was first announced.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I have recently started hearing radio ads from Southern saying they are investing in building extra roofing on stations, so punters don't have to wait in the rain so long when their service is cancelled, I suppose the money has to come from somewhere ?

not a lot of use if there are no passengers though.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Does this mean offpeak fares or the trains?.

On the subject of offpeak fares I came back from London today and bought a return via the trainline. First try gave me a £48 ticket which included zone 1. Dropped the Tube and got that fare back to £36 using London Anywhere option but interleaved with the Victoria & London bridge options were some Blackfriars options at £27 so I thought I would just change my search criteria to London Black Friars , all the £27 options disappeared. Crazy.I changed criteria back to London Anywhere and they re-appeared. Anyone understand why this should happen?

Also is the trainline the best place to buy rail tickets?

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I've been refused even when the next available train was half an hour away. My plan was to change at East Croydon and pick up a Thameslink service. Jobsworths.

If you've got a Thameslink Travelcard, then surely you can use any service in zones 1-6, including a Southern service from Victoria to East Croydon.

 

[Easy 10]

Not that they want you to know but Southern only tickets to Victoria are valid on the Gatwick Express . They cannot legally enforce any excess fare on a Southern ticket on a Gatwick Express train.
Southern and GE are the same company and such just a brand like Thameslink and not a separate company so the tickets are valid on any of the trains.

Can you legally board a Gatwick Express train at Victoria, with a Southern ticket?

Tell them you’re not paying it or pay it and demand a refund and compo after

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[dazzer6666]

You can't use Thameslink tickets to get to Victoria (Southern ticket needed).....but you can use a Thameslink ticket on a Southern train from London Bridge [emoji849][emoji849]

If nothing direct from Brighton to Victoria, pick up the train coming from Eastbourne at Wivelsfield, then you'll be on it before the masses get on at Haywards Heath