I've just discovered an unexpected drawback relating to the introduction of the London Overground. It cost me £2 more to travel to Watford and back yesterday than it would have done a week ago. Which is not fair. Here's how.
As the proud owner of an annual travelcard, zones 1-3, I get two particularly useful travel perks when I travel to stations in outer London and beyond.
• I only have to buy a ticket from the edge of zone 3, not from the centre of London.
• I get a Gold Card, which allows me to "save 1/3 on a range of single and return National Rail tickets when travelling after 1000 Monday to Friday, or anytime at weekends and on public holidays."
A week ago, both of these conditions applied on all train journeys from London Euston to Watford Junction. I'd only have been charged for a return ticket from the edge of zone 3 to Watford (cost £4.70), and ended up paying 1/3 less than that because of my Gold Card (final cost £3.15).
Now the rule allowing me to buy a ticket from the edge of zone 3 appears to have been dropped. If I travel from Euston to Watford and back I now have to pay for the full journey (cost £7.80), not just between Zone 4 and Watford. And then I pay 1/3 less than that because of my Gold Card (final cost £5.20).
Was £3.15, now £5.20. That's a 65% fare increase. And that's criminal.
It's all because of a change of rules when the fareswent up on 2nd January. Check out the brand new tube map (sigh, it's finally online), and you might be able to read some very small print near Watford. "Watford Junction is outside Transport for London zonal area. Special fares apply." Too right they do. And those special rules no longer seem to allow any contribution from travelcards, thereby significantly raising the cost of travel for those of us with season tickets. Bastards.
As far as I can tell, this new rule only applies to Watford Junction, and to no other station. I can still travel off peak to Bedford with double discounts, or to Cambridge, or to Chelmsford, or to Southend, or to Dover, or to Gatwick, or to Windsor, or to Reading, or to High Wycombe. Just not to Watford Junction.
The arrival of the London Overground is great for Watford residents who can now use Oyster for the first time. But it's a swindle for travelcards holders heading in the opposite direction. So next time I travel to Watford Junction I shall catch the slow train to Watford High Street instead, and walk the last half mile. They're not going to catch me out again.
London Overground update
