Changes to Tickets and Peak Times on Some Routes in London and the South East

From Sunday 30 June 2024, you’ll be able to pay as you go with a contactless card or device at another 6 National Rail stations. They are:

• Denham

• Denham Golf Club

• Gerrards Cross

• Seer Green & Jordans

• Beaconsfield

• High Wycombe

We’re also preparing to introduce pay as you go with contactless at 47 more National Rail stations across the South East soon. To keep the price of tickets and pay as you go with contactless as similar as possible, we made some changes in December to tickets on routes from these 53 stations:

• Single tickets now cost around half of a Return ticket

• Evening peak times apply 16:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday, from or via a London station for journeys where pay as you go with contactless is available

• There are no longer Super Off-Peak tickets available on these routes, however the price of Off-Peak tickets has been reduced to reflect this

Find out more about pay as you go with contactless.

Single tickets cost half of a Return

To enable pay as you go with contactless, Single tickets cost around half of a Return ticket on journeys where pay as you go is, or soon will be, available. You can buy either an Anytime or Off-Peak ticket.

Depending on the day and time of your journey, it may be better value to buy 2 Single tickets rather than a Return ticket.  

For example, if you make a peak journey in 1 direction and an off-peak journey in the other, then an Anytime Single plus an Off-Peak Single will be cheaper than an Anytime Day Return. 

Update to evening peak times

When you buy a ticket for a journey where pay as you go with contactless is, or soon will be, available:

• Morning peak times apply 04:30 to 09:30, Monday to Friday

• Evening peak times apply if your departure time is between 16:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday, if you are travelling from or via stations in the London Zones 1 to 9

When you buy a ticket for your journey, your fare is determined by the departure time of your train/s. It’s important to make sure your ticket is valid for every train you’re getting. Evening peak times apply to any connecting train during this period.

If you are making a direct journey, as long as the departure time of your first train is in the off-peak period, you can buy an Off-Peak ticket. If you change trains during your journey and the departure time of any of your trains is in the peak period, you will need to buy an Anytime ticket.

Please note: Off-Peak Day Travelcards may be cheaper than buying separate Single or Return tickets for journeys where pay as you go with contactless is be available. Off-Peak Day Travelcards are generally valid for travel from 09:30, Monday to Friday, including travel in the evening peak times.

Super Off-Peak tickets are no longer available on journeys where pay as you go with contactless is available

When you pay as you go with contactless, you will either be charged a peak or an off-peak fare. To keep the price of tickets and pay as you go with contactless as similar as possible, you will be able to buy either an Anytime or Off-Peak ticket for journeys where pay as you go with contactless is, or soon will be, available.

You will no longer be able to buy a Super Off-Peak ticket on journeys where pay as you go with contactless is, or soon will be available, however the price of Off-Peak tickets has been reduced to reflect this.