I’ve just found out that the Naptan code for Watford Junction has changed from ending WATFDJ to now ending WATFJDC. Can anyone enlighten me as to what’s happening? When did it change? Why? Are any other codes likely to change?
Thanks for any responses.
It looks like the “DC Line” platforms are now “WATFJDC” but the “mainline” planforms are “WATFDJ”
NRE sometimes split stations into different codes when there are “incompatible” services arriving there. Watford Junction is a pain for “planning purposes” because it has non-stopping and stopping services to the same place (Euston) which attract different fares.
Thanks Brian,
I’m not quite sure what you mean by different fares though. There is only one entrance to the station and you’re charged the same fares whichever way you go.
@MikeWh The fares on the London Overground are cheaper than those using National Rail tickets. There are only Oyster/Contactless validators at the DC Line platforms at Euston.
The higher fare tickets are required to travel on the non-stopping services to Euston.
21 minute West Midlands Trains is £12.20 single from WFJ to EUS…
The London Overground is 53 minutes and £10.10 or £6.60 off peak. - and you can continue onto the tube for no extra charge.
The ticket validation is done at the Euston end as only Platform 9 is connected to the “DC Lines”
This is going wildly off-topic, but PAYG fares are equally valid on LNWR services as they are on LO. Try entering WFJ-EUS into the TfL journey planner and it will show a fast service as the top choice quoting the relevant PAYG fare. There are gates at the exit to platforms 8-11 at Euston, with validators at the top of the ramps from most (if not all) the other platforms.
@MikeWh The results from the TfL JP are a bit odd as they show the morning and evening peak as the Single Fare Finder (the “approved source”) only shows the morning peak.
There are other places on the tube network where you can use the NR trains with the same fare (c2c from Limehouse to Upminster for example)
As far as I understand it Watford Junction has always been “outside fare zones” which is odd as there a Zone 9 for Chesham, Amersham, Brenwood etc
Another similar oddity is that if you use the Stanstead Express from Liverpool Street to Tottenham, which takes 12 minutes…
is charged the same as the 33 minute trip as shown on the tube map…
Hi @MikeWh,
we had some issues with Watford Junction NaPTAN code mapping in the API when importing schedules onto the London Overground as well as a similar issue on Bushey (910GBUSHEY, 910GBUSHYDC). We had to map our main NaPTAN for the overground to these DC codes to ensure train predictions could be output.
Both NaPTANs are valid in the dataset and I’m not sure why the DfT have created these superfluous codes. (Answers on the back of a ministerial red box please).
We’re still looking into the issue (although it is quite low priority due to the workaround) so I will let you know here of any progress/changes made.
Thanks,
James
Thanks James, that is exactly the information I needed. While the other NaPTANs are valid in the database, they don’t bring up fare detail in the stoppoint section. I’ve now edited my station list for both Watford Junction and Bushey and my fare-finder is working again.
Mike.
