Down there, just behind me is a river.
That's the Ravensbourne River here at Catford.
To my right, just metres away,
is Catford Bridge Railway Station on Southeastern.
To my left an equidistant, just also a short distance away,
is Catford Station on Thameslink.
Why are there two stations in Catford
and why can't you buy a ticket between them
or can you?
The Southeastern Station, Catford Bridge,
is on what's known as the Mid-Kent line
that goes down to Hayes.
It was built in 1857
and was originally operated by the Southeastern Railway.
Thameslink Catford Station lies on what's known
as the Catford Loop,
which opened over 30 years later in 1892
and was operated by Southeaster's rivals,
the London, Chatham and Dover Railway.
Hence the anomaly which occurs in many places,
not just in London,
that being two stations close to each other
because they were originally owned
and operated by competing companies.
(train screeching)
So you got the two stations,
low winter sun, nicely juxtaposed
and when two things are close together people often say
that they're within spitting distance of each other.
Well, you couldn't spit,
is that me or is that a brand new Sainsbury's
that's just appeared there?
Used to be a Greyhound Stadium about 10 years ago here,
between the two stations.
They're not within spitting distance
but I bet you could throw a tennis ball
from one to the other quite easily
and I'm timing it and I'm here
and that's taken me 37 seconds.
37 seconds, which is ridiculous,
to walk between the two.
They're ridiculously close to each other.
(vehicles rumbling)
So you definitely can't buy a ticket
between these two stations.
If you go to the ticket office
they can't sell you one.
What does it say, does it give an error message
or what does it say?
- [Ticket Assistant] No fares between selected stations.
(laughs)
- At the ticket machine it says no ticket available.
If you go online, it also says that no ticket is possible.
But what I figured I could do
is 'cause they're within the Oyster zones
because this is within zone three,
both Catford and Catford Bridge,
if I tap in with Oyster, I can go up,
change at Nunhead, come down through Lewisham
and I wanna see how long it takes
and more importantly how much it costs me to do a journey
that I can walk in 37 seconds.
(machine beeping)
(train screeching)
(button beeping)
- [Speaker] Please mind the gap between the train
and the platform.
(bell dinging)
(doors beeping)
- Okay, just to cross the platform here at Nunhead
gotta get a train that's coming to Victoria
going down to Lewisham then ignore the first one
that's in Orpington Thameslink stopper
Instead I'll get the 13:51 to Gravesend change at Lewisham
and that would take me back down to Catford bridge.
(train screeching)
I didn't realise quite how high up Nunhead was.
There's a rather marvellous view
through the trees of Canary Wharf.
(train screeching)
(doors beeping)
Came in on platform four at Lewisham.
Got to go to platform two for Hayes' train.
I always find Lewisham really confusing, really shouldn't be
but I just find it confusing.
All right, platform two at Lewisham,
they're the 14:13 to Hayes.
About 10 minutes via Capra bridge.
Okay so we got two stops down to Catford bridge.
Whilst we're here, it's worth pointing out
that you, nearby on Southeastern,
you can't also get a ticket between Clockhouse and Kenhouse.
I think in Cardiff, you can't buy a ticket
between Heath low level and high level
and there's a train down in Cornwall
which passes through both Budeaux, St. Budeaux
and you can't buy a ticket between them.
So I'd like to know in the comments, please
what are the two stations
can't you buy a ticket in between.
(beeping)
- (Speaker) The next station is Catford Bridge.
(doors beeping)
And we're back at Catford Bridge.
It's slightly weird being back here.
It's 2:17,
so 1:35, 2:17, 47 minutes to do a journey
that you can walk in 37 seconds.
I do need to tap out.
(beep)
What I now need is a TFL ticket machine
so that I can check my balance.
So I might actually go back to Lewisham
to the DLR to go and do that and that's the train.
Oh, okay.
But that is bizarre.
Catford to Catford bridge, the long way round.
A quick trip back up the line to Lewisham
to the ticket machines at the DLR
and I discovered that they don't show the journey history.
So I just checked it online instead
and it had correctly charged me two pounds 10,
the price of a zone three to zone two trip on Southeastern.
That's actually 60p more expensive
than what TFL charge for a similar off peak journey.
And that's how to travel the long way round
between the two Catford stations.