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Olivia Coskie started the petition because she felt the Oyster rules are confusing and unfair         
 
A city worker from Ashford has received almost 700 signatures in three days after starting a petition to get Staines and Ashford railway stations to be included in Zone 6 of the London transport network.

Olivia Coskie, 26, started the petition on September 2.

She said: ^Staines and Ashford are being developed, flats are being built in the area and although some people may not like it, the boundaries of London are increasing. The use of Oyster cards is permitted in the area which makes it confusing for passengers when they cannot use them for rail travel.

"The amount of times I have had to queue to get off the station, because of ticket checks at Ashford, has been ridiculous, with people being treated like criminals when the Oyster/Zone 6 boundaries are not very well advertised.

^Staines and Ashford are within the M25, so one day we will be classed as London.

^Being classed within the zones of London Transport will add value to our property and lessen our travel fare ^ which is essentially what this petition is all about ^ hence the large amount of signatures.^

Within 48 hours Miss Coskie had already reached the 500-name mark.

Rebecca Thomas, from Staines, posted on the petition website: ^I have to commute to London every day for work, I live in Ashford and feel it^s very unfair being so close to Feltham, which is in Zone 6, and knowing that Staines and Ashford are some of the busiest train stations.

"Adding Staines and Ashford to Zone 6 would bring down fines and mean less hassle for all parties involved.^

Last month, a planning consultant revived the debate about whether parts of northern Surrey should be reclassified as parts of the capital. The idea was rejected by councillor for Staines South, Colin Davis.

Reacting to the petition, Cllr Davis said: ^Having better links to the London boroughs has always been highly desirable.

^But this is not new, it has been attempted in the past, with little enthusiasm from South West Trains.^

Miss Coskie has a target of 2,000 signatures for the petition which is addressed to the CEOs of South West Trains, National Rail, and Travel for London, and wants to reach her goal before the 3.5% rise in rail fares happens in January.

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org/p/mr-tim-shoveller-make-staines-ashford-surrey-zone-6.

Oh and did anyone notice that the new Shoreditch High Street London Overground station got very quietly slipped into Zone 1?

Oh yeah Lets extend Zone 6 to Heathrow on HC, to Slough, to Maidenhead, in fact why not just extend it to Reading.

Heathrow is already in Zone 6.
And if HC means Hammersmith & City it is not on that as it stops at Hammersmith!

Had me a bit confused until I worked out that you mean Ashford Surrey, not Ashford Middx...   ;D

In the NSE area from Didcot, a day return to London costs 59 (peak) and at the first station outside the area, with no day return, a period return costs 121 (peak).   The difference of 62 pounds for a 48 mile round trip is about 1.30 (1 pound 30p) per mile;  of course, we shouldn't calculate it like that, but rather on the 43 pounds anytime day return from Swindon to Didcot so that we're comparing apples with apples.

Alas, I would not expect a request to include Swindon within the NSE area for fares to be taken seriously, even though the border of the area seems illogical at times ... but then again, will there be a time that a day return from Swindon to London is offered?   After all, it's only about an hour's run.

EPSOM'S MP has had the nod from the Department for Transport to move forward with plans to extend London's Zone 6 to include the town's railway station.

Mr Grayling held a meeting with Transport Minister Norman Baker to discuss Epsom station being included as part of the capital's transport zone for rail fares, and he agreed to write to local train companies giving them permission to start discussions on the subject.

Southern Railway and South West Trains must agree in order for it to go ahead, but both have previously indicated to Mr Grayling that they are not opposed to the move.

The MP, who has been campaigning on "a battle he wants Epsom to win" since last year, said it would mean commuters could use Oyster cards making travel easier and cheaper.

He also believes it would encourage more Londoners to visit the town and therefore boost the local economy.

A number of stations which are further out from central London, such as Epsom Downs, Tattenham Corner and Tadworth, are already part of Zone 6.

January 1991: zone 6 created from part of zone 5
January 1997: Debden, Theydon Bois and Epping from outside the zones to zone 6 and Moor Park from zone A to zone 6/A boundary
January 2005: Cheam and Belmont from zone 6 to zone 5
January 2006: Whyteleafe, Whyteleafe South, Caterham, Banstead, Epsom Downs, Tattenham Corner, Tadworth, Kingswood, Chipstead and Upper Warlingham from outside the zones to zone 6
January 2007: Stoneleigh from zone 6 to zone 5 and Ewell East & Ewell West from outside the zones to zone 6

I remember reading on the same website last year that Epsom could possibly be included in zone 6.

The Oyster Card is coming to Epsom next year it has been announced.

Speaking exclusively to the Epsom Guardian this afternoon, the borough's MP Chris Grayling said he received confirmation of the change from train company Southern this morning, which has the franchise to run services through the station...............

But it is not yet clear whether Epsom would be included in Zone 6 - for which this newspaper and Mr Grayling have campaigned over the past two years - or Zone 7...........

Lostwithiel has been in Zone 6 for years.  :)

Incidentally Epsom has only in the last few weeks introduced Southerns "The Key" card. Presumably there'll be no change to that.