Kingston and Surbiton train stations should be rezoned into Zone 5 says MP James Berry.
The MP for Kingston and Surbiton launched a petition on Wednesday February 24 for the stations to be rezoned from TfL’s Zone 6 to Zone 5.
Mr Berry made a speech regarding the issue in Parliament in June 2015 but has now stepped up his campaign by petitioning to the government.
He said: “At today’s prices annual travelcard holders would save £156 per year if Kingston and Surbiton stations were rezoned to Zone 5.
“Kingston and Surbiton stations are almost exactly the average distance from Waterloo for a Zone 5 station, 23 Zone 5 stations are further away from Waterloo than Kingston and Surbiton stations.
“There are other rezoning campaigns in London and I think ours is the most compelling.”
https://twitter.com/JamesBerryMP/status/702530502515884033
Strategy manager Emily Dyson, 25, who lives in Surbiton, backed the move.
She said: “I think Surbiton should absolutely be rezoned.
“It’s a commuter hub and only takes 15 minutes to get into the centre of London.
“New Malden is Zone 5 and it takes much longer to get into Waterloo from there.”
There are some fears that rezoning the stations could cause house prices to rise.
“I’m obviously in favour of rezoning because my train travel will be reduced and that will make a big difference for me as a commuter,” said sub-editor Joe Hawkes, 25, from Surbiton.
“But I suppose house prices and rent could go up, which means I might have to move further away from work.”
Assistant producer Hannah Evans, 24, recently moved to Surbiton for a new job.
She said: “Rezoning would be annoying for me, as one of the attractions of Surbiton was that it was in the same zone as my workplace.
“Because of that, work is fairly cheap to get to and I don’t need a multiple zone railcard, which would cost a lot compared to what I earn.”
