Oyster on the trains from 2nd Jan

[fractionater]

So if I want to travel from ED to London Bridge with my Oyster PAYG, do I have to touch in at ED?

[Siduhe]

fractionater Wrote:

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> So if I want to travel from ED to London Bridge

> with my Oyster PAYG, do I have to touch in at ED?

Yes, you need to touch in at both ends of the journey - if you only touch in at LB when you exit through the barriers, you get charged the max daily fare (as the Oyster does not know where you started your journey).

[Applespider]

John L - while you can stick the OEP on at any point, there is a potential pitfall if you use ungated stations (e.g. Denmark Hill) and forget to find somewhere to touch out. If you had an OEP on for future use and touch in within your zone but don't touch out, the system will deduct the maximum PAYG fare even if you never actually left your zones.

ginster - I've written to TFL too. Given than the OEP is free and uniform (regardless of number of zones etc needed), why didn't they just install an extra 'new colour' reader for people to quickly touch and collect one rather than having to queue up with people doing more complicated longer transactions that require choices and cash.

[Nero]

This kind of stuff is manna to a rail journalist. If anyone has a tale to tell, I recommend you contact Simon Calder at the Independent or the Man in Seat 61. If it gets prominence in a biggish paper or mag, and the rail conoscenti get wind of it, it might get rectified. BBC London would probably be interested too as would the Standard. Nero

[AcedOut]

Another thing worth pointing out is that you will always be charged for single tickets. I occasionally travel from Peckham Rye to London Bridge return, but using PAYG will be more expensive than simply buying a paper return ticket. Due to the infrequency of my journey, it's never worth me buying a travelcard.

So the new Oyster PAYG activation is pointless for me, as the system will not 'cap' for a return journey fare. It will always charge for TWO single tickets.

[PeckhamRose]

Oh now that's interesting.

I hardly ever use public transport but am having to when it snows.

I thought the system capped no matter what the method of transport.

I'll remember to queue for ages and buy a paper ticket!

What thieving idiots!

[peckhamboy]

I think it does cap - but only once you reach the daily travelcard amount (peak or off-peak depending on when you first use the train). Otherwise it charges you a single for each journey, so if you're just doing a return to LB it's cheaper to buy a return ticket. If you're doing a couple of bus or tube journeys as well, PAYG is more convenient.

[AcedOut]

Yep, that's right. The daily travelcard cap will be in place.

*** So in short, don't use Oyster PAYG if you simply require a return train fair. It will be cheaper to buy a paper return ticket. ***

[OutOfFocus]

AcedOut Wrote:

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> *** So in short, don't use Oyster PAYG if you

> simply require a return train fair. It will be

> cheaper to buy a paper return ticket. ***

How much is a paper return ticket. Journey planner is telling me it is ?4.30 which is greater that 2 x 1.70 offpeak or 2 x 2.10 peak.

[AcedOut]

A single to zone 1 is ?3.20 peak, ?2.80 off-peak.

A return is only ?4.30, so for 2x peak and off-peak singles you'll pay ?2.20 and ?1.30 MORE respectively.

I will stick to the Vespa I think. Much cheaper!!

[Applespider]

Bear in mind that as part of PAYG the cheap-day return has been abolished so paper ticket return prices have gone up if you'd usually use offpeak. The idea is that the PAYG fare replaces.

And annual travelcard holders are penalised since their discount perk doesn't apply to Oyster fares although it does take account of other railcard discounts. So from getting a third off cheap day returns, they have to figure whether full price PAYG is cheaper than 'peak' paper ticket with discount.

[AcedOut]

So unless you're only going to use a single or you normally would travel to the cap price of a travel card on one day, the whole this is a complete con! And now people simply buying the odd return ticket are paying more.

Good value? Me thinks not. It just seems to have made tickets more expensive in return for lessening queues which will also save TfL in staffing costs.

[ianr]

I agree with OutOfFocus. From http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/oyster-card/, comparing single tickets with Oyster PAYG:

Adult single fares (standard**):

Zones Ticket PAYG Peak PAYG Off-Peak

2-1___2.40_____2.10_____1.70

3-1___3.10_____2.60_____2.00

4-1___3.70_____3.10_____2.30

5-1___4.40_____3.90_____2.60

6-1___5.00_____4.90_____3.20

[Edited for better layout. Next time I'll use HTML> :(]

I'd choose to use my Oystercard for all TFL area journeys when not using my Freedom Pass.

[AcedOut]

Not according to the TfL Oyster website:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/tickets/faresandtickets/farefinder/current/Default.aspx

Enter Peckham Rye to London Bridge.

The single fares displayed are ?3.20 and ?2.80.

[JohnL]

I get 2.10 and 1.70 when I put London Bridge (National Rail)

and

3.20 and 2.80 when I put London Bridge (Underground)

[AcedOut]

Well spotted, my bad. Yes, I agree.

[AcedOut]

So, correction - 2x single on Oyster ARE indeed better value than a return ticket, so it's thumbs up from me afterall :)

[ed_pete]

One important difference between Oyster on trains and Oyster elsewhere is that Southern (not sure about other TOC's) operate a morning (0630-0930) and evening peak (1600-1900) so if you travel into and back from London Bridge between these hours you'll be charged 2 x ?2.10, not ?2.10 + ?1.70.

Still as pointed out the ?4.20 total is 10p cheaper than a normal paper return of ?4.30, and each ?2.10 single on the PAYG oyster is 30p cheaper than the ?2.40 paper single.

[Bic Basher]

The evening peak rate Oyster price is with all TOC's.

[Carrie]

This is probably a really stupid question- never having used an oyster card on anything other than a bus - but if the gates are open at London Bridge ( as they often are at evenings and weekends) do you still "tap out" on the pad on the gate when you go through

[zephyr]

Yes you do, otherwise you will be charged the maximum fare. Always tap in and tap out

[Pandora]

Another point - if you're young or studious enough to have a 16 - 25 card railcard, you can have this put onto your Oyster card. Then, I think, you get the discount on single fares as well as having the lower cap (?5?) on the travel card. I just popped into a tube station and filled in a quick form and they have apparently registered my Oyster card.

[Green Goose]

Hopefully someone can answer this query about Oyster.

Lets say you go to ED station and swipe your Oyster then proceed up tothe platform to catch the train to LB. You wait for the train and then there's an announcement that all trains are cancelled due to the snow.

Question is ....if you swipe out, does it effectively cancel the journey and no debit is made on the card?

GG

[sophiesofa]

Green Goose I had a similar problem on the DLR a couple of years ago, I tapped in got to the platform to discover there wasn't a DLR for half an hour. I asked the ticket man what to do and he said something about having to wait 20mins for it to let you tap out again at the same station. Ridiculous. I ended up waiting the half an hour I think. That was a while ago though so things might have changed. Also if your card is registered (or maybe just any card) then you can in theory ring the oyster hotline and explain and hope they refund you the money they charge you for not touching out somewhere else.

[Sqiggles]

Watch the off peak fares as well. I just missed the 18.58 the other night, bot I remembered not to swipe through the gates at London Bridge until after 1900, so as to get the off peak fare. In fact I waited until the big clock at LB said 19.01, and then got the 1908. But I have just checked my Oyster journey record and it said I went through at 1859 so charged me the peak fare. Only 40p I know, but very annoying given that I was so pleased myself for remembering to wait!!