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Post by snoggle on Sept 4, 2015 14:20:17 GMT
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Post by Green Kitten on Sept 4, 2015 14:32:17 GMT
Great, now extend Oyster PAYG to Potters Bar in Zone 7 ;D In fact, let's add another overground line from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City  (not gonna happen due to the Thameslink Programme, but still, I can dream, can't I?) I think any station, with a rail service towards Central London, that a London Bus service runs to, should accept Oyster (with the exception of Dorking/Leatherhead, and stops served by fast services such as Watford Junction.) |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 4, 2015 14:46:02 GMT
Great, now extend Oyster PAYG to Potters Bar in Zone 7 ;D In fact, let's add another overground line from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City (not gonna happen due to the Thameslink Programme, but still, I can dream, can't I?) Well you may be in luck because TSGN do have a franchise commitment to work with TfL to extend PAYG northwards on the GN and Thameslink routes. One of the issues is that Hertford East / Hertford North are a grouped station (Hertford Stns) for pricing purposes and TSGN set the fares. However you can't extend Oyster to just one of the Hertford stations - has to work at both despite being different TOCs. Greater Anglia wanted to do this when they extended Oyster to Broxborne but DfT said "bleep off" to First Capital Connect's plan to extend Oyster too because DfT wanted ITSO extended first. Stupid I know but it is the Dft we're talking about and they don't like Oyster because it wasn't invented in DfT Towers and, of course, it works far better than ITSO ever will so it makes the DfT look like dullards in comparison. The work to extend ITSO to much of Thameslink north and GN is nearing completion meaning readers etc are in place for "the Key" (Go Ahead's smart ticket). Further Greater Anglia have announced they are extending Oyster to Hertford East and Ware by the end of 2015. Once that is done then Oyster has to extend north of New Barnet meaning Potters Bar will get dragged in too. Some of the stations will almost certainly have to be in zonal areas because the Oyster system can't cope with many extra new zones or individually priced stations. I suspect it will all click into place for the Jan 2016 Fares Revision because it gives the politicians nice things to say alongside announcing higher fares. It's also easier from a logistical point of view provided bl**dy George Osborne doesn't intefere yet again and screw up the process for changing all the fares data. |
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Post by Red Dragon on Sept 4, 2015 15:09:26 GMT
In fact, let's add another overground line from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City Don't forget via the Hertford Loop!  |
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Post by LX09FBJ on Sept 4, 2015 15:12:39 GMT
Still no PAYG extensions for SWT services  Staines and Shepperton should be extended into the PAYG area. |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 4, 2015 15:22:36 GMT
Still no PAYG extensions for SWT services Staines and Shepperton should be extended into the PAYG area. Blame SWT (Stagecoach) who hate Oyster and delayed the entire roll out of Oyster to NR stations in the zones because they argued they'd lose out financially. The reality is that the TOCS are tens of millions of pounds better off because so many people use Oyster PAYG on their services. Shashi Verma of TfL explained this point to the London Assembly Transport Committee earlier this year. Doubly ironic given TfL paid all the conversion and validator installation costs too! All upside for the TOCs. One thing to do is to watch who gets shortlisted for the new SWT franchise due in 2017. Most bidders have a public website for their bid and ask the public for ideas - you have a perfect opportunity to suggest some small Oyster PAYG extensions or to extend the zones to cover those places as happened with Southern. TfL and the Mayor may well come along and "increment" the SWT franchise with things like PAYG extensions. |
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Post by thewintersoldier on Sept 4, 2015 16:15:34 GMT
If they extended it to Staines, it would prevent the hundreds of young adults going to Thorpe Park who simply hop over the barriers in large groups when they arrive at the barriers at Staines only to be told their Oyster cards are not valid. Things I often see while driving services to Reading and Windsor. You'd still get the odd idiot trying their best high jump attempt but it would probably reduce the number of evaders IMO
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Post by TA1 on Sept 4, 2015 16:29:16 GMT
In fact, let's add another overground line from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City Don't forget via the Hertford Loop! No, thanks. Not a big fan of the 'new' LOROL uniform, i certainly don't want to wear it when I start working at Moorgate next week. |
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Post by vjaska on Sept 4, 2015 17:25:48 GMT
Surely Gatwick is a high priority given its importance? |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 4, 2015 17:39:20 GMT
Surely Gatwick is a high priority given its importance? Yes but it depends on what answer people want. Some people just want the ability to go to / from Gatwick using Oyster. Others want Oyster acceptance and cheap fares to be accepted at every stop from Coulsdon South to Gatwick which is another thing altogether. There is also the not insignificant issue of what fare do you charge given the existence of the premium fare Gatwick Express alongside cheaper and different fares on Southern and Thameslink even though 1 company operates all services. There is then the further issue as to whether a capped fare is provided or if Gatwick is just a destination that you pay for seperately like Stratford International via High Speed 1. I suspect we will simply get a charged fare, no caps and no intermediate availability of Oyster between Coulsdon and Gatwick. That's likely to bring on a lot of political moaning in South London. |
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Post by thesquirrels on Sept 4, 2015 20:16:02 GMT
The press release is a little ambiguous in stating that zone 1-8 'season tickets' are accepted to Dartford. I presume the 1-9 one-day paper equivalent will be valid too?
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Post by snoggle on Sept 4, 2015 22:19:21 GMT
The press release is a little ambiguous in stating that zone 1-8 'season tickets' are accepted to Dartford. I presume the 1-9 one-day paper equivalent will be valid too? I would say that the 1-9 ODTC would be valid. It does actually say "Travelcard season tickets" which is as clear as it needs to be for season ticket users. The South Eastern press release doesn't even mention zone 8 or quote the fares!! Obviously not wanting to give people any good news.    The unofficial but very informative Oyster Rail website has some more insight. www.oyster-rail.org.uk/2015/09/dartford-in-zone-8-from-sunday/ |
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Post by twobellstogo on Sept 5, 2015 6:44:40 GMT
Excellent news, and long overdue. You would be amazed how fond Southeastern's ticket inspectors are of travelling between Dartford and Slade Green/Barnehurst/Crayford. Bet it won't be as popular with them from tomorrow  |
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Post by Connor on Sept 5, 2015 9:56:35 GMT
Excellent news, and long overdue. You would be amazed how fond Southeastern's ticket inspectors are of travelling between Dartford and Slade Green/Barnehurst/Crayford. Bet it won't be as popular with them from tomorrow I feel slightly cheeky now, as I regularly take Woolwich or Sidcup trains to Dartford,then change onto a Bexleyheath train to Welling, all on my Oyster card!!    I can't recall seeing ticket inspectors on the Bexleyheath line (or the other two lines for that matter) for a long while now, maybe I'm just lucky...  I'm hoping the next stations go follow suit are Swanley, Potters Bar, StainesUT, Slough(?), Dorking, Leatherhead, Redhill... all stations within the M25 or served by TFL buses. I still find it bonkers that staions as far out as Cheshunt/Broxbourne and Grays all accept Oyster cards. Would I be right in assuming that all stations to Reading/Maidenhead, as a result of Crossrail, will also accept Oyster cards? |
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Post by snoggle on Sept 5, 2015 15:49:18 GMT
Excellent news, and long overdue. You would be amazed how fond Southeastern's ticket inspectors are of travelling between Dartford and Slade Green/Barnehurst/Crayford. Bet it won't be as popular with them from tomorrow I feel slightly cheeky now, as I regularly take Woolwich or Sidcup trains to Dartford,then change onto a Bexleyheath train to Welling, all on my Oyster card!! I can't recall seeing ticket inspectors on the Bexleyheath line (or the other two lines for that matter) for a long while now, maybe I'm just lucky... I'm hoping the next stations go follow suit are Swanley, Potters Bar, StainesUT, Slough(?), Dorking, Leatherhead, Redhill... all stations within the M25 or served by TFL buses. I still find it bonkers that staions as far out as Cheshunt/Broxbourne and Grays all accept Oyster cards. Would I be right in assuming that all stations to Reading/Maidenhead, as a result of Crossrail, will also accept Oyster cards? PAYG extension to Hertford East from Broxbourne is apparently due on 19 October 2015. All of the additional stations will be priced as Zone "B" (the same as Broxbourne). Don't know what the intermediate fares will be on the section of line outside the zonal area. I suspect any extension of Oyster / PAYG west of West Drayton will have to wait for Crossrail in 2019. Although Crossrail take over the Heathrow Connect service in 2018 the only station not on Oyster served by that service is Heathrow Airport (BAA stns). No idea how they're going to sort Oyster out for Crossrail into Heathrow as it has to be charged at a premium fare. There are system limits in the design of Oyster that limits the extent of any extensions beyond the zones. Only 16 "zones" are possible which is why you get some difficulty in coping with more and more stations beyond Zone 9. You'll notice that many recent additions involve compromise so that stations get squashed into an existing zone and price bracket. Only when the Oyster system has been upgraded to work with the back office system used for contactless will the zone restriction be removed and this would allow more stations to be added - if DfT and the TOCs agree. You really need Stagecoach out of SWT to see any meaningful extension there *unless* it is written into a new franchise and is priced / costed in the bid. |
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(not gonna happen due to the Thameslink Programme, but still, I can dream, can't I?)
I can't recall seeing ticket inspectors on the Bexleyheath line (or the other two lines for that matter) for a long while now, maybe I'm just lucky... 