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Ealing Broadway Validators

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Horizon22

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Just saw that all the validators beyond the main gateline at Ealing Broadway have been taped up and can’t be used. There are signs directing people to use the main barriers.

This seems like an unnecessary inconvenience for people say arriving on a GWR service and then wishing to use the Underground. Yes, the majority of passengers will be travelling on contactless or Oyster (from West Drayton inwards), but in no way captures 100% of passengers.

What it seems like people currently have to do is exit the train, head to the concourse up some stairs, leave the station, immediately re-enter and go back downstairs for the Central / District line. All seems like it could be rather frustrating.
 
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JonathanH

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Just saw that all the validators beyond the main gateline at Ealing Broadway have been taped up and can’t be used. There are signs directing people to use the main barriers.

This seems like an unnecessary inconvenience for people say arriving on a GWR service and then wishing to use the Underground. Yes, the majority of passengers will be travelling on contactless or Oyster (from West Drayton inwards), but in no way captures 100% of passengers.

What it seems like people currently have to do is exit the train, head to the concourse up some stairs, leave the station, immediately re-enter and go back downstairs for the Central / District line. All seems like it could be rather frustrating.
With barriers now operational at most of the stations which previously didn't have them (eg West Ealing, Southall, Hayes & Harlington, West Drayton etc), I might imagine that use of these validators has reduced considerably with the reduction in ticketless travel west of Ealing Broadway. Retaining them would appear to be a revenue risk as it makes it easier to 'doughnut'.
 

Horizon22

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True but it isn’t everyone. I don’t see any other option than the one I mentioned for people who are using two tickets or ticket & contactless/oyster?
 

matt_world2004

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Since oyster validity has not been expanded beyond west Drayton this is a disappointment. If season tickets for reading to zone 1 could be put on oyster I would understand. But they can't.
 

simple simon

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Since oyster validity has not been expanded beyond west Drayton this is a disappointment. If season tickets for reading to zone 1 could be put on oyster I would understand. But they can't.

Is there no other Smartcard option that can have them?

What about The Key which is used by some other mainline railcos?
 

MarlowDonkey

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This seems like an unnecessary inconvenience for people say arriving on a GWR service and then wishing to use the Underground. Yes, the majority of passengers will be travelling on contactless or Oyster (from West Drayton inwards), but in no way captures 100% of passengers.
For those travelling from beyond West Drayton particularly off the Branches. doesn't it encourage the continued use of paper travelcards to enable a smoother and quicker change?
 

Mag_seven

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I hope they don't do this at other stations where you change from national rail to the underground e.g. Stratford, as those stand alone readers are useful if like me you change from a non Oyster/Contactless ticket to Oyster at those locations. As already stated it will become a right faff if you have to go out the station and come back in again as well as potentially adding to journey time.
 

simple simon

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Can't have a ticket loaded onto it at any station operated by tfl Rail

It is a disgrace but the staffed ticket offices at both TfL Rail and London Overground have got new ticket machines which have zero Oyster functionality. You cant even get paper journey printouts or add financial value to an Oystercard. I was told to use the self-service ticket vending machine.

To use The Key you may need to go to a station served by a railco that sells this ticketing smartcard. But it may also be that you then find that ticket barriers at stations outside of London on other routes cant read The Key smartcards - despite being ITSO compliant the system might still be designed to only operate in ways that benefit the train operators, and not the travelling passengers.



I hear the comment about Stratford, and share the concern. Other stations with free-standing Oyster card readers designed for interchanging with paper tickets passengers to use in 'split ticket' mode with Oystercards include Wimbledon and Highbury & Islington. I think Farringdon, West Ham, Barking and Upminster could also be added to that list.
 

rebmcr

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But it may also be that you then find that ticket barriers at stations outside of London on other routes cant read The Key smartcards - despite being ITSO compliant the system might still be designed to only operate in ways that benefit the train operators, and not the travelling passengers.
Ideally this is something that should be rectified under GBR.
 

CyrusWuff

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It is a disgrace but the staffed ticket offices at both TfL Rail and London Overground have got new ticket machines which have zero Oyster functionality. You cant even get paper journey printouts or add financial value to an Oystercard. I was told to use the self-service ticket vending machine.
Direct your ire towards Cubic for ceasing to support FasTIS (which was only used by Chiltern and London Overground, and briefly by Northern, as their primary Ticket Issuing System) but not licensing Oyster technology to other TIS suppliers.

Ultimately, however, FasTIS was 15 years old when London Overground switched systems, and it had hardly changed in that time.
 

NSE

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I often get annoyed by this. I have a paper season ticket that allows me to go up to Clapham Junction from Richmond and Wimbledon and back out to the other. I frequently go to Croydon or shop in Shepherds Bush or just want to continue to central. I have to either get off, leave the station and touch in or pre purchase a separate paper ticket. It’s not a huge inconvenience as I’m usually going to Croydon or Shepherds Bush, so I’m changing trains anyway, but it’s still annoying to not have some platform validators. That said, I do get the risk of fare evasion. Still a pain.
 

bicbasher

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I hear the comment about Stratford, and share the concern. Other stations with free-standing Oyster card readers designed for interchanging with paper tickets passengers to use in 'split ticket' mode with Oystercards include Wimbledon and Highbury & Islington. I think Farringdon, West Ham, Barking and Upminster could also be added to that list.
West Croydon also have stand-alone yellow readers on Platform 3 to allow paper ticket customers on Southern to change onto London Overground services as well for passengers who use the step-free gated exit.
 

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There are validators on the Underground platforms at Wimbledon which I used twice today as I switched there between a paper ticket and Oyster PAYG. Interestingly there is a pink validator as well as standard ones.
 

MikeWh

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Interestingly there is a pink validator as well as standard ones.
Yes, there are some Oyster journeys where a cheaper fare is available when changing to the tube at Wimbledon.
 

Nicholas43

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I thought I remembered arriving at Clapham Junction with a paper ticket from Oxford (having travelled via Ascot), and continuing with Oyster to Wimbledon. Am I wrong, or have reader(s) that I used now been removed?
 
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Kite159

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I thought I remembered arriving at Clapham Junction with a paper ticket from Oxford (having travelled via Ascot), and continuing with Oyster to Wimbledon. Am I wrong, or have reader(s) that I used now been removed?
Clapham Junction has some yellow validators on platform 17 and by the bottom of the stairs of platform 17 in the subway. It also has some pink validators on platforms 1/2
 

VauxhallandI

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You can add Seven Sisters to the list. Some time ago they switched off the readers that you pass from LO to Victoria line.

I would have to go out the barriers and turn immediately around and come in again and fight into the escalator queue
 
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There are validators on the Underground platforms at Wimbledon which I used twice today as I switched there between a paper ticket and Oyster PAYG. Interestingly there is a pink validator as well as standard ones.
That’s what’s happening at Ealing Broadway, it’s not going to be forever. The readers are old and faulty at the moment anyway, just waiting for it to be changed to the pink validators. They won’t repair them as they’re being replaced.

think some are overthinking it!!
 

Horizon22

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That’s what’s happening at Ealing Broadway, it’s not going to be forever. The readers are old and faulty at the moment anyway, just waiting for it to be changed to the pink validators. They won’t repair them as they’re being replaced.

think some are overthinking it!!

As long as they’re getting changed to pink that’s fine. The current situation isn’t ideal.
 

Hadders

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You can start a journey on a pink validation but not end one. The facility to start a journey using a pink validator was supposed to be removed but this didn’t actually happen.
 

MikeWh

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That’s what’s happening at Ealing Broadway, it’s not going to be forever. The readers are old and faulty at the moment anyway, just waiting for it to be changed to the pink validators. They won’t repair them as they’re being replaced.

think some are overthinking it!!
Do you have a source for this?

I'm looking at the map and struggling to think what fares might have a cheaper option if you change at Ealing Broadway. Most local fares via there will assume changing there anyway.
 

Acton1991

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Do you have a source for this?

I'm looking at the map and struggling to think what fares might have a cheaper option if you change at Ealing Broadway. Most local fares via there will assume changing there anyway.
Those travelling to South West London on the District line? (Eg not changing at Paddington / travelling through zone 1)
 

A Challenge

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Those travelling to South West London on the District line? (Eg not changing at Paddington / travelling through zone 1)
Does the low level Crossrail station at Paddington share a barrier line with the Underground?
 

Acton1991

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Does anyone know if these have been replaced? I’m connecting from outside the contactless/Oyster zone to the Central line after Christmas so would like to avoid exiting and re-entering the station!
 

Horizon22

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Does anyone know if these have been replaced? I’m connecting from outside the contactless/Oyster zone to the Central line after Christmas so would like to avoid exiting and re-entering the station!

Last I saw these were still taped over.
 

Acton1991

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Can confirm they’ve been removed, and the purple readers by the District line stairs are now switched off.

Bit of a silly decision from TfL. I had to go all the way up to the ticket hall with my bag, show them my ticket to exit the barriers and then turn straight back around and tap in.
 
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