Clapham Junction - Paddington Contactless and Pink Readers

[JN114]

One for the Oyster/Contactless experts:-

I held a valid paper ticket to Clapham Junction, that was not valid beyond CLJ (firstgroup staff £6 SWR rover); as such was inside the gateline already at CLJ.

Currently travelling from Clapham Junction to London Paddington, using contactless bank card (tap in c. 1530)

That tap into the system was I believe onto a Pink Reader, not a yellow one (bottom of stairs platform 1/2).

I have changed at West Brompton, and per the instructions, tapped my contactless card on the Pink Reader on the District Line platform.

I didn’t twig, until changing at West Brompton, that the reader at CLJ was also a pink one.

When I complete my journey I will tap out at the main subsurface gateline at Paddington.

Is tapping in to the system on a pink reader valid? Or am I likely to get a maximum fare?

 

[Watershed]

That's fine. Pink readers can be used to touch in, in addition to acting as route validators. They can't be used to touch out though (for obvious reasons).

Officially you're supposed to touch in and out at the barriers where they exist, or in the case of CLJ you could use the yellow standalone validator at platform 17.

Worth noting that a Priv-discounted paper single from Clapham Junction to Acton Main Line, costing £2.35, would be cheaper than contactless or Oyster in this instance, unless you have a Railcard applied to your Oyster. This would have a Maltese cross, permitting you to use the Underground or Elizabeth line on your way from Victoria/Willesden Junction etc. to Paddington.

No need to travel onto Acton Main Line, of course - it's just that you can't buy such a ticket to Paddington (as it'd have to be to Zone U1*, and you can't get a discount on U Zone fares with a non-safeguarded Priv). It's the same price anyway, as paper fares are (mostly) zonally priced within London.

 

[Joe Paxton]

One for the Oyster/Contactless experts:-

I held a valid paper ticket to Clapham Junction, that was not valid beyond CLJ (firstgroup staff £6 SWR rover); as such was inside the gateline already at CLJ.

Currently travelling from Clapham Junction to London Paddington, using contactless bank card (tap in c. 1530)

That tap into the system was I believe onto a Pink Reader, not a yellow one (bottom of stairs platform 1/2).

I have changed at West Brompton, and per the instructions, tapped my contactless card on the Pink Reader on the District Line platform.

I didn’t twig, until changing at West Brompton, that the reader at CLJ was also a pink one.

When I complete my journey I will tap out at the main subsurface gateline at Paddington.

Is tapping in to the system on a pink reader valid? Or am I likely to get a maximum fare?

Touching-in to start a journey is possible on a pink reader, though worth noting it is an unadvertised feature.

Pink readers cannot be used to touch-out (i.e. end) a journey.

Your scenario should be fine.

 

[JN114]

Thank you both.

Worth noting that a Priv-discounted paper single from Clapham Junction to Acton Main Line, costing £2.35, would be cheaper than contactless or Oyster in this instance, unless you have a Railcard applied to your Oyster. This would have a Maltese cross, permitting you to use the Underground or Elizabeth line on your way from Victoria/Willesden Junction etc. to Paddington.

Indeed, I’d infact availed myself of a similar (but not identical) tactic at the start of my day; however I realised my plans at that point (home via Windsor essentially) were going to take an awful long time, and getting home home had become more urgent so “bailed” off a Down SWR service at CLJ and rushed over to platform 1/2 to head round quickly back to Paddington. It was a conscious trade of expense for expediency to use contactless - significantly under the minimum connection allowance at Clapham Jn - but I am grateful for the advice nonetheless.

 

[Joe Paxton]

That's fine. Pink readers can be used to touch in, in addition to acting as route validators. They can't be used to touch out though (for obvious reasons).

Officially you're supposed to touch in and out at the barriers where they exist, or in the case of CLJ you could use the yellow standalone validator at platform 17.

There's more than one standalone validator on platform 17 - I think there are three: two at the south-western / overbridge end of the platform (just down from the stairs), and one (I think it's just the one) at the north-eastern / subway end.


There are also two standalone validators at the southern / St John's Hill end of the subway - near the gateline, but notably inside the gated area. The validators are next to closed double-doors which have an Emergency Exit sign, but presumably the validators are not intended for passengers to use if they are actually exiting the station in an emergency (the priority being to get everyone out safe quickly) but rather for use as an alternative exit if needed - though I'm not quite sure when this would happen (maybe late at night if there are works blocking the St John's Hill entrance?).

I think this is a view of the other side of the doorway (dark blue doors), which leads into a small car park.

Anyway, these two validators always seem to be powered-up and ready for use. I guess if there was a very inquisitive RPI at the nearby gateline they might enquire as to why you're using it, but if you have a legitimate reason to do so - and there are a great many - this shouldn't be an issue.