Could we see more pink readers when the contactless area is expanded with Project Oval?

[JaJaWa]

Moderator note: Split from

Pink Reader charges EXTRA

I travel from Zone 6 South Western Railway, via Richmond (where I touch pink reader and change to the Overground ) and exit at Willesden Junction (zone 2/3) I get charged for a zone 3-6 journey. Last week I accidentally additionally touched the pink reader at Willesden Junction just before...

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Are more pink readers needed when the contactless area is expanded with Project Oval?

 

[MikeWh]

Are more pink readers needed when the contactless area is expanded with Project Oval?

National Rail have pretty much refused to site pink readers at their stations, unless they are Overground or Elizabeth line, or shared with Underground.

 

[londonbridge]

Redhill?

 

[Haywain]

National Rail have pretty much refused to site pink readers at their stations, unless they are Overground or Elizabeth line, or shared with Underground.

You mean Train Operating Companies or Network Rail? National Rail is nothing more than a name and can't be making decisions.

 

[Surreytraveller]

You mean Train Operating Companies or Network Rail? National Rail is nothing more than a name and can't be making decisions.

National Rail is the public-facing name of the Rail Delivery Group (formally ATOC), and represents the TOCs as one

 

[Haywain]

National Rail is the public-facing name of the Rail Delivery Group (formally ATOC), and represents the TOCs as one

I know. And RDG will not be making such decisions either unless the majority of affected members are of a similar view. RDG communicated for TOCs but doesn't make the decisions.

 

[JonathanH]

Redhill?

The obvious problem with a pink reader at Redhill is that you don't have to change trains there, in particular for the key route of Gatwick Airport to Reading or Guildford.

I guess to some extent the need for pink readers will depend on whether there are genuinely outer destinations where there is flexibility of route.

 

[Starmill]

The obvious problem with a pink reader at Redhill is that you don't have to change trains there, in particular for the key route of Gatwick Airport to Reading or Guildford.

I guess to some extent the need for pink readers will depend on whether there are genuinely outer destinations where there is flexibility of route.

You could argue we passed that point a long time ago given the number of people who travel between Reading and Gatwick Airport using contactless on the direct train, where it's not actually permitted, but they're simply not checked onboard.

 

[JonathanH]

You could argue we passed that point a long time ago given the number of people who travel between Reading and Gatwick Airport using contactless on the direct train, where it's not actually permitted, but they're simply not checked onboard.

Really? Are there a lot of people who do that?

 

[MikeWh]

I know. And RDG will not be making such decisions either unless the majority of affected members are of a similar view. RDG communicated for TOCs but doesn't make the decisions.

The comment was made in one of my FOI requests by TfL. They may have said NR TOCs, but the meaning was clear. RDG/ATOC own the fares decisions for the late adopting TOCs.

 

[londonbridge]

The obvious problem with a pink reader at Redhill is that you don't have to change trains there, in particular for the key route of Gatwick Airport to Reading or Guildford.

I guess to some extent the need for pink readers will depend on whether there are genuinely outer destinations where there is flexibility of route.

I was thinking in terms of my often quoted journey to Tonbridge whenever I go down there for parkrun. If contactless becomes available then the system needs to know whether, from the Croydon area, I’ve gone via Redhill or gone up to London Bridge and out again. Usually I’ll use the former, but there was one week when Tonbridge had a late cancellation, asked for a ticket to Tunbridge Wells and the clerk was about to sell me a via Redhill ticket until I said that I needed the fast train via LB, as changing at Redhill and Tonbridge wouldn’t have got me to TW in time. (The merits of specifying which route you want when buying over the counter were discussed in another thread).