Unable to find yellow reader at Abbey Wood.

[High Dyke]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/custom-house-dlr-elizabeth-line-ticket-gateline.235312/

Sorry to go slightly O/T. had a similar experience at Abbey Wood the other week. Arrived using a paper ticket, but then changed to Crossrail for onward travel to Farringdon, on oystercard. I merely needed to change platforms but could not find any Yellow readers there. Ended up exiting the gateline and then touch-in to access trains again. Thus no incomplete journey, but it does seem rather stupid that this should be the way if transferring services.

 

[miklcct]

Sorry to go slightly O/T. had a similar experience at Abbey Wood the other week. Arrived using a paper ticket, but then changed to Crossrail for onward travel to Farringdon, on oystercard. I merely needed to change platforms but could not find any Yellow readers there. Ended up exiting the gateline and then touch-in to access trains again. Thus no incomplete journey, but it does seem rather stupid that this should be the way if transferring services.

The yellow reader at Farringdon is located between the Thameslink and Underground platforms.

 

[Hadders]

The yellow reader at Farringdon is located between the Thameslink and Underground platforms.

There really should be card readers at the top of the Elizabeth Line escalators.

 

[miklcct]

There really should be card readers at the top of the Elizabeth Line escalators.

Are there yellow readers on both Thameslink platforms? If not there is no need to install more because the only changes where a ticket switch is usually required always involve Thameslink.

 

[Surreytraveller]

The yellow reader at Farringdon is located between the Thameslink and Underground platforms.

But none between the Thameslink and Elizabeth Line platforms

 

[High Dyke]

The yellow reader at Farringdon is located between the Thameslink and Underground platforms.

It was Abbey Wood I had to faff about.

 

[swt_passenger]

It was Abbey Wood I had to faff about.

I suspect at Abbey Wood they want transfer via a gateline because the TOC reckons too much revenue might be lost by journeys not being touched in or out at the real origin or destination.

 

[High Dyke]

I suspect at Abbey Wood they want transfer via a gateline because the TOC reckons too much revenue might be lost by journeys not being touched in or out at the real origin or destination.

Ah right.

 

[MikeWh]

I suspect at Abbey Wood they want transfer via a gateline because the TOC reckons too much revenue might be lost by journeys not being touched in or out at the real origin or destination.

Correct. Most stations on that line are open so there would be considerable scope for ticketless travel to Abbey Wood before touching in.

 

[hkstudent]

Correct. Most stations on that line are open so there would be considerable scope for ticketless travel to Abbey Wood before touching in.

What annoys people would be, that means passengers may need to walk the full length of the train to access to gate line for the interchange.
I think it's really a essential to expand the contactless PAYG area all the way to Medway towns as soon as possible.

 

[island]

Southeastern would much prefer shooting fish in a barrel at Greenhithe and Sevenoaks stations when people try to touch out with Oyster and get jumped on by gleeful RPIs. I’ve been approached by such RPIs in the past when I got seek assistance at the barrier only for their faces to fall when I pulled out my ITSO card which worked at the second time of asking.

 

[extendedpaul]

The first time I travelled on the Elizabeth Line I arrived from Rainham at Abbey Wood with a paper ticket, ready to switch to using Oyster to Farringdon. I also looked on the platform for a yellow validator - there aren't any - and then asked a train dispatcher what to do. I was directed up the stairs to the gateline.

I asked a staff member from the platform side whether I needed to exit and re-enter having both my paper ticket and Oyster card in my hand. Perhaps I should have just gone out and straight back in again but at the time that didn't feel right, hence my asking first. I was told simply to touch out and return to the platform. I should have realised that was wrong but I was running late and didn't think. Exited at Farringdon. On my return my Oyster card was rejected and on checking journey history I had been charged 2 X £8.95 for incomplete journeys. I phoned TTL oyster helpline the next day and they sorted it out quickly. I asked the person if he was aware of similar cases and he confirmed he was. It was clear by now that the person at Abbey Wood had wrongly assumed I was completing an Oyster journey and starting a paper ticket one, not the other way round.

Similar journey the following week and I decided to speak to the station supervisor at Abbey Wood. I explained that I wasn't asked where I had travelled from and my paper ticket wasn't inspected. He was very friendly and apologetic and said he would remind his colleagues to ask questions and look at tickets before advising passengers what to do. He also told me there were plans to install Oyster readers on the platforms.

 

[MikeWh]

He also told me there were plans to install Oyster readers on the platforms.

He may want readers installed on the platforms, but I seriously doubt it will happen.

 

[hkstudent]

The first time I travelled on the Elizabeth Line I arrived from Rainham at Abbey Wood with a paper ticket, ready to switch to using Oyster to Farringdon. I also looked on the platform for a yellow validator - there aren't any - and then asked a train dispatcher what to do. I was directed up the stairs to the gateline.

I asked a staff member from the platform side whether I needed to exit and re-enter having both my paper ticket and Oyster card in my hand. Perhaps I should have just gone out and straight back in again but at the time that didn't feel right, hence my asking first. I was told simply to touch out and return to the platform. I should have realised that was wrong but I was running late and didn't think. Exited at Farringdon. On my return my Oyster card was rejected and on checking journey history I had been charged 2 X £8.95 for incomplete journeys. I phoned TTL oyster helpline the next day and they sorted it out quickly. I asked the person if he was aware of similar cases and he confirmed he was. It was clear by now that the person at Abbey Wood had wrongly assumed I was completing an Oyster journey and starting a paper ticket one, not the other way round.

Similar journey the following week and I decided to speak to the station supervisor at Abbey Wood. I explained that I wasn't asked where I had travelled from and my paper ticket wasn't inspected. He was very friendly and apologetic and said he would remind his colleagues to ask questions and look at tickets before advising passengers what to do. He also told me there were plans to install Oyster readers on the platforms.

I would say that MTR Crossrail staff are kind of poorly trained in ticketing, no matter those gateline staff or ticket officr staff, for handling more complex nationwide tickets.
Abbey Wood is definitely a tricky case and would be difficult to rectify in short term.