Valid ticket does not open gate.

big_dirt · 4th June 2012, 11:40

Last week I was going North Dulwich to Elephant and Castle for most of the week but did 2 days Tulse Hill to Elephant and Castle. In order to get from North Dulwich to Elephant and Castle I have to change at Tulse Hill so the journey is shorter originating at Tulse Hill.

The barriers at Tulse Hill would not work so I went to the ticket counter where the very helpful lady advised me that I was fine to travel and just to show it to the guy on the gateline who duly opened the gate.

I then have passed through the gateline in this manner a further three times.

I think the issue is that North Dulwich is zone 2/3 and Tulse Hill is zone 3.

My questions are as follows:

Am I travelling within the rules?
Is there any way to get the gates to work?
If there is a revenue checkpoint and I am using this method will I get a penalty fare?
If I were to pay for a weekly to Tulse Hill and travel on to North Dulwich, through Tulse Hill, am I travelling illegally?

I reclaim the cost of the ticket as expenses so prices are not relevant although I cannot reclaim the cost of a penalty fare.

Thanks in advance.

Urban Gateline · 4th June 2012, 11:45

So that we can help you, could you post the exact details of which tickets you are using for this journey?

It could be several things, some stations you may only be allowed to use for your connection and not BOJ (Break of Journey), however the person in the ticket office probably checked the routing and if it was fine then I can't see any reason for you getting into trouble.

Many valid tickets do not operate the barriers simply because of how the barriers have been configured so you may have to continue to show your ticket and be let through manually.

anthony263 · 4th June 2012, 11:48

Dont worry I have had plenty of occasions where my ticket has not opened the gate even though it is valid, in fact rover tickets are much worse

sonic2009 · 4th June 2012, 12:05

If you could kindly assist myself & others with what tickets you were using please?

wintonian · 4th June 2012, 12:17

Gatelines can be programmed in many different ways to accept or reject, as example they may be set to reject:

all railcard discounted tickets
those discounted by a specific railcard
child tickets
any ticket that isn't unrouted or where the route isn't on the allowed list
a specific route 'not via London' for example

The chances are your ticket is valid, but obviously we can't say for certain if it is with out more detail.

Kentish Paul · 4th June 2012, 12:24

Its not unusual. Every ticket i've bought from the TVM's at Ashford International (valid on HS1) has failed to operate the barriers at St Pancras.
Shown to the guy on the gate and let through. Strangely the same tickets bought from the ticket office have no problems with the barriers.

michael769 · 4th June 2012, 13:01

The magnetic strips on tickets are not particularly robust and it is perfectly normal for a proportion of tickets to simply not work as a result.

big_dirt · 4th June 2012, 18:17

Sorry for taking all day to respond. It's a weekly SEASON-00M07D ticket. The route on it is Not Via London, although both stations are in London I presume this means not via zone 1. Standard Class.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS, I think the lady in the ticket office just did her own sense-check instead of referring to a routing guide.

sonic2009 · 4th June 2012, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_dirt

Sorry for taking all day to respond. It's a weekly SEASON-00M07D ticket. The route on it is Not Via London, although both stations are in London I presume this means not via zone 1. Standard Class.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS, I think the lady in the ticket office just did her own sense-check instead of referring to a routing guide.

That's a perfectly valid route via Tulse Hill, as others have said it may just be a problem with the mag-strip.

wintonian · 4th June 2012, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_dirt

Sorry for taking all day to respond. It's a weekly SEASON-00M07D ticket. The route on it is Not Via London, although both stations are in London I presume this means not via zone 1. Standard Class.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS, I think the lady in the ticket office just did her own sense-check instead of referring to a routing guide.

Not via London means you are not allowed to go through any of the London terminals, Vauxhall, Waterloo (main & east), Victoria etc.

There is a list here.

In other words you may go through zone 1 in the same way you can go through zones 2- 6 as long as you don't go to a station on the list above.

RJ · 5th June 2012, 12:08

I had this problem yesterday morning at Battersea Park with a very similar ticket. My season ticket is valid through there but doesn't open the barriers. It was hard enough getting the clerk to sell me the season ticket in the first place, who tried to claim that I was not allowed to use it to enter/exit an intermediate station and tried to use the barriers to substantiate this misconception. His flapping to the gateline assistant caused me to miss my half hourly train

34D · 5th June 2012, 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonic2009

If you could kindly assist myself & others with what tickets you were using please?

Surely a North Dulwich to Elephant season?

mappman1000 · 8th June 2012, 22:12

If a ticket does stop working, is it possible to exchange it for a new one, such as when on a travelcard? (I usually get the ones from the NR machines, not the tfl ones)

RJ · 9th June 2012, 06:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by mappman1000

If a ticket does stop working, is it possible to exchange it for a new one, such as when on a travelcard? (I usually get the ones from the NR machines, not the tfl ones)

Yes, it's known as a "encode exchange." This can be done at any ticket office, though it's probably best you try a ticket office run by the same Train Operating Company who issued you with the ticket, as it will be quicker and easier.

philjo · 9th June 2012, 09:53

Sounds like the same issue I have at Welwyn Garden City. My annual season ticket has never worked in the barriers at WGC - and I know a lot of other people whose tickets don't work there either. A good proportion of those exiting the platforms have to to be let through manually. (despite the fact that if travelling southbound and changing trains you need to pass through 2 sets of barriers in order to change from platfroms 1/2 and 3/4)
my season ticket does work at Potters Bar, Hatfield, Stevenage hitchin & Letchworth GC barriers so it is smething with the WGC configuration that is wrong.

4th June 2012, 11:40	#1
big_dirt Member Join Date: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 124	Valid ticket does not open gate. Last week I was going North Dulwich to Elephant and Castle for most of the week but did 2 days Tulse Hill to Elephant and Castle. In order to get from North Dulwich to Elephant and Castle I have to change at Tulse Hill so the journey is shorter originating at Tulse Hill. The barriers at Tulse Hill would not work so I went to the ticket counter where the very helpful lady advised me that I was fine to travel and just to show it to the guy on the gateline who duly opened the gate. I then have passed through the gateline in this manner a further three times. I think the issue is that North Dulwich is zone 2/3 and Tulse Hill is zone 3. My questions are as follows: Am I travelling within the rules? Is there any way to get the gates to work? If there is a revenue checkpoint and I am using this method will I get a penalty fare? If I were to pay for a weekly to Tulse Hill and travel on to North Dulwich, through Tulse Hill, am I travelling illegally? I reclaim the cost of the ticket as expenses so prices are not relevant although I cannot reclaim the cost of a penalty fare. Thanks in advance.

4th June 2012, 11:45	#2
Urban Gateline South West Trains Member Join Date: 8 Mar 2011 Posts: 983	So that we can help you, could you post the exact details of which tickets you are using for this journey? It could be several things, some stations you may only be allowed to use for your connection and not BOJ (Break of Journey), however the person in the ticket office probably checked the routing and if it was fine then I can't see any reason for you getting into trouble. Many valid tickets do not operate the barriers simply because of how the barriers have been configured so you may have to continue to show your ticket and be let through manually. __________________ Twitter: @Urban_Gateline South West Trains Gateline Assistant in the London Area

4th June 2012, 12:05	#4
sonic2009 The Secret Warrior Established Member Join Date: 19 Jan 2010 Location: Atherstone Posts: 3,020	If you could kindly assist myself & others with what tickets you were using please? __________________ I'm a Real Human, as well as a Cartoon Character

4th June 2012, 12:17	#5
wintonian Established Member Join Date: 15 Jan 2010 Location: Hampshire Posts: 4,889	Gatelines can be programmed in many different ways to accept or reject, as example they may be set to reject: all railcard discounted tickets those discounted by a specific railcard child tickets any ticket that isn't unrouted or where the route isn't on the allowed list a specific route 'not via London' for example The chances are your ticket is valid, but obviously we can't say for certain if it is with out more detail. __________________ -My blog: wintonian.net-

4th June 2012, 18:17	#8
big_dirt Member Join Date: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 124	Sorry for taking all day to respond. It's a weekly SEASON-00M07D ticket. The route on it is Not Via London, although both stations are in London I presume this means not via zone 1. Standard Class. --- old post above --- --- new post below --- PS, I think the lady in the ticket office just did her own sense-check instead of referring to a routing guide. Last edited by big_dirt; 4th June 2012 at 18:17. Reason: Double post prevention system

4th June 2012, 11:48	#3
anthony263 Established Member Join Date: 19 Aug 2008 Location: South Wales Posts: 3,863	Dont worry I have had plenty of occasions where my ticket has not opened the gate even though it is valid, in fact rover tickets are much worse

4th June 2012, 12:24	#6
Kentish Paul Member Join Date: 25 Apr 2012 Location: Ashford Kent Posts: 60	Its not unusual. Every ticket i've bought from the TVM's at Ashford International (valid on HS1) has failed to operate the barriers at St Pancras. Shown to the guy on the gate and let through. Strangely the same tickets bought from the ticket office have no problems with the barriers.

4th June 2012, 13:01	#7
michael769 cynic extrodinaire Established Member Join Date: 9 Oct 2005 Posts: 1,704	The magnetic strips on tickets are not particularly robust and it is perfectly normal for a proportion of tickets to simply not work as a result.

5th June 2012, 12:08	#11
RJ Established Member Join Date: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 4,940	I had this problem yesterday morning at Battersea Park with a very similar ticket. My season ticket is valid through there but doesn't open the barriers. It was hard enough getting the clerk to sell me the season ticket in the first place, who tried to claim that I was not allowed to use it to enter/exit an intermediate station and tried to use the barriers to substantiate this misconception. His flapping to the gateline assistant caused me to miss my half hourly train

8th June 2012, 22:12	#13
mappman1000 Will Faichney Member Join Date: 21 Jun 2010 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Posts: 123	If a ticket does stop working, is it possible to exchange it for a new one, such as when on a travelcard? (I usually get the ones from the NR machines, not the tfl ones) __________________ East Anglian Class 90 Veg

9th June 2012, 09:53	#15
philjo Established Member Join Date: 9 Jun 2009 Posts: 1,426	Sounds like the same issue I have at Welwyn Garden City. My annual season ticket has never worked in the barriers at WGC - and I know a lot of other people whose tickets don't work there either. A good proportion of those exiting the platforms have to to be let through manually. (despite the fact that if travelling southbound and changing trains you need to pass through 2 sets of barriers in order to change from platfroms 1/2 and 3/4) my season ticket does work at Potters Bar, Hatfield, Stevenage hitchin & Letchworth GC barriers so it is smething with the WGC configuration that is wrong.