Confused by Oyster?

[47802]

So let me say that I am a very regular Rail Traveller, but I'm not a native to London and on visits to London over the years I have just used a 1 day Travelcard which makes life simple to travel around London.

However a couple of weeks ago I had cause to Travel between Orpington and Barking. Now the peak single fare is £9.60 but I thought as maybe making a few trips around the London area in the near future it might make more sense to buy an Oyster card.

So I purchased one from the booking clerk, I was slightly annoyed that he couldn't put any money on it and had to use the nearby ticket machine to do so.

Anyway swiped through the gates at Orpington and caught the first London Bridge service, at London Bridge caught the Jubilee to West Ham and then onto Barking on the District. Total cost £8.40 charged as 2 separate journey portions fair enough.

The confusing bit was a West Ham where if instead of catching the Tube to Barking I had caught a mainline train instead as at the bottom of the stairs to the mainline platforms were some Oyster card swipers which it said you must use. Why are do you need to use these surely it will deduct the correct amount as you go through the barriers at the end of your journey, or is it that Mainline sections and Tube sections have to be charged separately? and if I had caught the mainline train from West Ham would that have cost more?

 

[plymothian]

What colour was the reader?
Pink are route validators, which you need to use to avoid paying a via zone 1 fare.
Yellow are (generally) in/out where you start/end a journey.

At West Ham you need to 'touch out' at these if you are travelling on a NR service BEYOND TfL Oyster area, and use a paper ticket from then on; however touching it and out again at Barking invoked a 'continuation exit' and your correct fare is calculated on exit from Barking.

 

[47802]

What colour was the reader?
Pink are route validators, which you need to use to avoid paying a via zone 1 fare.
Yellow are (generally) in/out where you start/end a journey.

At West Ham you need to 'touch out' at these if you are travelling on a NR service BEYOND TfL Oyster area, and use a paper ticket from then on; however touching it and out again at Barking invoked a 'continuation exit' and your correct fare is calculated on exit from Barking.

Not sure think it was yellow

 

[Alan White]

I'm more confused than you. To answer your questions first. No, you don't need to (and generally should not) touch yellow readers in the middle of a journey which is wholly within the Oyster area. And no, it wouldn't have cost more if you used NR West Ham - Barking.

The reason I'm confused is twofold. Firstly you shouldn't have been charged for two journeys unless you took more than twenty minutes between the NR and LU gatelines at London Bridge. Assuming that you didn't then the peak fare is £7.60 not £8.40.

Secondly, the default fare is £4.00 and personally I would have made the journey via either Lewisham/DLR or New Cross/LO in order to avoid zone 1 unless, of course, time was an issue or the train ran fast between Orpington and London Bridge.

Even as two journeys I still can't get £8.40. What time did you travel and what were you charged for each leg?

 

[47802]

I'm more confused than you. To answer your questions first. No, you don't need to (and generally should not) touch yellow readers in the middle of a journey which is wholly within the Oyster area. And no, it wouldn't have cost more if you used NR West Ham - Barking.

The reason I'm confused is twofold. Firstly you shouldn't have been charged for two journeys unless you took more than twenty minutes between the NR and LU gatelines at London Bridge. Assuming that you didn't then the peak fare is £7.60 not £8.40.

Secondly, the default fare is £4.00 and personally I would have made the journey via either Lewisham/DLR or New Cross/LO in order to avoid zone 1 unless, of course, time was an issue or the train ran fast between Orpington and London Bridge.

Even as two journeys I still can't get £8.40. What time did you travel and what were you charged for each leg?

Ok thanks for answering my question, I have checked my Oyster card online and yes you are correct I was charged £7.60 and not £8.40 as I originally said apologies for that.

I was in a hurry so I tuck the fast train to London Bridge.

 

[yorkie]

... some Oyster card swipers which it said you must use..

Yellow readers, such as those you saw at Barking, are best not used if already touched in, but it shouldn't make any difference in the end.

Can you upload a screenshot of your journey history please?

 

[plymothian]

As I said, a yellow reader is for starting and ending a journey.

At West Ham, it is possible to leave the TfL Oyster network, so passengers travelling to (say) Tilbury or Southend need to end their Oyster journey and continue on a paper ticket.

If you touch a yellow reader en route but continue within the TfL Oyster network and touch out at your destination, you have invoked a continuation exit and the fare is adjusted when you fully leave the TfL Oyster network.

 

[yorkie]

And hope you don't encounter an over-zealous RPI who hasn't been given appropriate training as to what a 'continuation exit' is

 

[47802]

Ok thanks for all your responses its a bit clearer now, the card is good but perhaps potentially a little confusing if your not familiar with it.

 

[yorkie]

If you can upload a screenshot (or scan/photo) of your journey history we will be happy to work out why you were charged more than expected.

 

[47802]

If you can upload a screenshot (or scan/photo) of your journey history we will be happy to work out why you were charged more than expected.

No I never thought I was charged more than expected my main query was the card readers at the steps to the main line platforms at West Ham and whether I would have been charged more if I had used these card readers and caught the Mainline train instead of the Tube.

As I mentioned above I thought I had been charged £8.40 but on examining my Oyster card I have found I was charged £7.60 which I understand from 'Alan White' is the correct fare.