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Non-existent Oyster single fares

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ChristopherJ

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A contact is going to be commuting between Walthamstow and Feltham in preparation for a new job and asked me to enquire about fares. It is a part time job and only temporary so a season ticket or annual Travelcard is not economical - the most suitable are single fares and my contact is prepared to avoid zone 1 to receive cheaper single fares.

My contact's local station is Walthamstow Queens Road, I've been searching for single fares on the Oyster system but apparently none exist for a journey between Walthamstow Queens Road and Feltham. I refuse to believe this.

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Fares do exist and are available from Walthamstow Central (London Underground) - Feltham, interchanging at Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line - LOROL NLL) and Richmond (LOROL NLL - SWT) for £2.30 off peak.

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Why are fares not available from Walthamstow Queens Road - Feltham via Gospel Oak (interchange LOROL GOBLIN - LOROL NLL) and Richmond (interchange LOROL NLL - SWT)?

If no fares can be produced, my contact will have to walk an additional 10 mins to Walthamstow Central for a journey that should in reality be available from Walthamstow Queens Road.

Absolute madness.
 
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MikeWh

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It's a cock up. There are fares from Blackhorse Road, the next station along the line. I've got a contact in TfL who I'll raise this with.

If this journey is attempted then I think it will probably generate two incomplete journey charges. As an interim workaround, Walthamstow Queens Road to Kew Gardens is just zones 2 and 3 costing £1.50/£1.40. Kew Gardens to Feltham is just zones 4-6 costing £2.40/£1.80. Hopefully they will correct the error shortly anyway, but I'm not sure how much lead time is required.
 

W-on-Sea

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I suspect it's to do with what's deemed to constitute a logical route. I've heard of other routes involving the GOBLIN that don't have fares in the Oyster PAYG database- Gospel Oak to Fenchurch Street is one that springs to mind, but Walthamstow QR to Feltham doesn't seem anywhere near as unlikely a journey as that one. I guess it's something that needs to be raised with TfL. In the meantime I'd be interested to hear what the "official" suggestion to get round this is. I can think of various possible options, but they'd all either cost time or convenience or leave one exposed to the risk of a PF or worse

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bb21

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It's a cock up. There are fares from Blackhorse Road, the next station along the line. I've got a contact in TfL who I'll raise this with.

If this journey is attempted then I think it will probably generate two incomplete journey charges. As an interim workaround, Walthamstow Queens Road to Kew Gardens is just zones 2 and 3 costing £1.50/£1.40. Kew Gardens to Feltham is just zones 4-6 costing £2.40/£1.80. Hopefully they will correct the error shortly anyway, but I'm not sure how much lead time is required.

I would hope that in this case TfL would refund the passenger at least the difference between what is charged and the appropriate Zones 2-6 single.
 

DaveNewcastle

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I would hope that in this case TfL would refund the passenger at least the difference between what is charged and the appropriate Zones 2-6 single.
Indeed.
I would also hope that TfL would identify by name the software team who will surely have been appointed, accredited, monitored and approved as competent in finding fares between one of their stations and another?
I would also hope that TfL review their Contracts.
I would also hope that TfL review the competencies of the team that review their Contracts.
I would also hope that they balance those views of incompetance against their penal charges given to their customers accused of incompetence every day with penal charges against their suppliers.
I would also hope that TfL is subject to the scrutiny and accountability of a truly independent Regulator.
I would also hope that such a Regulator was active in 'regulating'.
I would also hope to see pigs flying over London.

(Oh, dear. I remember now, we already have. That just leaves us waiting for the accountability, transparency, regulation and naming of suppliers of Transport for London)

Can anybody guide us to where we might see those apparitions? Over Battersea PS perhaps?
 

MikeWh

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Probably just a database error in the TfL website.

OK. Yes it is an error. There are a number of specific point-to-point fares which don't exist. Most of them are either here-to-here or such a convoluted route that they don't think anyone would ever use rail to make the journey. In this case they have agreed that the fares should exist and they are being added ready for the May fares revision. I'm told that there is a default fare for every journey in the Oyster system itself, but it's not clear what that is. The helpdesk should be able to arrange refunds for any overcharge until the fare is corrected in May.
 

34D

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The helpdesk should be able to arrange refunds for any overcharge until the fare is corrected in May.

Wow. I'm interested/curious as to what would indeed happen in this situation. I know little about the mechanics of oyster (at least, in comparison to your revered self) but I guessed it work along the lines of start station = new barnet end station = no touch out implies max cash fare, or start station=walthamstow queens road end station=feltham implies look up fares in database.

I really feel sorry for the OP, having to explain this to a (presumably non-railway) normal person.

Perhaps if a London area member has a spare afternoon they could try this journey and report back?
 
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