*always* get incomplete journeys? A station with reader problems or just not bothering to use the readers if the gates are locked open.Yes railcard discounts for daily tickets should already be available but is only available on Southern journeys. Not all ticket types are available on The Key.
One thing to remember about Smart Cards is that you cannot break your journey and continue later.
On Oyster you also have a time limit to complete your journey.
Smart Cards are ok if card readers are working however it will occur quite often that there is card reader trouble and then the revenue people will issue a penalty fare as they have found your card 'unactivated'.
I wouldn't trust these cards yet for one off tickets as I have friends who always get incomplete journeys on oyster and thus a penalty fare generated by the system. Real hassle to get it sorted over the phone.
I would stick to the paper ticket! Much less hassle.
Hmm,will they be available soon?Yes railcard discounts for daily tickets should already be available but is only available on Southern journeys. Not all ticket types are available on The Key.
One thing to remember about Smart Cards is that you cannot break your journey and continue later.
On Oyster you also have a time limit to complete your journey.
Smart Cards are ok if card readers are working however it will occur quite often that there is card reader trouble and then the revenue people will issue a penalty fare as they have found your card 'unactivated'.
I wouldn't trust these cards yet for one off tickets as I have friends who always get incomplete journeys on oyster and thus a penalty fare generated by the system. Real hassle to get it sorted over the phone.
I would stick to the paper ticket! Much less hassle.
I have a "London Terminals" Annual Season Ticket which I use to travel to Moorgate, taking advantage of the Joint Availability Rules to travel in to London Kings Cross and then continue my journey on London Underground to Moorgate. I have just transferred this ticket on to "the Key" smartcard. WHAT A DISASTER-
The Key does not work on the underground barriers at Kings Cross Station. Worse still the London Underground staff at Kings Cross have clearly been given a briefing on what to so with these cards that does not recognise the validity under the joint availability rules. On the first occasion that I was refused entry to the underground, I was marched over to a ticket machine, the LU gatekeeper swiped my card, pointed to a line that said "No entitlement" and said that means your ticket is not valid. I tried to explain that I was travelling to Moorgate and that the Joint Availability rules applied - but the answer was still - no your ticket is not valid. National Rail Tickets are not valid on London Underground they said.
I complained to Great Northern - but they said - your ticket should work. We are aware that there are problems with some cards not working at Kings Cross but don't worry - if it doesn't work, LU staff will let you through the gate - sorry Great Northern they won't!
I complained to TfL - their first response was an unhelpful - "your ITSO card is valid if accompanied by a National Rail Annual Travelcard. " I complained AGAIN - asserting that under the joint availability rules, the ITSO card should also be valid for a journey to Moorgate if accompanied by a London Terminals season ticket. Unhelpfully they replied the same way AGAIN "your ITSO card is valid if accompanied by a National Rail Annual Travelcard". I COMPLAINED FOR A THIRD TIME - this time they finally checked with a ticketing expert who confirmed - yes your ITSO card should be valid for a journey to Moorgate if accompanied by a London Terminals Annual Season valid for journeys between Finsbury Park and Kings Cross/Moorgate.
AT LAST some sense! My card continued to fail to work on the underground barriers but armed with a copy of the response from TfL customer services, I continued to present my "Key" card and receipt to the LU staff, who after a while began to let me through the gates. "We know who you are" they said!
NEVER AGAIN I SAID - WHEN MY CURRENT SEASON RUNS OUT (ON 31 DEC) MY SMARTCARD GOES IN THE BIN
Today however, my "Key" card finally opened the gates at London Kings Cross. Checking my account online, it seems that an additional ticket has been added to my KEY card - valid from Potters Bar to London Zones 123456. Clearly my complaint to Great Northern has had some effect - but it would have been nice if they had told me directly that it had now been fixed, instead of leaving me to discover the change for myself!
I checked with a work colleague who also travels the same route and has faced the same problems. Yes he said, after checking, - a ticket from Potters Bar to London Zones 123456 had also been added to his Key card on November 20th - again without actually informing him (unlike me, he had been avoiding confrontation by taking the slow train and changing at Finsbury Park each day)
DESPITE OF THIS BELATED "FIX" I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT "THE KEY" WILL STILL GO INTO THE BIN ON 31 DEC TO BE REPLACED WITH AN OLD FASHIONED, BUT FUNCTIONING PAPER TICKET (EVEN IF I HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING IT EVERY 4 OR 5 WEEKS WHEN THE MAGNETIC STRIP STOPS WORKING)
The moral of this post however, is simple. If (like me) you are stupid enough to ask for one of these so called "smartcards" stick to your guns, keep complaining and insisting that your ticket is valid and eventually you will get there - BUT BETTER STILL STEER CLEAR OF "THE KEY" AND STICK TO PAPER TICKETS INSTEAD.
I know what I said after my last attempt with the KEY (see above) - but the failure rate on paper tickets is now becoming SO INTOLERABLE that I am once again considering the possibility of using the KEY (I went through more than 50 paper tickets in 2017 and 2018 seems to be getting worse - none of my paper tickets have lasted longer than a week and the last three have worked ONCE on the way in at Huntingdon and then failed on the way out).
Before I do this, however, does anyone know it they have fixed the issue with London Underground so that London Underground will accept The Key on the inter-available routes between Finsbury Park/Moorgate/Kings Cross St Pancras yet? Does the Key permit you to change from National Rail at Kings Cross and then travel by London Underground to Moorgate as you can with a paper season ticket?
If you had to have your paper ticket replaced 50 times last year I suspect the way you were keeping the ticket was part of the problem.
Not always possible at Kings Cross - occasionally all gates are open and not enabled - like yesterday (22/3/18) at 1800The first part sounds like a mess, but it would be good practice to get into the habit of always touching in and out.
Always report any readers not working!
What were Oyster and contactless credit/debit card users meant to do?Not always possible at Kings Cross - occasionally all gates are open and not enabled - like yesterday (22/3/18) at 1800
I don't think you can use those on Great Northern, at least not on the trains that I take.What were Oyster and contactless credit/debit card users meant to do?
You definitely can, Oyster is accepted on Great Northern for all stations up till Hadley Wood and Crews Hill.I don't think you can use those on Great Northern, at least not on the trains that I take.
I don't think you can use those on Great Northern, at least not on the trains that I take.
Not always possible at Kings Cross - occasionally all gates are open and not enabled - like yesterday (22/3/18) at 1800
Hi Hadders - that thought had occurred to me and I have tried everything I can think of - to the point where it has almost become obsessional - so now I keep my paper ticket in its plastic National Rail wallet - and the only other thing that I keep with it is my Photocard. The wallet is then kept in my left hand coat pocket - with nothing else in the pocket. My Oyster card is kept separately, in my right hand coat pocket. My phone is also kept separately in my right hand trouser pocket. All other cards (with the exception of my office pass) are kept in my wallet, in my left hand trouser pocket. My office pass hangs around my neck. I have not changed either my Oyster Card or my Phone for several years.If you had to have your paper ticket replaced 50 times last year I suspect the way you were keeping the ticket was part of the problem.
Hi Hadders - that thought had occurred to me and I have tried everything I can think of - to the point where it has almost become obsessional - so now I keep my paper ticket in its plastic National Rail wallet - and the only other thing that I keep with it is my Photocard. The wallet is then kept in my left hand coat pocket - with nothing else in the pocket. My Oyster card is kept separately, in my right hand coat pocket. My phone is also kept separately in my right hand trouser pocket. All other cards (with the exception of my office pass) are kept in my wallet, in my left hand trouser pocket. My office pass hangs around my neck. I have not changed either my Oyster Card or my Phone for several years.
I would also add that I have now been commuting over the same route on a daily basis for 28 years - and have never encounter this level of problems before - the frequency of failures last year (and this year) if FAR in excess of anything that I have EVER encountered before.
If you have any other suggestions on how to keep my ticket so as to avoid being "part of the problem" and reduce the frequency of failures, they will be gratefully received and duly tried out.............
Does anyone know why GTR Smartcard PAYG can't be used on TfL services? It seems odd when a) season tickets will work and b) the zonal fares and capping already work for their own services.
It would seem Key for pay as you go is being promoted through Facebook etc. Has dft given them a slapped wrist for not achieving smart card useage at similar levels to other TOC'S ?
Believe minimum usage levels & advertising are a franchise commitment.It would seem Key for pay as you go is being promoted through Facebook etc. Has dft given them a slapped wrist for not achieving smart card useage at similar levels to other TOC'S ?