Acceptance of rail tickets on TfL on strike days (including buses)

[JonathanH]

According to the Southern website, there is acceptance of rail tickets on TfL services when there is rail strike action.
https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/industrial-action

Will my ticket be valid on another Operator’s services on the strike days?

On 31 May & 2, 3 June you may use your paper ticket on TfL bus, Tube, tram or DLR services on any reasonable route to complete your journey.

My question is essentially why this is on their website. On any parallel route the buses simply wouldn't be able to cope with the passenger volume, and people report rail tickets not being accepted.

Have Southern / GTR genuinely provided payment to TfL to get ticket acceptance? I can't imagine that if I turned up at Redhill with a paper ticket from Redhill to London and travelled on the 405 to Purley, 127 to Tooting, then Northern Line / Victoria Line to Victoria that I am going to easily be able to convince the drivers and barrier staff that my ticket is valid, yet their website indicates it is.

Is this just careless drafting of FAQs, or is there a general dictat that TfL is transporting people instead?

 

[Benjwri]

According to the Southern website, there is acceptance of rail tickets on TfL services when there is rail strike action.
https://www.southernrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/industrial-action



My question is essentially why this is on their website. On any parallel route the buses simply wouldn't be able to cope with the passenger volume, and people report rail tickets not being accepted.

Have Southern / GTR genuinely provided payment to TfL to get ticket acceptance? I can't imagine that if I turned up at Redhill with a paper ticket from Redhill to London and travelled on the 405 to Purley, 127 to Tooting, then Northern Line / Victoria Line to Victoria that I am going to easily be able to convince the drivers and barrier staff that my ticket is valid, yet their website indicates it is.

Is this just careless drafting of FAQs, or is there a general dictat that TfL is transporting people instead?

Yes in theory there is some local ticket acceptance, and presumably this has been arranged by Southern because they aren't running trains through the core. I would presume it doesn't actually affect many journeys because the majority would have a Maltese cross on them. Can't talk as for whether you'd get on a bus in Redhill though.

 

[JonathanH]

Yes in theory there is some local ticket acceptance, and presumably this has been arranged by Southern because they aren't running trains through the core.

That is an interesting hypothesis that it is linked to non provision of services in the Core or Central London, rather than out in the suburbs.

Falls down a little on the fact that they aren't running any services today though.

 

[miklcct]

I haven't tried it yet but has anyone tried presenting a ticket not valid on the Underground at an Underground station during the strike, especially at an intermediate National Rail / Underground interchange?

 

[ATrainSpotter]

The odd driver would probably let you on, but otherwise if Southern haven't formally stated I doubt it. Usually as far as I'm aware they don't put ticket acceptance in place for strike action (unless its just SWR!)

 

[Benjwri]

The odd driver would probably let you on, but otherwise if Southern haven't formally stated I doubt it. Usually as far as I'm aware they don't put ticket acceptance in place for strike action (unless its just SWR!)

It is formally stated on the Southern strike page:

On 31 May & 2, 3 June you may use your paper ticket on TfL bus, Tube, tram or DLR services on any reasonable route to complete your journey.

 

[CyrusWuff]

It is formally stated on the Southern strike page:

It's also mentioned in the Rail Delivery Group brief, but only applies to magstripe tickets.

 

[Benjwri]

It's also mentioned in the Rail Delivery Group brief, but only applies to magstripe tickets.

Yes although we southern have managed to forget to put that on their page you’d have a fairly good case to claim back your expenses for crossing London if you were declined.

 

[Alex365Dash]

Yes although we southern have managed to forget to put that on their page you’d have a fairly good case to claim back your expenses for crossing London if you were declined.

Note the inclusion of the word paper in the above quote therefore excluding anything other than CCST and PRT.

(CCST is a Credit Card Sized Ticket, which is a magstripe ticket, whilst PRT is a Paper Roll Ticket - think bog roll!)

EDIT: It’d be an interesting argument to print out an eTicket then pointing out the eTicket is then technically on paper and is therefore a paper ticket!