Blackfriars tube - from south of the river

[AnkleBoots]

When I was at the Bankside entrance to Blackfriars station a few weeks ago staff on the ticket barriers told me emphatically that it was impossible to access the tube station via the Bankside entrance, and that the only way of reaching the tube station from the south bank of the river was to cross over Blackfriars Bridge.

Is it possible that the staff at the railway station, who are presumably Network Rail staff, rather than TfL, actually don't know how the station works?

Or do they for some reason dislike people crossing the river through the railway station, and tell people that they can't, even though they can (it was not a remotely busy time, so I can't see why they would care)?

Or do they just enjoy giving people wrong information? I am guessing that the first possibility is the most likely.

Please can anyone advise the current position? Is the entrance/exit on the south of the Thames valid for a tube passenger?

I believe the Oyster system will not penalise, but that doesn't mean the station staff are OK with it.

 

[MikeWh]

Please can anyone advise the current position? Is the entrance/exit on the south of the Thames valid for a tube passenger?

I believe the Oyster system will not penalise, but that doesn't mean the station staff are OK with it.

If you have a ticket (eg travelcard) or an Oyster card or CPC then it's fine. It's not a public right of way though. If you only use it to get from one side to the other on Oyster/CPC then it will charge a zone 1 single fare, which counts towards the cap.

 

[AnkleBoots]

Thank you.

If you sprint through in less than 120 seconds (in conjunction with a tube journey) would the penalty fare (for touching out within 120 seconds) come into play?

 

[MikeWh]

Thank you.

If you sprint through in less than 120 seconds (in conjunction with a tube journey) would the penalty fare (for touching out within 120 seconds) come into play?

You'd have to go pretty fast to do that, and probably be shouted at by platform staff. There are stairs to negotiate first, then a 12-car long platform.

However, if making a tube journey the touching in again at the other side of an OSI would just join the bits together.

 

[PeterC]

There is nothing in the original post that says what sort of ticket, if any, the complainant was holding. I have seen plenty of stroppy types who expect to be able to go "railside" without a ticket to take a shortcut through a station.

 

[Deerfold]

I used to regularly walk through the station at lunchtime when I worked nearby, returning over the road bridge. There's no charge so long as you hold a travelcard or similar. If you have a paper travelcard it might not work the second barrier with a passback error, but you should be allowed through.

 

[AnkleBoots]

I have seen plenty of stroppy types who expect to be able to go "railside" without a ticket to take a shortcut through a station.

Yes I have observed this at Guildford. Sheffield has a similar shortcut although not barriered.

If you happen to have worked on the barriers at Blackfriars I would be interested to learn if there is internal guidance on how to respond to tourists asking about walking through as part of a tube journey.

 

[MAV39]

Thought the pedestrian crossing of Guildford station is a public right of way and you ask for a cross station ticket at the barrier.

Sheffield's is also a public right of way, hence not barriered.

No need to be stroppy to cross these stations.

 

[alxndr]

You'd have to go pretty fast to do that, and probably be shouted at by platform staff. There are stairs to negotiate first, then a 12-car long platform.

However, if making a tube journey the touching in again at the other side of an OSI would just join the bits together.

Ah, I wish I'd known this earlier. I've had to walk the road bridge several times when it would have been easier (and a pleasant change) to go via the station bridge.

 

[DelW]

Thought the pedestrian crossing of Guildford station is a public right of way and you ask for a cross station ticket at the barrier.

Guildford footbridge is indeed a right of way and "bridge passes" are issued when the barriers are manned. There is signage at the tops of the staircases to platforms stating that "bridge passes are not valid beyond this point".

I believe it dates back to when the railway was constructed, and cut across a route toward the town centre, so not comparable with Blackfriars.