DLR rail replacement bus ticketing

[elagueesti]

Hi,

General query as the DLR is suspended between Canning Town and Beckton this weekend. Posters at Canning Town say you must have a valid ticket before travelling on a replacement bus, yet the staff at the station who are announcing which bus goes where etc say you don't need a ticket.

I presume there is a right answer, but when the human being employed to answer customer queries answers the question "Do I need a ticket on a DLR replacement bus?" with "No, you don't need a ticket" then I don't think it's unreasonable to follow their advice.

 

[mtmikethom]

You DO need a Valid Rail Ticket to travel on replacement bus services for DLR (as well as LUL), You will find though that is unusual for any ticket checking to occur as this would be difficult to implement given the frequency of the bus service as well as the use of non TfL standard buses. The staff at station probably know this, but shouldn't be giving that advise. So whilst you can probably travel about on replacement buses all day without a ticket, you shouldn't be doing so as it would be on offence.
I would also think that the staff concerned are probably agency staff.

 

[maniacmartin]

I would ask the staff to put that in writing. I bet they refuse
If staff at the station say you don't need a ticket, then I interpret that as them authorising you to travel without one. On the very slim chance you are prosecuted for being on the bus without a ticket, however, proving that authorisation wouldn't be easy.

 

[Mojo]

Perhaps they are referring to Oyster Pay As You Go, for which it is not possible to 'touch in' on a Replacement Bus.

 

[LondonJohn]

Perhaps they are referring to Oyster Pay As You Go, for which it is not possible to 'touch in' on a Replacement Bus.

You should have a valid ticket for rail replacement buses but I have never ever had mine checked. You normally get an outsourced agency running the rail replacement services and at larger interchanges you have staff from the TOC.

The only exception to this is that after the Manchester derailment on 24/25 January there were G4S staff with ticket machines standing next to the rail replacement coaches although I did not see them sell any tickets on the 4 occasions that I walked past.

 

[nicobobinus]

I would certainly have liked to see how using PAYG on my rail replacement journey on FCC this afternoon would have worked out. It operated all stations via Enfield Chase to Alexandra Palace, then on to Turnpike Lane for tube connections, using the bus station to stand. Touch in at Gordon Hill, board coach, get off coach at Turnpike Lane..ah.

In practice, I suppose alighting at the stop for Bowes Park (opposite Bounds Green station!), walking to the station, touching out there, walking back to Bounds Green and joining the tube there would have been the only viable option?

 

[island]

Perhaps they are referring to Oyster Pay As You Go, for which it is not possible to 'touch in' on a Replacement Bus.

When using a DLR replacement bus, one should touch in at the departure station and out at the arrival station, and not on any buses.

 

[Clip]

When using a DLR replacement bus, one should touch in at the departure station and out at the arrival station, and not on any buses.

But at Canning town that means you need to walk down the stairs to the entrance, touch in, leave the gate open then walk all the way back up to stand D to get on the bus.

You exit at Gallions reach and you have a good 5 minute walk from the bus stop until you get to the station as its round the corner and accross a dual carriageway on the big roundabout and then touch out there? only to possibly walk all the way back round as you may live on the estate there?

And thats just that station - a couple of the others are not much easier either IIRC and there is no validator at the bus stand at Canning town.

 

[island]

Which is why I used West Silvertown to get to the ExCeL last weekend. I agree it's a faff, but those are the rules!

 

[maniacmartin]

Which is why I used West Silvertown to get to the ExCeL last weekend. I agree it's a faff, but those are the rules!

Did you use the rattly lifts on the bridge that feel like they're going to break?

 

[island]

No. They are all broken by now.

 

[Clip]

Which is why I used West Silvertown to get to the ExCeL last weekend. I agree it's a faff, but those are the rules!

It is a faff so maybe that's why the OP was told it didn't matter.

Ill me lass later but I'm guessing officially you have too but unofficialy they won't check/mind given the logistics of it.

I've never seen anyt TSO on any replacement service on the dlr.

 

[mattdickinson]

I would certainly have liked to see how using PAYG on my rail replacement journey on FCC this afternoon would have worked out. It operated all stations via Enfield Chase to Alexandra Palace, then on to Turnpike Lane for tube connections, using the bus station to stand. Touch in at Gordon Hill, board coach, get off coach at Turnpike Lane..ah.

In practice, I suppose alighting at the stop for Bowes Park (opposite Bounds Green station!), walking to the station, touching out there, walking back to Bounds Green and joining the tube there would have been the only viable option?

The official advice when there are engineering works on the line to Amersham if you are using PAYG is to travel to Beaconsfield, take the replacement bus to Amersham, and lean over the gate there to touch out

 

[dlj83]

I was told a few weekends back to touch in at Canning Town then get on the replacement bus then touch out on the readers at Beckton Park

 

[Stats]

I was told a few weekends back to touch in at Canning Town then get on the replacement bus then touch out on the readers at Beckton Park

It would be quite difficult to touch in or out at Beckton Park since the station is locked up during engineering works.

 

[elagueesti]

When using a DLR replacement bus, one should touch in at the departure station and out at the arrival station, and not on any buses.

Say the arrival station was Royal Victoria, where the oyster validators were behind an area that has been roped off?

Ditto Beckton Park, where it isn't possible to get to an oyster validator to complete your journey.

Do TFL really expect people to embark on a small excursion down to the ticket barriers, touch in and then bugger off? I might send a letter to TFL and ask what the official policy is....
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Actually, it can't be TFL policy - at least it can't be if you're travelling from Beckton Park to Canning Town as you are prevented from touching in as the station is closed and barriered off...