Every Tube ticket office to close

[Blindtraveler]

This works very well in Scotland where the range of services in some locations is astounding.

 

[Hadders]

Many small shops won't take card transactions for paypoint, TfL top up's, lottery etc. because of the risk.

If the card transaction gets charged back for whatever reason then the retailer takes the hit. Also, cash flow can be an issue as paypoint et al usually collect the money from the retailer by direct debit the following day but it can take a few days for the money to clear into the retailers account.

Also the margins on these products are often wafer thin (c.0.5%) so the retailer often ends up making a loss after the card processing fees are taken into account.

 

[ScotGG]

Correct. It will pretty much only be allowed to be used to refund bus & tram passes that are bought accidentally and replaced with correct travelcards.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


A lot of it - such as loading on Oyster discounts - is already in place. It isn't all being transferred over (some functions will move to Visitor Centres whilst others will only be possible via the help line) but the majority is, including journey resolutions, Oyster discounts, failed Oyster card replacement (coming soon) and manual charge functionality.

Does manual charge functionality cover being able to add rail vouchers onto an oyster card?

 

[Mojo]

Does manual charge functionality cover being able to add rail vouchers onto an oyster card?

No, you cannot add Rail Travel Vouchers at ticket machines. You will not be able to add them at all at any LU station after next month.

 

[infobleep]

No, you cannot add Rail Travel Vouchers at ticket machines. You will not be able to add them at all at any LU station after next month.

So if TfL had not kept visitors centres would there have been no way to use rail vouchers despite them being valid or are there other TfL based methods to redeem them?

 

[Mojo]

So if TfL had not kept visitors centres would there have been no way to use rail vouchers despite them being valid or are there other TfL based methods to redeem them?

You can't add them at TfL Information centres either, which is fair enough really given that no TfL modes issue paper vouchers any more

 

[infobleep]

You can't add them at TfL Information centres either, which is fair enough really given that no TfL modes issue paper vouchers any more

So I guess it will leave the former Sliverlink stations as the only TfL place to use rail vouchers.

If they ever closed may be TfL could then state they no longer accept them, given that effectively they will do so.

 

[Mojo]

So I guess it will leave the former Sliverlink stations as the only TfL place to use rail vouchers.

Do Lorol not take them?

 

[rmt4ever]

I just think the whole thing stinks of TfL's attitude of 'we will force people to accept our changes by making it physically impossible for them not to, regardless of public opinion'

Am I right in thinking that on the main line railway, such drastic changes would not be possible to implement, especially so quickly, due to government commitments/regulations?

 

[Be3G]

I believe they're also available on buses too, in theory

Indeed. I've never had one printed myself, but I have seen a person get on a bus and have a problem with her Oyster; after a bit of discussion, the driver produced a long printout for her which looked suspiciously like one of those technical printouts that list every Oyster detail (as available from remaining tube ticket offices) plus a journey history.

The ones printed on buses use NLCs rather than station names, bus usage is clear enough though. I printed some test statements when I drove buses, not that any passengers ever asked for one.

As an update to this sub-thread-of-sorts, last week a relative of mine had a bit of trouble using her Oyster on a bus (she unexpectedly activated the ‘one more journey’ feature) and at my suggestion asked the bus driver for a printout of her journey history. I'm happy to say he obliged, she put her Oyster on the reader again, and a lengthy printout was spat out of the machine. Note that this means, as far as I can tell, that a bus journey doesn't have to take place to get a printout, so it could be useful for people who need one and can no longer get one from a tube station. The printout contained:

• Route number, stop code, time and date of interrogation;
• Balance on card;
• Cost, route, date and time of last eight journeys;
• Amount, date and time of last three topups.

Very useful indeed.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Note that this means, as far as I can tell, that a bus journey doesn't have to take place to get a printout, so it could be useful for people who need one

People who'd like a voucher for a £1.99 Big Mac and chips but wouldn't like to spend a bus fare, for example :P

In seriousness, it's good to know that those can be had.

 

[paddington]

Is it possible to buy seasons for arbitrary lengths at the machines?

 

[infobleep]

This is going to be a faff if it also applies to renewing annual bus passes. They are technically available from Oyster ticket stops, but buying from one means having to withdraw over £800 pounds in cash, which means finding a bank branch that's open at a convenient time (perish the thought) or making trips to cash machines over the course of several days. Sigh. I do love it when customer service is ‘improved’.

Given Oyster ticket shops can technically sell annual travel cards, why not technically make it possible for ticket machines to do so and make it only possible using a debit or credit card, so that no large amounts of cash are stored in the machine as a result.

 

[LeeLivery]

I just think the whole thing stinks of TfL's attitude of 'we will force people to accept our changes by making it physically impossible for them not to, regardless of public opinion'

Am I right in thinking that on the main line railway, such drastic changes would not be possible to implement, especially so quickly, due to government commitments/regulations?

They're doing the same thing in Sydney, already scraping paper tickets while the smart card has only been in use a few months - funny enough its former LUs Howard Collins running Sydney Trains too.

 

[island]

Given Oyster ticket shops can technically sell annual travel cards, why not technically make it possible for ticket machines to do so and make it only possible using a debit or credit card, so that no large amounts of cash are stored in the machine as a result.

The card-only machine at Lewisham DLR (a QBM I think) offers to renew my annual Travelcard. I am not sure how I would get a Gold Record Card though.

 

[devon_metro]

I do enjoy receiving emails telling me how the service is being "improved" by closing the ticket office.

My question is, how does one load a railcard discount onto an oyster card, as previously this was done at the ticket office (apologies if this has been discussed)?

 

[transportphoto]

My question is, how does one load a railcard discount onto an oyster card, as previously this was done at the ticket office (apologies if this has been discussed)?

It can now be done by a LUL member of staff at a Passenger Operated Machine... I believe.

TP

 

[hassaanhc]

I keep forgetting to post this, but at many stations there are signs up saying that RTVs and warrants can no longer be used after the closure of the ticket office, along with the nearest staffed National Rail station that accepts them. Still, that means you won't be able to use them for Oyster except at the very few NR stations that deal with Oyster.

Can NR stations do a paper season travelcard with the 18+ student discount, instead of getting it on Oyster?

Photos below of a couple of posters.
Hounslow Central has nearest staffed NR station as Hounslow, which is the nearest at 0.8 miles away, and looks like they've extended the opening hours on Saturday to 1430 (I'm sure it used to be 1100).
Hammersmith is down as nearest staffed NR station of Paddington, which is 3 miles away. However, both Kensington Olympia (0.8 miles) and Shepherd's Bush (1.2 miles) are much closer, but are both London Overground, and looks like they're again misleading passengers over it not being part of NR :roll: . Barnes is 2 miles away.
(All road distances)

 

[ScotGG]

In some parts of London the nearest station doing it would be miles away and take a fair while to get to.

 

[RJ]

Can NR stations do a paper season travelcard with the 18+ student discount, instead of getting it on Oyster?

Yes, I sell them regularly although I have never quite understood why people prefer to have them on paper. More expensive to get extensions and a pain in the rear if they're lost or stolen, unlike Oyster.

 

[PermitToTravel]

I can't think of any rational reason other than the local absence of Oyster facilities

 

[Blindtraveler]

Is there a comprehensive list of NR Stations that
Do
deal with Oyster?

 

[infobleep]

I can't think of any rational reason other than the local absence of Oyster facilities

I wonder what the furthest station is from any Oyster facilities?

I know Wimbledon use to be able to deal with Oyster cards until the company supplying the technology to SWT removed the functionality.

 

[island]

Is there a comprehensive list of NR Stations that
Do
deal with Oyster?

http://www.oyster-rail.org.uk/nr-stations-issuing-oyster-cards/

I wonder what the furthest station is from any Oyster facilities?

I know Wembley use to be able to deal with Oyster cards until the company supplying the technology to SWT removed the functionality.

Wembley and SWT? Does not compute.

 

[G0ORC]

As a side issue (perhaps) I have need of a little information about this.

I retired from the industry in 2005, I have grandfather rights travel facilities (20 days) and since retirement I have rarely needed to use the tube to cross London.

Due to family illness as of next week I will need to be crossing from St Pancras to Waterloo three or four times a week for a while.

A few years ago whenever I needed to cross on the tube I bought priv tickets at the ticket office. If these have disappeared or at least are disappearing how do I get a priv?

A friend of mine has a Oyster priv - is that the only way?

 

[infobleep]

http://www.oyster-rail.org.uk/nr-stations-issuing-oyster-cards/

Wembley and SWT? Does not compute.

Sorry that should have been Wimbledon.

 

[12CSVT]

As a side issue (perhaps) I have need of a little information about this.

I retired from the industry in 2005, I have grandfather rights travel facilities (20 days) and since retirement I have rarely needed to use the tube to cross London.

Due to family illness as of next week I will need to be crossing from St Pancras to Waterloo three or four times a week for a while.

A few years ago whenever I needed to cross on the tube I bought priv tickets at the ticket office. If these have disappeared or at least are disappearing how do I get a priv?

A friend of mine has a Oyster priv - is that the only way?

Underground PRIV rate singles and returns for ex British Rail staff were abolished in January

 

[G0ORC]

Underground PRIV rate singles and returns for ex British Rail staff were abolished in January

Thanks - I didn't know that

 

[Deerfold]

Underground PRIV rate singles and returns for ex British Rail staff were abolished in January

Paper ones were. However eligible staff can get PRIV on Oyster or paper tickets for trips across London including the tube.

 

[LAX54]

As a side issue (perhaps) I have need of a little information about this.

I retired from the industry in 2005, I have grandfather rights travel facilities (20 days) and since retirement I have rarely needed to use the tube to cross London.

Due to family illness as of next week I will need to be crossing from St Pancras to Waterloo three or four times a week for a while.

A few years ago whenever I needed to cross on the tube I bought priv tickets at the ticket office. If these have disappeared or at least are disappearing how do I get a priv?

A friend of mine has a Oyster priv - is that the only way?

http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-staff-travel/