TfL are clearly doing something to update Oyster for Crossrail. A funding paper for "Technology Systems" is going to the Programmes and Investment Cttee next week. Within its many pages is an interesting breakdown of a lot of ticketing initiatives.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/pic-20180221-item08-pt-1-tech-and-data.pdf
short quote from paper - not practical to quote all of it!
1.1 This submission presents the strategic case for the overall Technology and Data (T&D) Investment Programme (the Programme). This authority covers financial years 2018/19 and 2019/20. The Programme will return annually to the Committee to renew and validate a rolling two year approval. This enables approvals to be aligned to financial years, which complements the nature of this Programme.
1.2 This paper describes the range of activities undertaken by TfL’s T&D team but the authority sought relates only to those matters for which Programme and Project Authority is required by T&D. The authority request does not include matters where T&D is closely involved in delivery but authorities are secured separately by Surface Transport or London Underground (LU) or matters funded by third parties and which have been specifically authorised (such as Emergency Services Network).
There are two Crossrail related items on the list
- Implementation of new fares model for Elizabeth Line
- Automation of Oyster route charges to generate fares for Crossrail
Given the phasing of the spend the above initiatives complete this year and an extra increment in 2019. There is also a budget line called "Point to Zone" which references the Elizabeth Line. There isn't much detail but the name suggests to me (as I sort of expected) that new western Crossrail stops outside the zonal area will be priced individually and not zonally. This is clearly a guess on my part so no criticism please!
There is also one other interesting line which refers to "Weekly Capping on Card" which confirms a point that was discussed in another thread about how weekly capping will be implemented. This is an ongoing piece of work.
There are also other interesting things like allowing the use of fares concessions (railcards I assume) via the Oyster App, creating a "digital oyster card" for use on mobile phones and system changes to "force" the swapping out of 1st generation Oyster cards. I only wish I could see the expanded descriptions of all of the initiatives!
