Paddington Travelcard Confusion

[Benjwri]

I’ve just travelled through Paddington on an Off Peak zones 1-6 travelcard from Reading, however it seems the Heathrow mainline gatelines have an issue with this. I’m travelled from Goring and Streatley, then onto an Elizabeth Line train to Acton Mainline. As it’s a travelcard I know this journey is permitted. However as I came into a platform with a gate line, having travelled on an IET from reading, I had to pass through a gate line there, then back through another to get to Platform 11 for the Elizabeth Line train.

Background over, the ticket was rejected with an error code 21, which I read is double entry. I had only presented my ticket at the other Paddington barrier, so can only sumise it thought that was an entry. I had to get a member of staff to help me through but they were extremely reluctant to let me through, as they claimed I could’ve let someone through while they weren’t looking, and I nearly missed my train. Is there anything I can do to avoid this in future?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’ve just travelled through Paddington on an Off Peak zones 1-6 travelcard from Reading, however it seems the Heathrow mainline gatelines have an issue with this. I’m travelled from Goring and Streatley, then onto an Elizabeth Line train to Acton Mainline. As it’s a travelcard I know this journey is permitted. However as I came into a platform with a gate line, having travelled on an IET from reading, I had to pass through a gate line there, then back through another to get to Platform 11 for the Elizabeth Line train.

Background over, the ticket was rejected with an error code 21, which I read is double entry. I had only presented my ticket at the other Paddington barrier, so can only sumise it thought that was an entry. I had to get a member of staff to help me through but they were extremely reluctant to let me through, as they claimed I could’ve let someone through while they weren’t looking, and I nearly missed my train. Is there anything I can do to avoid this in future?

I'm confused of the relevance of Heathrow, but passing through a gateline twice is entirely normal when making a connection at a terminus like Paddington, so you should just be let through. Perhaps you did it so quickly that it was picked up as a passback and presumably then let through by staff.

Whether you had let someone through is actually irrelevant - as the ticket holder you're the one who is valid, it's the theoretical other person who didn't have a ticket that could be pursued.

 

[Haywain]

I’m travelled from Goring and Streatley, then onto an Elizabeth Line train to Acton Mainline.

To be clear, you've travelled from Goring & Streatley to Paddington (changing at Reading) and then from Paddington to Acton Main Line?

the ticket was rejected with an error code 21, which I read is double entry.

It's called passback and shows that the ticket has been seen twice in relatively quick succession by gatelines at the same station. I'm surprised that the staff saw anything about it that they felt the need to mention.

 

[Starmill]

I would write to customer services about being told this at the gateline. It seems they've made a mistake, but if they're not made aware of it they won't be able to do anything about it (not that I imagine they will choosing to do anything about it anyway but it's only fair to give the operator the chance).

Do you know if the person you spoke to was GWR or someone else?

If you do write in my advice would be to be as clear as you possibly can about precisely which trains you used and between which stations, with the most accurate times you can estimate.

 

[Benjwri]

I'm confused of the relevance of Heathrow, but passing through a gateline twice is entirely normal when making a connection at a terminus like Paddington, so you should just be let through. Perhaps you did it so quickly that it was picked up as a passback and presumably then let through by staff.

Whether you had let someone through is actually irrelevant - as the ticket holder you're the one who is valid, it's the theoretical other person who didn't have a ticket that could be pursued.

Sorry, I was writing it on the train, and kept thinking of Heathrow instead of Paddington, as that’s where the train was going, and writing that!

To be clear, you've travelled from Goring & Streatley to Paddington (changing at Reading) and then from Paddington to Acton Main Line?

Yes, going via Ealing is slightly quicker but I needed to get lunch. Should still be valid on a travelcard.

Do you know if the person you spoke to was GWR or someone else?

Yeah GWR.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I would have thought that the mainline and Elizabeth line gates would have been set up as two separate arrays to get past this problem,

 

[JonathanH]

I would have thought that the mainline and Elizabeth line gates would have been set up as two separate arrays to get past this problem,

I think the OP was having a problem between two sets of mainline gates - ie those on platforms 2-5 and those on platforms 10-11.

 

[D1024]

In my experience the Platform 11 gateline at Paddington always rejects paper travelcards. I go through them every 4-6 weeks on my way to Heathrow usually using a Travelcard and always get rejected ( I never remember to look for a code). This happened on my latest journey yesterday as usual.

 

[Benjwri]

In my experience the Platform 11 gateline at Paddington always rejects paper travelcards. I go through them every 4-6 weeks on my way to Heathrow usually using a Travelcard and always get rejected ( I never remember to look for a code). This happened on my latest journey yesterday as usual.

Really? I make the journey from Paddington to Acton Mainline about once a week, although usually from the Underground, using a travelcard and have never had an issue until I came from mainline today.

I also just passed through the exact same gate about 5 minutes ago on the same ticket, but having come into Paddington on the Platform 12 gateline and it worked perfectly.

 

[Hadders]

In my experience the Platform 11 gateline at Paddington always rejects paper travelcards. I go through them every 4-6 weeks on my way to Heathrow usually using a Travelcard and always get rejected ( I never remember to look for a code). This happened on my latest journey yesterday as usual.

I've had lots of travelcard rejections at that gateline. Seems to be an issue with how it's programmed.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Have you tried Smartcards?

 

[Roger1973]

Have you tried Smartcards?

Apologies for going in a tangent, but is it possible to do a one-day travelcard from outside London on a smartcard?

I've never tried or thought about it (I'm in SWR land but close enough to Reading sometimes to pay the bit extra and do the 'any permitted' via Reading and Paddington, depending on where in London I want to go.)

And would I gain anything form doing it as smartcard rather than buying a paper / card ticket?

 

[Hadders]

Have you tried Smartcards?

I'd like to but I can't until the rail industey makes a Gold Card discounted Stevenage to London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Day Travelcard available for smartcard fulfilment

 

[Benjwri]

Apologies for going in a tangent, but is it possible to do a one-day travelcard from outside London on a smartcard?

I've never tried or thought about it (I'm in SWR land but close enough to Reading sometimes to pay the bit extra and do the 'any permitted' via Reading and Paddington, depending on where in London I want to go.)

And would I gain anything form doing it as smartcard rather than buying a paper / card ticket?

If you get a C2C smart card, which is totally valid and free, you can buy smartcard tickets for any valid routing pair in the country, then load them from your phone. This includes single/return tickets which are available as a smartcard. Travelcards are definitely possible on it, from stations outside London. I have definitely done a Reading - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak travel card on one before. You can check if a route and ticket type is available for smart cards here. As far as I've ever been able to find, if the route you want to a London terminal is available on a smart card, the travel card version will be as well.

On the subject of this thread though, it's worth mentioning that where I mentioned I've interchanged through the barriers before and been fine, that was on a smart card, whereas today was a paper ticket for the first time in a while.

 

[Wallsendmag]

If you get a C2C smart card, which is totally valid and free, you can buy smartcard tickets for any valid routing pair in the country, then load them from your phone. This includes single/return tickets which are available as a smartcard. Travelcards are definitely possible on it, from stations outside London. I have definitely done a Reading - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak travel card on one before. You can check if a route and ticket type is available for smart cards here. As far as I've ever been able to find, if the route you want to a London terminal is available on a smart card, the travel card version will be as well.

On the subject of this thread though, it's worth mentioning that where I mentioned I've interchanged through the barriers before and been fine, that was on a smart card, whereas today was a paper ticket for the first time in a while.

Not quite true, We have Day Travelcards available on Smartcards from Peterborough, Grantham and Newark but not the tickets just to Kings Cross

 

[Starmill]

Not quite true, We have Day Travelcards available on Smartcards from Peterborough, Grantham and Newark but not the tickets just to Kings Cross

That's a tiny handful of Travelcards only, and doesn't include all of the Travelcard ticket types from Peterborough or Stevenage. Most operators have been very slow to enable any day Travelcards.

Regardless of any of this the smartcard is still likely to be rejected for passback if it's under the same circumstances that a paper ticket would be.

 

[Roger1973]

If you get a C2C smart card, which is totally valid and free, you can buy smartcard tickets for any valid routing pair in the country, then load them from your phone. This includes single/return tickets which are available as a smartcard. Travelcards are definitely possible on it, from stations outside London. I have definitely done a Reading - London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak travel card on one before. You can check if a route and ticket type is available for smart cards here. As far as I've ever been able to find, if the route you want to a London terminal is available on a smart card, the travel card version will be as well.

On the subject of this thread though, it's worth mentioning that where I mentioned I've interchanged through the barriers before and been fine, that was on a smart card, whereas today was a paper ticket for the first time in a while.

Thanks for that, but to be honest, that sounds like as much if not more time and effort than just going to the ticket office or ticket vending machine at my local station on the day.

Is there any cash saving doing it that way? (like there is - or was - with oyster compared to cash)

And does it do network card discount?

 

[Starmill]

Apologies for going in a tangent, but is it possible to do a one-day travelcard from outside London on a smartcard?

I've never tried or thought about it (I'm in SWR land but close enough to Reading sometimes to pay the bit extra and do the 'any permitted' via Reading and Paddington, depending on where in London I want to go.)

Yes, in some places. It depends on the specific ticket.

Is there any cash saving doing it that way? (like there is - or was - with oyster compared to cash)

No. That's just a TfL thing at the moment. Elsewhere so-called smart tickets are exactly the same price.

A few companies did do promotions like TPE used to give 25p to charity if you used a print at home ticket but there's nothing I'm aware of like that now.

And does it do network card discount?

You'd have to try your specific journey. But yes in theory, if it's available.

Thanks for that, but to be honest, that sounds like as much if not more time and effort than just going to the ticket office or ticket vending machine at my local station on the day.

It's significantly more hassle because you must have a smartcard already. Only a very tiny number of stations have a smartcard dispenser. Until recently there was also a chance you might be boarding a bus with a ticket machine that cannot read an ITSO card. This will result in your being charged and having to complain to reclaim the money. It may now be fixed.

 

[D1024]

Have you tried Smartcards?

I am not a London area (nor anywhere near it!) resident so I dont have an Oyster - I travel to/through London every 4-6 weeks and for point to point use Contactless. However when I have some time to spare I like to travel round the Network photographing trains, often without exiting/tapping out for several hours. For this I prefer a paper travelcard to avoid maximum journey time issues. If there is a way to do this other than paper ticket then I would love to know!

 

[Benjwri]

Thanks for that, but to be honest, that sounds like as much if not more time and effort than just going to the ticket office or ticket vending machine at my local station on the day.

Yeah, it's less effort once you have the smart card, no queues and you can just load it at home from your phone, only slightly more than an m-ticket. Also the added benefit you can't demagnetise it like a paper ticket.

Is there any cash saving doing it that way? (like there is - or was - with oyster compared to cash)

Not directly, however C2C do have a loyalty scheme, where for every £1 you spend you get 1p off a future booking with them, which adds up quicker than you would think.

And does it do network card discount?

Yes railcard discounts are available on a smart card.

Not quite true, We have Day Travelcards available on Smartcards from Peterborough, Grantham and Newark but not the tickets just to Kings Cross

Yeah never investigated that way round, Travelcards are more widespread, so my point was any one there is a normal ticket for, there's usually a travelcard for.

 

[MikeWh]

I make the journey from Paddington to Acton Mainline about once a week, although usually from the Underground, using a travelcard and have never had an issue until I came from mainline today.

Changing from Underground to National Rail and vice versa is going to be allowed no matter how short the time because they are totally different stations. Your issue was changing between gates at the same station, though it does seem as though there is a programming issue involved, and that may only involve one direction, or just one/some of the gates on the array.

 

[D1024]

that may only involve one direction, or just one/some of the gates on the array.

Thats an interesting thought - When I go through the P11 gateline I always use the "wide gate" (I think there is only one of those) as I am towing a small wheeled case and never the regular size gates.