• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Priv Oyster

Status
Not open for further replies.

Mojo

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
7 Aug 2005
Messages
20,382
Location
0035
It's so frustrating. Can anyone offer any pointers please? I'm wondering if south of the river may be easier but i'm rarely over that side - particularly at the moment
Sorry to hear about these issues.

Are you safeguarded or non safeguarded? Also what is your employer, and is your staff travel card of standard design?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Surreytraveller

On Moderation
Joined
21 Oct 2009
Messages
2,810
I find that TfL staff are totally untrained when it comes to tickets other than bog standard public rate Oyster stuff. I've been fobbed off with my boxes being the wrong colour before (different to the example pictured in the manual they were using), as they are unaware each year's issue is a different colour.
Try browsing this and print off the appropriate page with the instructions of how to do it and give it to them
Page 66 of Book 3 has the instructions
 
Last edited:

LA50041

Established Member
Joined
20 Feb 2017
Messages
2,158
I've been having a nightmare with mine. I've been 9 times now and keep getting fobbed off by staff. I know what they need to do but they don't seem to, with most saying it's not eligible even though it is.

I normally get it done at Blackhorse Road tube station (have done the last 3 years). This year they refused as too busy, then said it had to be done on the phone, then said they didn't know how to, then they said I had to go to a mainline station before finally I was told I wasn't eligible. I tried to explain it would only be for overground services/metro services with others tocs but they were having none of it. Euston LUL station said I wasn't eligible after showing me a briefing from RSTL, saying it had been done incorrectly for the last 3 years (it hasn't been) and also and sent me upstairs to the mainline station. The mainline station (obviously) said they couldn't do it as it was oyster.

It's so frustrating. Can anyone offer any pointers please? I'm wondering if south of the river may be easier but i'm rarely over that side - particularly at the moment
If you're in the vicinity of Farringdon, the Thameslink Ticket office there are normally very good at this
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
The main sticking point may well be that we've just gained a fancy new Intranet on which they may struggle to find Hot Issues Bulletin 20-20 !
Must admit I don’t really see what the difference between this new procedure and the existing one is, other than the fact that staff and the customer are expected to stand apart, and that you have to present your 19/20 Staff Travel Card (not quite sure why?)

This letter is a bit confusing because Hot Issues is an LU document and not a TfL document, and only LU staff can make the changes and not TfL staff, but in any case staff would know what is being talked about.

I have had another email today from RSTL and its more or less word for word as before:

Priv discount on Oyster Cards

TfL have agreed that as long as you have your 2019/20 Staff Travel Card and your 2020/21 Staff Travel Card and the same registered Oyster Card as last year, they can reset the Priv discount on your Oyster Card. Social distancing is in place at stations so this process will take a little longer than usual. TfL staff at the London Underground stations have been sent instructions on how to do this using the London Underground ticket machines. If they have difficulties setting the discount, or are unsure what to do, please ask them to check TfL Hot Issues Bulletin 20-20
 

Horizon22

Established Member
Associate Staff
Jobs & Careers
Joined
8 Sep 2019
Messages
7,446
Location
London
I've been having a nightmare with mine. I've been 9 times now and keep getting fobbed off by staff. I know what they need to do but they don't seem to, with most saying it's not eligible even though it is.

I normally get it done at Blackhorse Road tube station (have done the last 3 years). This year they refused as too busy, then said it had to be done on the phone, then said they didn't know how to, then they said I had to go to a mainline station before finally I was told I wasn't eligible. I tried to explain it would only be for overground services/metro services with others tocs but they were having none of it. Euston LUL station said I wasn't eligible after showing me a briefing from RSTL, saying it had been done incorrectly for the last 3 years (it hasn't been) and also and sent me upstairs to the mainline station. The mainline station (obviously) said they couldn't do it as it was oyster.

It's so frustrating. Can anyone offer any pointers please? I'm wondering if south of the river may be easier but i'm rarely over that side - particularly at the moment

London Bridge underground assisted me with getting my Priv added via ticket office a, but I did have to get through 3 staff to understand with blank expressions on faces. London Bridge did mine last year and similarly I'd gone around 3-4 different (NR and TfL) stations to get it done.
 
Last edited:

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
London Bridge underground assisted me with getting my Priv added, but I did have to get through 3 staff to understand with blank expressions on faces. London Bridge did mine last year and similarly I'd gone around 3-4 different (NR and TfL) stations to get it done.

I can't understand why TfL/LUL just to nominate say 10 LUL stations where this can be done. As for staff having "blank expressions", how do they get their PRIV Oyster cards updated?
 

Mojo

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
7 Aug 2005
Messages
20,382
Location
0035
FWIW, @W230 hasn't logged back in to answer my questions above so we don't know exactly what he was trying to do.
I can't understand why TfL/LUL just to nominate say 10 LUL stations where this can be done. As for staff having "blank expressions", how do they get their PRIV Oyster cards updated?
There will be very few CSA-grade staff remaining who are entitled to Privilege rate PAYG travel and there are a very small number of child Privilege travel authority cards for children of LU/TfL staff in circulation.

I would suspect a lot of the confusion has arisen since non-Safeguarded Toc staff have been able to have their Priv discounts added to Oyster for travel only on National Rail services (and certain Interavailable routes), as this can only be done at certain National Rail stations (except eligible LNER, GTR and Eurostar who can get LU/DLR travel as well).
 

theironroad

Established Member
Joined
21 Nov 2014
Messages
3,692
Location
London
I got my Oyster card updated about a week ago. Apart from tracking down a staff member with the correct credentials at Waterloo, it all worked well.

I hadn't even see this thread but tried yesterday at Waterloo (jubilee entrance) where I've done it before and the guy who already seemed reluctant to leave his cordoned off zone by the booth, where he was chatting to his colleague, told me that they weren't allowed to touch the machines because of covid and I had to phone up TfL, which seemed absurb tbh as I'm sure some sort of rubber pen stylus type thingy could have been issued to staff to use on machines.

Anyway after being on hold for ages to TfL, I gave up.......

To be continued...
 

Horizon22

Established Member
Associate Staff
Jobs & Careers
Joined
8 Sep 2019
Messages
7,446
Location
London
I can't understand why TfL/LUL just to nominate say 10 LUL stations where this can be done. As for staff having "blank expressions", how do they get their PRIV Oyster cards updated?

Mine was for the NR discount only as TOC employee so maybe some 'rustiness' to do this, but I thought TfL staff had special Oysters so would rarely need to actually add discounts?
 

Horizon22

Established Member
Associate Staff
Jobs & Careers
Joined
8 Sep 2019
Messages
7,446
Location
London
as this can only be done at certain National Rail stations (except eligible LNER, GTR and Eurostar who can get LU/DLR travel as well).

And the ones on the list my TOC gave me also didn't work - Blackfriars & Farringdon were listed - I tried these and was told point-blank no. Other colleagues had the same result, but some were able to get it done. Seems very ad-hoc and luck of draw as to whether there's a cooperative CSA or supervisor around.
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
I hadn't even see this thread but tried yesterday at Waterloo (jubilee entrance) where I've done it before and the guy who already seemed reluctant to leave his cordoned off zone by the booth, where he was chatting to his colleague, told me that they weren't allowed to touch the machines because of covid and I had to phone up TfL, which seemed absurb tbh as I'm sure some sort of rubber pen stylus type thingy could have been issued to staff to use on machines.

Anyway after being on hold for ages to TfL, I gave up.......

To be continued...

Seems very ad-hoc and luck of draw as to whether there's a cooperative CSA or supervisor around.

Shouldn't be like this. :(

I don't really have the time or the inclination to troop round station after station trying to find a member of staff that can and is willing to do it.
 
Last edited:

Mojo

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
7 Aug 2005
Messages
20,382
Location
0035
And the ones on the list my TOC gave me also didn't work - Blackfriars & Farringdon were listed - I tried these and was told point-blank no. Other colleagues had the same result, but some were able to get it done. Seems very ad-hoc and luck of draw as to whether there's a cooperative CSA or supervisor around.
What list? The non-Safeguarded Priv oyster rate (except Eurostar / LNER / GTR yellow card) cannot be done at any LU facilities; references on the list provided by RDG that mention Blackfriars and Farringdon refer to the National Rail ticket offices at these locations.

There’s no list for Safeguarded staff as this can be done at any LU managed station if you can find staff willing.
 

Horizon22

Established Member
Associate Staff
Jobs & Careers
Joined
8 Sep 2019
Messages
7,446
Location
London
What list? The non-Safeguarded Priv oyster rate (except Eurostar / LNER / GTR yellow card) cannot be done at any LU facilities; references on the list Blackfriars and Farringdon refer to the National Rail ticket offices at these locations.

There’s no list for Safeguarded staff as this can be done at any LU managed station if you can find staff willing.

It was an internal TOC document as to stations where it could be completed. I can't remember the exact details on which stations. However NR staff have very limited dealings with Oyster, hence no luck or literally direct to you to the Underground. Then the underground direct you backwards. Colleagues at all stations seem to get rather confused.
 

Mojo

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
7 Aug 2005
Messages
20,382
Location
0035
It was an internal TOC document as to stations where it could be completed. I can't remember the exact details on which stations. However NR staff have very limited dealings with Oyster, hence no luck or literally direct to you to the Underground. Then the underground direct you backwards. Colleagues at all stations seem to get rather confused.
Are you referring to this list?

If so then any LU staff who say they can’t help are quite correct as this discount can only be set by National Rail staff at the stations listed.
 

CyrusWuff

Established Member
Joined
20 May 2013
Messages
3,944
Location
London
Marylebone and Northolt Park need removing from that list as Chiltern now use Worldline TOMTIS/MTIS@Station, which is unable to retail Oyster products.

It can, however, retail products for ITSO Smartcard fulfilment.
 

dave4jackie

Member
Joined
4 Nov 2006
Messages
157
just got email saying about taking both old and current card to get priv oyster updated, how many people keep there old ones, when you click on the link in email if you don't have both it says that if you have already got priv on your oyster card you just take your current card to get it updated, so mixed messages
 

RJ

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2005
Messages
8,383
Location
Back office
I got my discount loaded at Finsbury Park NR ticket office the other day.

The interchange between NR and LU there has changed - the stairwells have been closed and it now involves a 550m walk - allow an extra 10 minutes for this interchange if you must do it and beware social distancing is unlikely to be possible on the main road!
 

W230

Established Member
Joined
6 Jan 2012
Messages
1,214
Apologies all for my delay in replying. Its been a chaotic couple of weeks.!

Im non safeguarded at GTR. Sounds like Farringdon may be a good suggestion from the comments here?
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
I got my discount loaded at Finsbury Park NR ticket office the other day.

The interchange between NR and LU there has changed - the stairwells have been closed and it now involves a 550m walk - allow an extra 10 minutes for this interchange if you must do it and beware social distancing is unlikely to be possible on the main road!

I assume that is for non safeguarded i.e. National Rail only? I need to get my safeguarded i.e. "PRIV ALL RAIL" (LUL discount included) and my understanding is that can only be done by LU staff using an LU ticket machine. Do you know if that is correct?
 

RJ

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2005
Messages
8,383
Location
Back office
I assume that is for non safeguarded i.e. National Rail only? I need to get my safeguarded i.e. "PRIV ALL RAIL" (LUL discount included) and my understanding is that can only be done by LU staff using an LU ticket machine. Do you know if that is correct?

According to the Rail Delivery Group, that is indeed correct :)

I'll have a look on the LU intranet today and try and make sense of the recent announcement as I never was sure what has actually changed.

And yes, I have the New Entrant Priv. It has taken a whole 3 weeks for me to pass a ticket office offering this service!
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
I'll have a look on the LU intranet today and try and make sense of the recent announcement as I never was sure what has actually changed.

Thanks - I think under normal circumstances if you didn't renew the Oyster discount with the new staff travel card details by the time the old staff travel card had expired i.e. 30th June you had to go the entire rigmarole of reregistering with a completely new Oster card, form to fill in etc. I suspect there is some new procedure this year (because of COVID) that now allows you to turn up after 30th June with both the old and new card and get the Oyster updated. Will be interested to know what you can find out on the LU intranet. :)
 

3973EXL

Established Member
Joined
2 Feb 2017
Messages
2,435
Received this by e-mail from rstl


Rail Staff Travel News Further Update - 21st July 2020


Priv discount on Oyster Cards

TfL have agreed that as long as you have your 2019/20 Staff Travel Card and your 2020/21 Staff Travel Card and the same registered Oyster Card as last year, they can reset the Priv discount on your Oyster Card. Social distancing is in place at stations so this process will take a little longer than usual. TfL staff at the London Underground stations have been sent instructions on how to do this using the London Underground ticket machines. If they have difficulties setting the discount, or are unsure what to do, please ask them to check TfL Hot Issues Bulletin 20-20
 

Deerfold

Veteran Member
Joined
26 Nov 2009
Messages
12,569
Location
Yorkshire
Must admit I don’t really see what the difference between this new procedure and the existing one is, other than the fact that staff and the customer are expected to stand apart, and that you have to present your 19/20 Staff Travel Card (not quite sure why?)

This letter is a bit confusing because Hot Issues is an LU document and not a TfL document, and only LU staff can make the changes and not TfL staff, but in any case staff would know what is being talked about.

I know you don't seem to like the fact, but LU is part of TfL, so LU staff *are* TfL staff, though not all TfL staff are LU staff.
 

MikeWh

Established Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
15 Jun 2010
Messages
7,865
Location
Crayford
The interchange between NR and LU there has changed - the stairwells have been closed and it now involves a 550m walk - allow an extra 10 minutes for this interchange if you must do it and beware social distancing is unlikely to be possible on the main road!
My attention has been drawn to the social distancing one-way system at Finsbury Park which has broken the out-of-station interchange in some cases when changing between National Rail and the Underground. Access to the National Rail platforms is currently only from the bus station entrance. Exit from the Underground is also to the bus station, but entry is via the new entrance on the other side of the station, a 3-4 minute walk.

The problem is when passengers arrive on platforms 1-2 from North London and Hertfordshire. There are no gates on those platforms so you have to touch out using the validators at the bottom of the steps. When you touch in again at the new Underground entrance your journey is not continued because the OSI has not been set up properly. This means that your journey is split in two and you are charged two fares rather than the normal one combined fare. TfL are aware of the issue and I hope to have an update within the next few days.
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
I almost got caught out by this at Finsbury Park a couple of weeks ago. I was making a tight-ish connection between Finsbury Park and Euston and got caught out having to walk all the way round to the new entrance. It felt like more than a 3-4 minute walk from the NR platforms to the Victoria Line platforms.

Heaven knows why they couldn't just have one spiral staircase up and one down, or the same one way system they had when the additional spiral staircases were being installed.

I agree about changing a Highbury & Islington - not doing so was a school boy error on my part. Made my connection at Euston but only just!
 

RJ

Established Member
Joined
25 Jun 2005
Messages
8,383
Location
Back office
Thanks - I think under normal circumstances if you didn't renew the Oyster discount with the new staff travel card details by the time the old staff travel card had expired i.e. 30th June you had to go the entire rigmarole of reregistering with a completely new Oster card, form to fill in etc. I suspect there is some new procedure this year (because of COVID) that now allows you to turn up after 30th June with both the old and new card and get the Oyster updated. Will be interested to know what you can find out on the LU intranet. :)

Ah, that makes sense. I read the Hot Issues bulletin and it's basically as per the RDG brief, along with the step by step procedure for doing it while maintaining social distancing.

I almost got caught out by this at Finsbury Park a couple of weeks ago. I was making a tight-ish connection between Finsbury Park and Euston and got caught out having to walk all the way round to the new entrance. It felt like more than a 3-4 minute walk from the NR platforms to the Victoria Line platforms.

Heaven knows why they couldn't just have one spiral staircase up and one down, or the same one way system they had when the additional spiral staircases were being installed.

I agree about changing a Highbury & Islington - not doing so was a school boy error on my part. Made my connection at Euston but only just!

4 minutes exit to entrance at a brisk pace if you know where you're going perhaps! Add 2-3 minutes for walks within the station. I arrived at Finsbury Park intending to catch a Stansted Express from Tottenham Hale 15 minutes later but it wasn't going to happen so got my Oyster sorted and settled for the next one.
 
Last edited:

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
Does anyone know the arrangements at Kings Cross St Pancras? I assume there is a one way system so can you access the Victoria Line via the tube ticket hall or do you have to go via the Northern ticket Hall and the 'tourist route'?
 

greyman42

Established Member
Joined
14 Aug 2017
Messages
4,894
Does anyone know the arrangements at Kings Cross St Pancras? I assume there is a one way system so can you access the Victoria Line via the tube ticket hall or do you have to go via the Northern ticket Hall and the 'tourist route'?
You can access the Victoria line via the tube ticket hall.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top