On 16 Feb, 13:17, Mizter T wrote:

[*massive* snip]

I have one last solution for you, by the way - and I think you might
like it!

Because Oyster PAYG fares are currently charged based on the origin
and destination stations and disregard any intermediate touch-ins on
standalone Oyster *interchange* validators (i.e. ones *within*
stations that exist for interchange passengers - they are actually
really for people swapping between Oyster PAYG and paper tickets),
then what you could do is go from Shepherd's Bush/ Willesden Jn to
Stratford, touch-in on a standalone Oyster validator *within* the
station (e.g. next to the NLL platforms) but *don't* exit the
station's main gates. You could then meet your friend within Stratford
station and continue back along the NLL to Camden Road (or wherever) -
I'm pretty sure the Oyster system would then charge you for a
Shepherd's Bush/ Willesden Jn to Camden Road journey and would
disregard the Stratford touch-in.

And it would be completely legit because you would have touched-in at
Stratford - indeed, you can touch-in as many times you want on all the
different interchange validators there and it wouldn;t make a
difference! And *all* the standalone Oyster validators at Stratford
are set up as interchange validators (apart from the one next to the
manual gate to get in and out of the station) - and yes I have tested
this very recently!

Of course this 'solution' will only work until the PAYG system is
upgraded, likely later on this year - when this happens, interchanging
between the Central line and WLL Shepherd's Bush should ensure you pay
the cheaper non-z1 fare but it would also mean that touching-in at
Stratford is likely to mean you pay for a journey out to zone 3. In
your case this wouldn't matter though, as you'd be in line for the
z2-6 cap anyway. But it will be interesting to see whether a journey
from Greenford (z4) to Camden Rd (z2) with an intermediate touch-in at
Stratford (z3) would count as one continuous journey, or two separate
journeys (Greenford - Stratford, then Stratford - Camden Rd).


Just to be crystal clear about this last point. At present, a
Shepherd's Bush (LO/ WLL) to Stratford journey is charged as being via
z1 regardless of the fact that the passenger might have travelled via
the WLL and NLL - that's daft, but that's the way it is at the moment.
However a Shepherd's Bush (LO/ WLL) to Camden Road journey is charged
as a cheaper zone 2 journey.

My contention is that if a passenger was to go from Shepherd's Bush
(LO/ WLL) to Stratford, touch-in on an Oyster interchange validator
*within the station* and *stay within the station* - i.e. did not exit
and then re-enter the station through the main gates - then backtrack
on the NLL to Camden Road and exit, the system would only charge them
for a Shepherd's Bush (LO/ WLL) to Stratford journey. This would mean
they would be eligible for the z2-6 cap.

If however the passenger exited Stratford station out through the main
gates, they would be charged for a via z1 journey and would then only
be eligible for a z1-4 cap.

As I state above, the situation whereby a Shepherd's Bush (LO/ WLL) to
Stratford journey gets charged for a via z1 journey despite taking the
zone 2 route should hopefully be cleared up with the upcoming PAYG
system upgrade.

Probably best to reply to my previous post rather than this one to
avoid confusion, unless there's a specific point in this one that
anyone wants to raise.