I wanted a Farringdon to Blackfriars Thameslink ticket today given the
broken tube. I already had a london terminals return ticket which
despite my local SWT station saying it is perfectly valid from
Farringdon, Im sure we all know it absolutely is not.

The best the machine could offer me was £4 single.

I would like to see better systems in place here. It cant possibly be
right. Presumably my PAYG oyster would have been max debited too if Id
got on a train to Wimbledon.

It seems broken to me.

mf

On 27 Sep, 21:48, Mystery Flyer wrote:
I wanted a Farringdon to Blackfriars Thameslink ticket today given the
broken tube. I already had a london terminals return ticket which
despite my local SWT station saying it is perfectly valid from
Farringdon, Im sure we all know it absolutely is not.

The best the machine could offer me was £4 single.

National Rail quotes £1.80 - I suggest you may have go this ticket if
you'd gone to the ticket office rather than the machine.


I would like to see better systems in place here. It cant possibly be
right. Presumably my PAYG oyster would have been max debited too if Id
got on a train to Wimbledon.

If you just touched-in at Farringdon then you would've got the £4 max
fare. If you'd touched-in at Farringdon and then out at Wimbledon the
system would've presumed you made the journey by Underground all the
way and you'd have been charged £2.50 (M-F 7am to 7pm) or £2.

AFAICS this would've been quasi-legit, as Oyster PAYG would've covered
you for Farringdon to Blackfriars whilst your London Terminals to
Wimbledon would've covered you for the rest of the journey.

You would however be making a £1 or 50p donation to TfL, as the Oyster
PAYG fare from Farrington to Blackfriars is £1.50 (at any time).

The other alternative would've been to disembark at Blackfriars and
touch-out there - as it's an interchange station (between FCC
Thameslink and Southeastern services) there are Oyster readers on the
platforms so you wouldn't have to go out through the gateline then
back in again, and thus may even be able to get back on the same
train.


It seems broken to me.

mf

Ask at the Farringdon ticket office for a single to Blackfriars - if
they can sell you one it's only half-broken in that the ticket machine
can't sell you one.

Mizter T wrote:
On 27 Sep, 21:48, Mystery Flyer wrote:
I wanted a Farringdon to Blackfriars Thameslink ticket today given the
broken tube. I already had a london terminals return ticket which
despite my local SWT station saying it is perfectly valid from
Farringdon, Im sure we all know it absolutely is not.

The best the machine could offer me was £4 single.

National Rail quotes £1.80 - I suggest you may have go this ticket if
you'd gone to the ticket office rather than the machine.

I will try that, but the queue was immense, and therefore I thought the
machines would help (having been reading this thread)...

If you just touched-in at Farringdon then you would've got the £4 max
fare. If you'd touched-in at Farringdon and then out at Wimbledon the
system would've presumed you made the journey by Underground all the
way and you'd have been charged £2.50 (M-F 7am to 7pm) or £2.

AFAICS this would've been quasi-legit, as Oyster PAYG would've covered
you for Farringdon to Blackfriars whilst your London Terminals to
Wimbledon would've covered you for the rest of the journey.

That would have been quasi OK by me. I have to change trains at
Wimbledon anyway. Bt Im not sure where you touch out - I think you
probably have to walk the length of the station from the Thameslink to
the District then back again. (another opportunity to miss a connection)

You would however be making a £1 or 50p donation to TfL, as the Oyster
PAYG fare from Farrington to Blackfriars is £1.50 (at any time).

I dont want to give any unnecessary money to TfL

...disembark at Blackfriars and
touch-out there - as it's an interchange station ... there are Oyster readers on the
platforms so you wouldn't have to go out through the gateline then
back in again, and thus may even be able to get back on the same
train.

An interesting idea. In the rush hour its difficult to get onto and off
the trains. It cant be the right customer flow to disembark to validate
then re-embark for the same train or waste 30 minutes waiting for
precisely the same train to come again once you have accomplished the
bureacracy required to pay the minimum fare.

I would have to learn the optimum carriage for the dash to the touch
out, lose my seat, and dash back before the doors close.

Thats a great step forward.

I will research the oyster readers location and try it next time and
report back :-)

Ask at the Farringdon ticket office for a single to Blackfriars - if
they can sell you one it's only half-broken in that the ticket machine
can't sell you one.


Three quarters broken I concede :-)

mf

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:12:57 -0700, Mizter T wrote:

The other alternative would've been to disembark at Blackfriars and
touch-out there - as it's an interchange station (between FCC
Thameslink and Southeastern services) there are Oyster readers on the
platforms so you wouldn't have to go out through the gateline then
back in again, and thus may even be able to get back on the same
train.

Are you sure? A couple of months ago, I tried to use PAYG on FCC at
Blackfriars. The new NR gates there, although left open, would not
accept my PAYG Oyster. In fact, despite having a good hunt around, I
could not find anywhere to touch in/out at all. (It didn't occur to me
to head over to the Southeastern platforms and look there, though.)