From this afternoon's Q&A with SWT management:

Q. The Big Question: Oyster pre pay. Why was SW Trains not on the list of
operators getting ready to allow pre-pay on their routes and when will this
be resolved? The media suggested that you weren't satisfied by the support
TFL was offering, but I was left unsure of what was special about SW Trains
given that other operators could afford to implement the system this year.
Your unwillingness to join London's integrated transport is a major
headache - surely you should be providing the same level of service as those
operators on other routes?

A. The media was misinformed. We have never been anti pay as you go, indeed
ATOC (Association of Train Operating Companies) has been negotiating a joint
agreement on behalf of ourselves and all other affected train operators for
over a year. Nobody has yet signed this agreement. We expect to sign at the
same time as everyone else and introduce pay as you go at the same time as
everyone else. I cannot offer an explanation for the confusion created by
some elements of the media. We hope to all sign the joint agreement in the
near future, with pay as you go likely to come on stream in early 2010...

Paul S

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:56:46 -0000, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

From this afternoon's Q&A with SWT management:

A. The media was misinformed. We have never been anti pay as you go,
indeed ATOC (Association of Train Operating Companies) has been
negotiating a joint agreement on behalf of ourselves and all other
affected train operators for over a year. Nobody has yet signed this
agreement. We expect to sign at the same time as everyone else and
introduce pay as you go at the same time as everyone else. I cannot
offer an explanation for the confusion created by some elements of
the media. We hope to all sign the joint agreement in the near
future, with pay as you go likely to come on stream in early 2010...

Interesting response.

I do find it odd that if that is genuinely the case that SWT did not
move to put their side of the story given the hay that the Standard
made with the issue and the resultant negative reaction against SWT.

Perhaps ATOC didn't want the lack of an agreement to become the
headline?

Wouldn't be the first time our discussions have touched on SWT being the
designated TOC to 'draw the flak' on something that eventually became a
commonplace, e.g. the Super Off Peak fares; and more recently their ticket
office reduced hours (aka closure) proposals. NXEC are proposing shorter
hours this week, but that story is now chip paper...

Paul S