Paper tickets to London Terminals

[Springs Branch]

I'd like to ask advice on specifics about using paper tickets to London Terminals with a railcard.

In the next month of two, Mrs S.B, and I will be visiting family in south west London (Zone 6). Much of the time we'll be travelling around with Oyster PAYG, but there'll be a couple of occasions when it'll be to our benefit to buy Anytime paper tickets with a Two Together Railcard. This is mainly to take advantage of National Rail Two for One offers at tourist attractions.

So here are my questions:-

1) If we arrive at Waterloo with a couple of paper returns from Hampton Wick to London Terminals, will the barrier line at Waterloo automatically reject to "Seek Assistance" on account of the railcard?

2) As we'll be intending to travel directly on to another London Terminal (London Bridge NR via Waterloo East) are we likely to have any issues with barrier staff wanting to retain our inbound ticket at Waterloo main line?

3) Will we have an issue getting into Waterloo East with our ticket to London Terminals en route to London Bridge?

Presumably we need to always go through attended gates, explain what we're doing & not put the tickets into any automated barriers to avoid losing both our free Waterloo East / London Bridge and our 2 for 1 tourist benefits.

Anyone know if we're likely to get any aggravation with this?

 

[swt_passenger]

I'd like to ask advice on specifics about using paper tickets to London Terminals with a railcard.

In the next month of two, Mrs S.B, and I will be visiting family in south west London (Zone 6). Much of the time we'll be travelling around with Oyster PAYG, but there'll be a couple of occasions when it'll be to our benefit to buy Anytime paper tickets with a Two Together Railcard. This is mainly to take advantage of National Rail Two for One offers at tourist attractions.

So here are my questions:-

1) If we arrive at Waterloo with a couple of paper returns from Hampton Wick to London Terminals, will the barrier line at Waterloo automatically reject to "Seek Assistance" on account of the railcard?

2) As we'll be intending to travel directly on to another London Terminal (London Bridge NR via Waterloo East) are we likely to have any issues with barrier staff wanting to retain our inbound ticket at Waterloo main line?

3) Will we have an issue getting into Waterloo East with our ticket to London Terminals en route to London Bridge?

Presumably we need to always go through attended gates, explain what we're doing & not put the tickets into any automated barriers to avoid losing both our free Waterloo East / London Bridge and our 2 for 1 tourist benefits.

Anyone know if we're likely to get any aggravation with this?

1) Not sure if there are additional rules for two together cards, but it is possible. I use a "senior" card and always get through OK.

2) No. Waterloo barriers (and staff) do not retain London Terminals tickets for this very reason.

3) I have sometimes had tickets work in the main station, but fail to work the Waterloo East barrier line a few minutes later, but they do usually work, and also work for exit at London Bridge. However Waterloo East gateline staff have always let me through no problem, they will be very familiar with the route being OK.

 

[MikeWh]

I agree with swt_passenger's answers. If your journey is being made off-peak (ie after 0930 weekdays, anytime weekends) then a one day travelcard will probably be cheaper. This has the advantage of not being swallowed by any barriers and is valid for 2 for 1 offers.

 

[ashworth]

Without starting another thread I have a slightly related question.

Do barriers at stations throughout the country tend to not accept tickets that are sold with a railcard discount? It's just that ovrer the last few months since I have been using a Senior Railcard I seem to be finding that my tickets are being rejected by the barrier far more frequently than in the past when I travelled without a rail card. Perhaps it's just a coincidence or my imagination.

 

[Hadders]

It's generally to do with how the barriers are programmed. Sometimes they'll set the barriers to reject Railcard discounted tickets so they can do a manual inspection of them. I see this quite regularly at my local station and they do catch quite a few people.

The barriers and mag strip tickets are very simple and there's no way they can be programmed to recognise every single ticket scenario. Ultimately the barriers do not determine ticket validity, the terms and conditions of the individual ticket do that.

 

[W-on-Sea]

I frequently use tickets with a Network Railcard discount. I think without exception they have opened barriers.

 

[Wallsendmag]

VTEC barriers certainly accept Railcard tickets unless we are having a RPI swoop


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Hadders]

You sometimes get silly things like Liverpool Street barriers post TfL takeover of the Sheffield services rejecting Railcard Discounted Super Off Peak Day Travelcards. I wrote in to complain and received the usual wibble back in response.

No idea if it's been fixed as I haven't needed to go that way for some time.

 

[Hadders]

VTEC barriers certainly accept Railcard tickets unless we are having a RPI swoop

You're removing lots of yours though so less of a problem

However there is an issue at Kings Cross with VTEC staff refusing to accept perfectly valid tickets in the evening Peak. I had a perfectly valid ticket with restriction code Y4 refused By the barrier in the evening Peak. A VTEC manager even tried to claim it wasn't valid claiming that no Off Peak tickets were valid for travel at 6pm. This was witnessed by several forum members.

 

[ashworth]

VTEC barriers certainly accept Railcard tickets unless we are having a RPI swoop

When I think about it I had no problems last week when I travelled on VTEC but my Senior Railcard tickets were not accepted by the barriers earlier in the year at London St Pancras, London Victoria and Waterloo. If I remember correctly they were also rejected at various stations along the south coast including Hastings and Eastbourne.

 

[Regeff]

You can use "London Terminals" tickets on the Jubilee Line between Waterloo and London Bridge too if you want while the long term works at London Bridge are ongoing, which can be handy as morning peak trains out of Waterloo East and evening peak trains into Waterloo East don't currently stop at London Bridge.

https://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/thameslink-programme/alternative-routes

I have used "London Terminals" tickets issued under a Railcard countless times at the barriers at Waterloo (East and Main) and they have never been retained (or needed manual intervention).

 

[Joe Paxton]

You're removing lots of yours though so less of a problem

Which are going / gone on the VTEC routes?

 

[Joe Paxton]

You sometimes get silly things like Liverpool Street barriers post TfL takeover of the Sheffield services rejecting Railcard Discounted Super Off Peak Day Travelcards. I wrote in to complain and received the usual wibble back in response.

No idea if it's been fixed as I haven't needed to go that way for some time.

I don't think the erroneous rejection of Super Off-Peak Travelcards is a particular problem for TfL Rail, rather it's an issue for all gatelines served by TOCs which have Super Off-Peak products.

Essentially my understanding is that on the ticket magstripe there is only space for one 'flag' for Super Off-Peak tickets, which means that for example a valid SWT Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard ends up getting rejected at the Liverpool Street gateline during the evening peak when Greater Anglia Super Off-Peak tickets are not valid for the return leg of travel (i.e. back to the origin station beyond the zones).

Though perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree and you have experienced different problems...

 

[Hadders]

I don't think the erroneous rejection of Super Off-Peak Travelcards is a particular problem for TfL Rail, rather it's an issue for all gatelines served by TOCs which have Super Off-Peak products.

Essentially my understanding is that on the ticket magstripe there is only space for one 'flag' for Super Off-Peak tickets, which means that for example a valid SWT Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard ends up getting rejected at the Liverpool Street gateline during the evening peak when Greater Anglia Super Off-Peak tickets are not valid for the return leg of travel (i.e. back to the origin station beyond the zones).

Though perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree and you have experienced different problems...

They worked perfectly fine until TfL took over. It could've been to do with it being Gold Card discounted to be fair. I'll have to try it again when I get chance.

 

[Hadders]

Which are going / gone on the VTEC routes?

See this thread.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=149325

 

[Joe Paxton]

See this thread.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=149325

Thanks.

 

[Hadders]

You sometimes get silly things like Liverpool Street barriers post TfL takeover of the Sheffield services rejecting Railcard Discounted Super Off Peak Day Travelcards. I wrote in to complain and received the usual wibble back in response.

No idea if it's been fixed as I haven't needed to go that way for some time.

I travelled on an Overground service from Liverpool Street to Hackney Downs today using a Stevenage - London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Day Travelcard. Still won't operate the barriers at Liverpool Street, mad tonne let through manually.

Perhaps someone from Greater Anglia (whose staff were operating the barrier) or London Overground will see this and fix it...

 

[island]

I don't think the erroneous rejection of Super Off-Peak Travelcards is a particular problem for TfL Rail, rather it's an issue for all gatelines served by TOCs which have Super Off-Peak products.

Essentially my understanding is that on the ticket magstripe there is only space for one 'flag' for Super Off-Peak tickets, which means that for example a valid SWT Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard ends up getting rejected at the Liverpool Street gateline during the evening peak when Greater Anglia Super Off-Peak tickets are not valid for the return leg of travel (i.e. back to the origin station beyond the zones).

Though perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree and you have experienced different problems...

The first two letters of the ticket type code are encoded on the magstripe; however, there is no consistency on the coding of super off peak day returns and super off peak day travelcards which results in many ticket gates not knowing what to do with them.