You have to exit Reading Station. Exactly the same process as many other boundary stations on the system.
You can still buy tickets to Elizabeth line stations west of London without having to use contactless.
How do you do that online?
Supposing that you are travelling to Hanwell, you put in Hanwell as your destination. Just the same way as you would buy a ticket to any other National Rail station because, although served exclusively by Elizabeth line services, they remain National Rail stations.
What station are you trying to book for, you should be able to as you can for any other station.
I think Hanwell is now a TFL run station these days. However I travel from Goring and Streatley to Ealing Bdwy, I buy my fare using the Trainline app. There is no physical ticket and the TFL barrier readers do not work with either the GWR or Trainline apps. Our local ticket office is often closed and the machine often out of order so contactless is ideal, we just need a TFL reader on the concourse at Reading for the switch.
It is, but that doesn't mean 'traditional' tickets and fares don't apply.
There is no reason not to continue doing so. Nothing has changed fares wise since TfL became the only operator there, except that passengers have to change train.
The problem is that readers on the platform make fare evasion easier, particularly as you note where a ticket machine is out of order and passengers are travelling from an ungated station west of Reading.
Ealing Broadway, GWR no longer stops there, so I need a way to swipe in as physical tickets are not an option at my local station at certain times.
It is managed by TfL but is still a National Rail station, served by Elizabeth line services which, until Paddington at least, remain National Rail services.
A ticket can be obtained as either an eTicket or a paper ticket. And it's probably best not to use Trainline anyway.
You can buy a through ticket and it seems that any issues you have with the ticket office or machines at Goring are being replaced by your difficulties at Reading. An eTicket from Goring to Ealing Broadway is completely valid for travel and will be accepted at Ealing Broadway even if the barriers do not have barcode readers.
There are always physical tickets available from any GWR station to Ealing Broadway.
Yeah I often travel Reading to Ealing Broadway on both paper tickets and e tickets, the staff have always let me through at ealing very quickly with an e ticket. IIRC goring has at least one ticket machine that should be accessible 24/7, so you can always buy/pick up tickets from there too if you need to.
TfL run National Rail services. Just like GWR do. You can buy through tickets just like you always have.
Elizabeth Line is National Rail beyond Paddington too
Yes and no, but that would be for another thread.
TfL do not run any national rail services
Rubbish.
What national rail services do they run?
Elizabeth line and London Overground.
Not run by tfl. Anymore than the DfT runs GwR
That's like saying councils don't do bin collections because the bin operatives are employed by Veolia/Biffa etc.! These services are run by TfL for all practical intents and purposes.
Or saying the DfT run GwR?
The arrangements are different there. GWR trains aren't advertised as DfT services. You don't contact the DfT to raise a complaint. GWR have their own website and policies on issues such as reservations, luggage etc. - Arriva and MTR don't, other than for recruitment. If you buy a ticket at a GWR station, your card transaction or receipt will say "GWR".
I believe when applying for delay repay on the Elizabeth line under National Rail Conditions of travel you had to apply through the MTR crossrail (Not the tfl website) also the MTR crossrail website was where you contacted about booked assistance. If you buy a ticket from the ticket machine at an MTR Elizabeth line station. It says MTR EL not TfL
mtrel.co.uk
I believe when applying for delay repay on the Elizabeth line under National Rail Conditions of travel you had to apply through the MTR crossrail (Not the tfl website) also the MTR crossrail website was where you contacted about booked assistance. If you buy a ticket from the ticket machine at an MTR Elizabeth line station. It says MTR EL not TfL
MTR & Elizabeth Line - MTR UK
As of 25th May 2025, MTR UK is no longer responsible for the operation of the Elizabeth line. We are proud to have…
There are customer facing documents there related to the accessible travel policy and commitments for station information
I want to use an app as paper tickets are often not an option.
You're just not listening, are you? You have been told multiple times that eTickets are available for your whole journey. And no app required.