Touching in at Reading Station to the TFL system

[mangyiscute]

I want to use an app as paper tickets are often not an option.

Just buy the ticket on the app, and at Ealing go to the person on the gate, show them the ticket and they'll let you through - its that simple.

 

[stuntbutt]

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.

no, you’re not listening, the readers at Ealing won’t work with NR bar codes, hence the need to use contactless.

 

[Haywain]

no, you’re not listening, the readers at Ealing won’t work with NR bar codes, hence the need to use contactless.

You have been told to just show the ticket to the gateline staff.

 

[stuntbutt]

They are not always there, or if they are, free to help, it’s a crap workaround, we need a better solution.

 

[mangyiscute]

They are not always there, or if they are, free to help, it’s a crap workaround, we need a better solution.

Well email tfl asking them to install e-ticket readers. Unfortunately this is how it is - i will list the current options below:

I've found at Ealing they are usually very quick at letting you through with e-tickets, so that is fine imo.

I am almost certain goring has a ticket machine outside of the main building which should be accessible at any time on any day, so you can always buy a paper ticket there.

Or since you have to change at Reading, Maidenhead or Slough anyway, just go out with the e-ticket and back in with contactless at one of those - im pretty sure at Slough you can go out and back in on platform 5 so you won't have to even go up any footbridges or anything like that.

 

[Horizon22]

I want to use an app as paper tickets are often not an option.

Why not - either an app / Eticket / paper ticket is valid? Just because there may not be readers at the station, the ticket is still valid.

I'm still confused; paper tickets are always "an option" (for now) but it is not offering them to you?


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2023 ==

They are not always there, or if they are, free to help, it’s a crap workaround, we need a better solution.

What / who is "not always there"?

 

[island]

They are not always there, or if they are, free to help, it’s a crap workaround, we need a better solution.

Gatelines are always staffed when shut.

 

[Haywain]

change at Reading, Maidenhead or Slough anyway, just go out with the e-ticket and back in with contactless at one of those

Which will probably take longer than getting let through the barriers at Ealing Broadway!

 

[stuntbutt]

Well email tfl asking them to install e-ticket readers. Unfortunately this is how it is - i will list the current options below:

I've found at Ealing they are usually very quick at letting you through with e-tickets, so that is fine imo.

I am almost certain goring has a ticket machine outside of the main building which should be accessible at any time on any day, so you can always buy a paper ticket there.

Or since you have to change at Reading, Maidenhead or Slough anyway, just go out with the e-ticket and back in with contactless at one of those - im pretty sure at Slough you can go out and back in on platform 5 so you won't have to even go up any footbridges or anything like that.

I have done so, thank you. Not all services stop at Slough either, so that leaves, Twyford as the best solution, Maidenhead would involve going down a flight of steps.

 

[stuntbutt]

Why not - either an app / Eticket / paper ticket is valid? Just because there may not be readers at the station, the ticket is still valid.

I'm still confused; paper tickets are always "an option" (for now) but it is not offering them to you?


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2023 ==



What / who is "not always there"?

The TFL gate staff at Ealing are often busy looking after vulnerable passengers and sometimes one has to wait to be let out. Ealing Broadway was a GWR station from 1838, but they seem to have abandoned it now!

 

[Haywain]

Ealing Broadway was a GWR station from 1838, but they seem to have abandoned it now!

GWR abandoned it in 1948.

 

[stuntbutt]

Just buy the ticket on the app, and at Ealing go to the person on the gate, show them the ticket and they'll let you through - its that simple.

This is what I do, but I would prefer to use my phone/watch/debit card to touch out than wait for a member of staff, we live in an automated age after all.

 

[Hadders]

I expect TfL to install barcode readers at stations like Ealing Broadway in due course.

For now, if travelling between Goring & Streetley and Ealing Broadway you have two options:

1. Use a traditional magstripe ticket
2. Use an e-ticket

There are advantages and disadvantages with both. In the future contactless might be extended further than Reading but there is a limit to how far it can be extended due to the risk of fraudulent travel.

You can split your journey and use a magstripe/e-ticket from Goring and touch in using contactless at an appropriate station en-route but this is likely to be more expensive and probably means having to step back a train.

Personally I’d use an e-ticket if that is more convenient to purchase and get the member of staff at Ealing Broadway to open the gates manually. As others have said while this isn’t ideal it’s going to be faster than getting in and off the train and legally there has to be a member of staff present at the ticket gates when they are in operation.

 

[stuntbutt]

GWR abandoned it in 1948.

Well, technically yes, but it was still managed by BR/NR staff until a few years ago. GWR/First/Thames Trains called there frequently until two weeks ago. They seem to have given up the relief lines to the Elizabeth Line in parts as well, this is not a joined up transport system.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2023 ==

I expect TfL to install barcode readers at stations like Ealing Broadway in due course.

For now, if travelling between Goring & Streetley and Ealing Broadway you have two options:

1. Use a traditional magstripe ticket
2. Use an e-ticket

There are advantages and disadvantages with both. In the future contactless might be extended further than Reading but there is a limit to how far it can be extended due to the risk of fraudulent travel.

You can split your journey and use a magstripe/e-ticket from Goring and touch in using contactless at an appropriate station en-route but this is likely to be more expensive and probably means having to step back a train.

Personally I’d use an e-ticket if that is more convenient to purchase and get the member of staff at Ealing Broadway to open the gates manually. As others have said while this isn’t ideal it’s going to be faster than getting in and off the train and legally there has to be a member of staff present at the ticket gates when they are in operation.

Thank you, this is what I currently do. It made more sense when GWR stopped at Ealing, now one has to change it would be better to touch in on the platform at Reading for example.

 

[JonathanH]

They seem to have given up the relief lines to the Elizabeth Line in parts as well, this is not a joined up transport system.

It is joined up. It is just that it is now Shenfield, Romford and Ilford that have a direct link with Ealing Broadway, instead of Goring.

 

[Haywain]

this is not a joined up transport system.

You can buy a through ticket and use it at both ends of your journey, how is that not joined up? This is a rhetorical question that doesn't require you to answer.

 

[stuntbutt]

You can buy a through ticket and use it at both ends of your journey, how is that not joined up? This is a rhetorical question that doesn't require you to answer.

I shall tell you mate, you enter at one end using one system and exit at the other with that system not being recognised. You contact one of the TOCs and they advise you to contact the other, hopeless.
It would be better if TFL were given suburban services to Didcot Parkway and GWR shown the door.

 

[FenMan]

According to GWR, the full range of single and day return fares from Goring & Streatley to Ealing Broadway is available for loading onto an ITSO smart card - GWR's is called "GWR Touch".

The Touch card ought to work the barriers at Ealing by tapping on the yellow reader.

I got a GWR Touch card a few months ago and find it very handy compared with using paper tickets tickets or faffing around trying to display an e-ticket. The only downsides are (1) tickets must be purchased on GWR's app and (2) GWR's roll-out of ITSO is still spotty around my way - many flows have yet to be enabled.

 

[stuntbutt]

It is joined up. It is just that it is now Shenfield, Romford and Ilford that have a direct link with Ealing Broadway, instead of Goring.

Why can’t we have both?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2023 ==

According to GWR, the full range of single and day return fares from Goring & Streatley to Ealing Broadway is available for loading onto an ITSO smart card - GWR's is called "GWR Touch".

The Touch card ought to work the barriers at Ealing by tapping on the yellow reader.

I got a GWR Touch card a few months ago and find it very handy compared with using paper tickets tickets or faffing around trying to display an e-ticket. The only downsides are (1) tickets must be purchased on GWR's app and (2) GWR's roll-out of ITSO is still spotty around my way - many flows have yet to be enabled.

Thanks, I have one, it sometimes works, and sometimes it doesn’t…..

 

[Horizon22]

Why can’t we have both?

Starting to drift off-topic here, but because there is only so much capacity and Elizabeth line as a TfL concession is primarily focussed on transport connections within Greater London and immediate surroundings, not wider Berkshire / Bucks / Oxfordshire. This would impact more people rather than the very small amount of people going from Goring & Streatley to Ealing Broadway

TFL's fare system (Contactless & Oyster) and NR fare system (e-tickets, CCST, and TOC ITSO smart cards) can interact but there are limitations on the boundaries as you have found. Without a completely unified, national fare system this isn't going to change soon although Project Oval may solve some of the issues you have.

 

[mangyiscute]

Why can’t we have both?

Thanks, I have one, it sometimes works, and sometimes it doesn’t…..

You seem to be asking people what to do, we give you all of the possible solutions that we think of, and then you get annoyed at us because it isn't the solution you want. As much as we wish that these solutions could exist (and I'd love there to be barcode scanners at Ealing Broadway too, since I travel Reading to Ealing a lot), sadly they don't, and there's no point arguing with us about it. We would all wish for simpler tickets and simpler ways to travel, but while we can't provide those, we can suggest the best we can the easiest ways for you to buy a ticket for the journey. If you want to discuss how things can be made better, that's a whole other conversation.

 

[stuntbutt]

You seem to be asking people what to do, we give you all of the possible solutions that we think of, and then you get annoyed at us because it isn't the solution you want. As much as we wish that these solutions could exist (and I'd love there to be barcode scanners at Ealing Broadway too, since I travel Reading to Ealing a lot), sadly they don't, and there's no point arguing with us about it. We would all wish for simpler tickets and simpler ways to travel, but while we can't provide those, we can suggest the best we can the easiest ways for you to buy a ticket for the journey. If you want to discuss how things can be made better, that's a whole other conversation.

Thanks, and apologies if you feel I am being argumentative. I just want to find the easiest and cheapest way to commute without too much interaction. Firstly the times were moved back for off peak from 0848 to 0924, then direct services were discontinued. I don’t feel the railway is working for its customers, rather its shareholders etc. I am a fan if active travel and in order to get people out of their cars we need so much more investment in railways, cycling etc. It frustrates me how unsatisfactory the transport system is.

 

[Horizon22]

Thanks, and apologies if you feel I am being argumentative. I just want to find the easiest and cheapest way to commute without too much interaction. Firstly the times were moved back for off peak from 0848 to 0924, then direct services were discontinued. I don’t feel the railway is working for its customers, rather its shareholders etc. I am a fan if active travel and in order to get people out of their cars we need so much more investment in railways, cycling etc. It frustrates me how unsatisfactory the transport system is.

I appreciate you are annoyed for your immedidate direct journey (which unfortunately is a very rare one) but in fact this is a direct response to "more investment" (the Crossrail project) and is nothing to do with shareholders.

 

[redreni]

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.

Indeed, although there's a bit of a fine distinction between evading part of the fare, and not going out of your way and delaying yourself at Reading to pay the excess fare for the distance you've already travelled.

I'd say if there were free-standing Oyster validators at Reading and passengers who'd been unable to buy a ticket at, say, Goring thought "oh, heck, I'm just going to tap in here at Reading rather than mess about trying to buy a ticket from Goring to Ealing", that would arguably be a (partially) uncollected fare. GWR should have provided the facility to buy a ticket at Goring.

In addition, the possibility that fare evasion might occur is not a good reason for making life difficult for fare paying passengers. Not if you want to encourage growth in passenger numbers.

On the OP's original point, though, I would concur that there's no need to split the fare at Reading in any case. Not unless it's cheaper. And even then, there's no need to use contactless for the Reading to Ealing section of the journey - an e-ticket bought on the Trainline app is fine. Gateline staff will let you through.

 

[interchange423]

Indeed, although there's a bit of a fine distinction between evading part of the fare, and not going out of your way and delaying yourself at Reading to pay the excess fare for the distance you've already travelled.

I'd say if there were free-standing Oyster validators at Reading and passengers who'd been unable to buy a ticket at, say, Goring thought "oh, heck, I'm just going to tap in here at Reading rather than mess about trying to buy a ticket from Goring to Ealing", that would arguably be a (partially) uncollected fare. GWR should have provided the facility to buy a ticket at Goring.

In addition, the possibility that fare evasion might occur is not a good reason for making life difficult for fare paying passengers. Not if you want to encourage growth in passenger numbers.

On the OP's original point, though, I would concur that there's no need to split the fare at Reading in any case. Not unless it's cheaper. And even then, there's no need to use contactless for the Reading to Ealing section of the journey - an e-ticket bought on the Trainline app is fine. Gateline staff will let you through.

Abbey Wood is getting Oyster validators on the platform this year, so perhaps if enough people lobby for them it may happen at Reading too.

 

[Wallsendmag]

GWR abandoned it in 1948.

To be pedantic 1947