how do i book Priv underground tickets online at RST website

[goatie]

hi folks anyone give me an idea how i book Priv underground tickets on the RST website
only day trips to or though london (not got an oyster as would only use it 3 or 4 times a year at most
I'm a safeguarded retired member, I can login ok (so that bits covered)
not sure what i need to put in the stations boxes etc
with the ticket offices closing will have to get my head round this

the staff at Retford ticket office are normally very good at sorting out tickets, so will be sad if they close

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2023 ==

looking and reading the rules it looks like i can't book underground tickets online makes sense really as I would need a ticket to go though the ticket machine
so Looks like I need to look at getting Mrs & Me oyster cards and sort out getting the "Priv" put on the oyster card
any tips for doing this looks like its 2 trips to london (we live hour & half away) and in between oyster card need to go to travel office
shame as we went though London last week

 

[greyman42]

looking and reading the rules it looks like i can't book underground tickets online makes sense really as I would need a ticket to go though the ticket machine
so Looks like I need to look at getting Mrs & Me oyster cards and sort out getting the "Priv" put on the oyster card

You need to get a form from RST, fill it in and return it and they will send you the Oysters which needs the discount putting on by staff at an Underground station. Larger stations and terminals such as Kings Cross are usually best for getting staff that know how to do this.
Regarding the initial form, i have no idea if it can be done online nowadays.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

The form is on the Rail Staff Travel site.
You don’t need to make any special trips to London, just allow a few extra minutes if renewing.

Once you’ve got your card it’s really simple to use.

 

[goatie]

thanks for tha advice
just to get it in my head,
I fill this form in https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/files/Publications/services/rst/RST_XX19_TfLPrivOyster.html
once i get the card take a trip to london (kings cross for me) and get them to "stamp" the card for discounted travel

do i top card up online or pay to top up at ToF stations

sorry to be such a douggie but last few years my brain has really slowed down

 

[greyman42]

thanks for tha advice
just to get it in my head,
I fill this form in https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/files/Publications/services/rst/RST_XX19_TfLPrivOyster.html
once i get the card take a trip to london (kings cross for me) and get them to "stamp" the card for discounted travel

do i top card up online or pay to top up at ToF stations

sorry to be such a douggie but last few years my brain has really slowed down

I use the southern (St.Pancras) ticket hall at Kings Cross as the staff there have always been on the ball for me.
You can then top up your card at any London Underground ticket machine. It is quite easy but for the first time you can ask the member of staff to show you what to do.
As you go through the barriers to get to the Underground platforms, how much money you have got on your card will show on the small screen on the barrier.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

do i top card up online or pay to top up at ToF stations

I registered my card on the Oyster website which allows me to top up on line. I normally check my balance as I’m heading to London and top up if I think I need to.

 

[goatie]

thanks everyone its a lot clearer to me now,

 

[theironroad]

Raises an interesting question.

Can LU staff who roam by the ticket machines/barrier apply a priv rate to a single ticket.

Public rate Single tickets /in zone travelcards? can still be purchased for tube travel via machine paying by bank card and maybe cash and without need for oyster which now has a non refundable charge £7 i think, so would would imagine LU staff could apply the rate on the tvm.

Edit
Seems a quick skim read of section 9 (page 63+) of the safeguarded rail staff travel guide doesn't give a definitive answer to my question. Does says oyster is cheaper and describes process.

Does say a priv single can be obtained from national rail ticket offices (a London terminals to zone U12) but bearing in mind the OPs scenario about ticket offices closing, would appear to be another issued to be solved if someone doesn't want an oyster but wants railcard discount, though thought railcards on contactless was be investigated.

 

[thedbdiboy]

No, there is no 'paper' Priv alternative. Depending on the LU journey that you want to make, it is sometimes possible to find an NR point to point short distance journey with a Maltese Cross (giving cross-London LU availability) that can be bought as a Priv but that's definitely only if you know what you're doing re Routeing Guide and LU availability.

 

[Sleepy]

No, there is no 'paper' Priv alternative. Depending on the LU journey that you want to make, it is sometimes possible to find an NR point to point short distance journey with a Maltese Cross (giving cross-London LU availability) that can be bought as a Priv but that's definitely only if you know what you're doing re Routeing Guide and LU availability.

Unless something has changed very recently you can still get get PRIV paper tickets eg. Liverpool St. to zones 1&2 is £1.65 single or as a though journey from a National Rail station or any guard that has CCST printer (safeguarded only of course) TOCNE can also get a paper discounted Elisabeth line ONLY ticket for the core and to Abbey Wood branch stations.

 

[thedbdiboy]

The fare search works correctly but the generic validity text doesn't make clear that the Travelcard zonal availability only covers the zones purchased (i.e. it's arguably incorrect). In practice you won't succeed in using a Woking - Z5-6 to commute to London unless you want to risk a lot more than the difference in fares in legal fees to challenge the error.

Unless something has changed very recently you can still get get PRIV paper tickets eg. Liverpool St. to zones 1&2 is £1.65 single or as a though journey from a National Rail station or any guard that has CCST printer (safeguarded only of course) TOCNE can also get a paper discounted Elisabeth line ONLY ticket for the core and to Abbey Wood branch stations.

I was just referring to LU stations only tickets - nothing has changed re National Rail issuing arrangements but I don't know if RSTL online offers them.

 

[goatie]

looks like I'm going down the Qyster card route, don't really use the trains that much, but this year we have done 4 or 5 retford to devon trips,
if ticket offices were staying open would be no need to get oyster card as the retford ticket staff are very good, (but at Neweak NG, we found the staff unable/unwilling to issue Underground priv tickets) so getting tickets on the train could also be hit or miss

 

[Wallsendmag]

looks like I'm going down the Qyster card route, don't really use the trains that much, but this year we have done 4 or 5 retford to devon trips,
if ticket offices were staying open would be no need to get oyster card as the retford ticket staff are very good, (but at Neweak NG, we found the staff unable/unwilling to issue Underground priv tickets) so getting tickets on the train could also be hit or miss

Both offices have the same kit and the same guidelines , nothing to say they shouldn't issue the tickets. You wouldn't be able to buy tickets on the train.

 

[goatie]

Both offices have the same kit and the same guidelines , nothing to say they shouldn't issue the tickets. You wouldn't be able to buy tickets on the train.

but its down to the staff or their training in the ticket office if they help or not, I can only say what we have experianced

 

[Ennis]

We occasionally buy Priv underground paper tickets from our local station, the staff are always helpful and issue them with an origin of London Victoria or Charing X (depending on the train we are catching).

With the majority of ticket offices due to close surely these should be available on the RST website to allow us to buy online.

 

[goatie]

how do you use the paper tickets at the underground barriers ?, do you have to see member of staff aka getting though barriers at BR stations ?

 

[Sleepy]

how do you use the paper tickets at the underground barriers ?, do you have to see member of staff aka getting though barriers at BR stations ?

These are the normal National Rail orange credit card size tickets which work the barriers.

 

[theironroad]

We occasionally buy Priv underground paper tickets from our local station, the staff are always helpful and issue them with an origin of London Victoria or Charing X (depending on the train we are catching).

With the majority of ticket offices due to close surely these should be available on the RST website to allow us to buy online.

Ive just looked and if you set origin as London terminals and start typing destination as London underground, there are underground/dlr and underground only destination.

However, no fare will appear but I'm not safeguarded so would be interesting to see init works for someone safeguarded. Then they could be posted out or collected from a tvm

 

[calopez]

Ive just looked and if you set origin as London terminals and start typing destination as London underground, there are underground/dlr and underground only destination.

However, no fare will appear but I'm not safeguarded so would be interesting to see init works for someone safeguarded. Then they could be posted out or collected from a tvm

I am, and it doesn't

 

[theironroad]

I am, and it doesn't

Thanks, shame though.

 

[csilke]

Ive just looked and if you set origin as London terminals and start typing destination as London underground, there are underground/dlr and underground only destination.

However, no fare will appear but I'm not safeguarded so would be interesting to see init works for someone safeguarded. Then they could be posted out or collected from a tvm

To get fares between London Terminals and Underground zones do a search from London Paddington or London Liverpool Street to an 'underground' station in the furthest zone you want.
For example -
Zone 1 - Tottenham Court Road (Elizabeth Line)
Zones 1-2 - Canary Wharf (Elizabeth line)
Zones 1-3 - Custom House (Elizabeth line)
Zones 1-4 - Woolwich (Elizabeth line)
Zones 1-5 - Harrow-on-the-Hill
Zones 1-6 - err...

Pick the fare that is 'Valid only on London Underground, Elizabeth line (Paddington-Abbey Wood), or DLR services'.