Contactless to stansted

[saismee]

Sadly GA seem more interested in penalising passengers than dealing with unwitting mistakes fairly.

I think you underestimate how many people actually try to pay with contactless despite the signs on the walls, floor, and every single barrier paddle. Gateline staff at Liverpool Street do try to be proactive and stop people whenever they see someone with luggage tapping their card, but they can't save everyone. At some stations further up the GEML, people who pay contactless are sold a new ticket and told to contact TfL to dispute the charge, but it all depends on if an RPI gets to them first.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I suspect there are similar numbers who try to use Contactless or Oyster at Bicester or Oxford as well.

 

[Watershed]

I think you underestimate how many people actually try to pay with contactless despite the signs on the walls, floor, and every single barrier paddle. Gateline staff at Liverpool Street do try to be proactive and stop people whenever they see someone with luggage tapping their card, but they can't save everyone. At some stations further up the GEML, people who pay contactless are sold a new ticket and told to contact TfL to dispute the charge, but it all depends on if an RPI gets to them first.

That's as may be, but it doesn't morally justify penalising them with a Penalty Fare in my view. Charging them the difference between the maximum fare and the correct fare, or just for a new Anytime single, would be a reasonable way of dealing with it.

 

[JonathanH]

Are there any signs yet of TfL Contactless readers going in at ungated Roydon, Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth or Stansted Mountfitchet? Is it likely that Contactless will be enabled at Stansted Airport without the intermediate stations being ready?

 

[swing]

Are there any signs yet of TfL Contactless readers going in at ungated Roydon, Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth or Stansted Mountfitchet?

I believe (at least according to National Rail) that all these stations already have smartcard validators, which I think are being modified in some way to additionally support contactless

 

[Starmill]

because of this confusion the person is going to just buy a ticket at the station and see if the contactless is working/allowed when they arrive , if not they will get a paper ticket. They will probably be spending a lot on tourist activities in London anyway so not point sweating over the higher ticket price

They would have a sensible claim for the difference back against Greater Anglia if they were eligible for the contactless off peak fare. However it is incredibly unlikely that Greater Anglia will pay out without an argument.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==

I suspect there are similar numbers who try to use Contactless or Oyster at Bicester or Oxford as well.

It's a real problem at Ebbsfleet International too. Loads of people including people who live in London and the Home Counties so rarely seem to use public transport outside of the Cpay area that they have obviously long ago just assumed it's a nationwide thing.

The funniest thing is I bet loads of people touch in at say Reading and out at say Newport and assume they're being charged correctly, at least the first time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==

I believe (at least according to National Rail) that all these stations already have smartcard validators, which I think are being modified in some way to additionally support contactless

Usually TfL replace the reader with their own hardware.

 

[swing]

Usually TfL replace the reader with their own hardware.

Understood. In which case, expanding on what JonathanH asked; I wonder if there is any signs of the new TfL readers not just at those GA stations, but also any of the Great Northern stations after Stevenage which are also getting contactless in this same batch.

 

[Haywain]

Understood. In which case, expanding on what JonathanH asked; I wonder if there is any signs of the new TfL readers not just at those GA stations, but also any of the Great Northern stations after Stevenage which are also getting contactless in this same batch.

I think it varies by TOC whether new readers are required.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Understood. In which case, expanding on what JonathanH asked; I wonder if there is any signs of the new TfL readers not just at those GA stations, but also any of the Great Northern stations after Stevenage which are also getting contactless in this same batch.

If GA are already using Cubic validators for their Smartcards, the only change likely to be required is swapping out the Greater Anglia ISAM (ITSO Secure Application Module, which is similar in size to a mobile phone SIM card) for a TfL one.

A new reader head may be needed if the existing one physically doesn't support Contactless.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I suspect there are similar numbers who try to use Contactless or Oyster at Bicester or Oxford as well.

I’ve seen people arriving at Peterborough try to tap out

 

[saismee]

A new reader head may be needed if the existing one physically doesn't support Contactless.

The readers that GA use are very overzealous for accepting contactless payment, enough so that people's phones bring up their cards while trying to scan e-tickets. I assume that the coils would be fine for contactless and the module would just need replacement as you mentioned.

I’ve seen people arriving at Peterborough try to tap out

Seen people try to tap in at Ipswich. Who knows if they got max fared on their way out of London.

 

[Haywain]

I’ve seen people arriving at Peterborough try to tap out

I have seen people tapping out successfully (and have done so myself) at Peterborough, but from a distance it isn't clear what is being tapped out. So, some may that happening and not realise that it needs a smartcard and not a contactless card.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I have seen people tapping out successfully (and have done so myself) at Peterborough, but from a distance it isn't clear what is being tapped out. So, some may that happening and not realise that it needs a smartcard and not a contactless card.

These were definitely using bank cards and had to go to the XS TVM to buy tickets

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Leaving aside the specifics of Stansted, what do the anecdotes on this thread tell us about whether there should be a national contactless scheme, or a series of local ones? There seems to be the demand to go national.

 

[Hadders]

Leaving aside the specifics of Stansted, what do the anecdotes on this thread tell us about whether there should be a national contactless scheme, or a series of local ones? There seems to be the demand to go national.

This is beyond the scope of this thread but is worthy of a separate thread.

 

[MikeWh]

I have had clarity from TfL this morning. Stansted will NOT be going live this Sunday.

 

[fandroid]

To answer that query about passengers arriving on a flight to Stansted, rather than the multitude of answers about travel by rail to Stansted-

If there are operational gates at Stansted Airport, as stated earlier, then the passenger is unlikely to be able open the gates with a contactless bank card. So, just inconvenient, and delayed a bit while buying a more expensive conventional ticket.

 

[Haywain]

and delayed a bit while buying a more expensive conventional ticket.

More expensive than what? If contactless isn't available it can't be cheaper.

 

[talldave]

Having walked past the signs saying "Contacless isn't valid to Stansted Airport" I think I can guess the outcome

Does that apply to the visually impaired too?

 

[_toommm_]

Does that apply to the visually impaired too?

There's automated PIS on the trains too (both audio and visual) warning that contactless isn't valid past [insert whatever the station is here]

 

[Haywain]

There's automated PIS on the trains too (both audio and visual) warning that contactless isn't valid past [insert whatever the station is here]

But what if they’re also deaf (or should that be hearing impaired?).

 

[MikeWh]

But what if they’re also deaf (or should that be hearing impaired?).

I think it more than likely that anyone both hearing and visually impared will have a travelling companion.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Does that apply to the visually impaired too?

No because they'd be availing themselves of the discount only available on a ticket

But what if they’re also deaf (or should that be hearing impaired?).

As above

 

[swing]

National Rail Enquiries is indeed suggesting that contactless is available from Stansted Airport from 7th September. I've attached a screenshot below in case of future query.

I see that National Rail Enquiries is not showing contactless rates when searching today for either 7th or 8th September

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I see that National Rail Enquiries is not showing contactless rates when searching today for either 7th or 8th September

'Not' or 'now'? (my emphasis in the above)

Sorry to be picky, but I'm not sure if you're trying to confirm that for those two days it's now right - or that for those two days it's still wrong.

 

[swing]

'Not' or 'now'? (my emphasis in the above)

Sorry for the confusion - I meant "not", as in "it is no longer showing contactless rates, whereas before it was". I only checked those two dates, as the original discussion said contactless was showing from 7th Sept

 

[MikeWh]

Good to see it has been fixed before the issue became serious.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I see that National Rail Enquiries is not showing contactless rates when searching today for either 7th or 8th September

'Not' or 'now'? (my emphasis in the above)

Sorry to be picky, but I'm not sure if you're trying to confirm that for those two days it's now right - or that for those two days it's still wrong.

Sorry for the confusion - I meant "not", as in "it is no longer showing contactless rates, whereas before it was". I only checked those two dates, as the original discussion said contactless was showing from 7th Sept

Thanks!

 

[mattdickinson]

The off peak contactless test fare from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport is now showing on BRfares at £21.00

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks. Full details of all British rail fares shown, with built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

and the fare from Tottenham Hale at £19.00

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks. Full details of all British rail fares shown, with built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

 

[Watershed]

If that's the real price rather than a placeholder test amount, it's even more outrageous than the £15.50 we saw on the screenshots at the start of this thread - seeing as the Off-Peak Day Return (CDR) is currently £28.

On top of that, evening peak restrictions will be added leaving London (the CDR doesn't have any) and off-peak PAYG fare will apply only from 09:30 (the CDR is currently valid on the 09:15 ex-SSD). So if anything, less than half the CDR would be an appropriate off-peak PAYG fare.

Of course, given this will offer Greater Anglia a great opportunity to charge Stansted passengers even more, I doubt they're going to look a gift horse in the mouth...