Project Oval: TfL win DfT contract to expand contactless system to 233 rail stations by May 2024, Railcards coming to contactless payment cards

[Goldfish62]

Just passed High Brooms station on the train from Tunbridge Wells. The validators have now been installed. I guess it’s now the arduous wait until 2030 for them to actually go live

The ones between Longcross and Earley inclusive each became live within a few days of being installed.

 

[MikeWh]

The ones between Longcross and Earley inclusive each became live within a few days of being installed.

But they're not live in terms of Project Oval though.

 

[davews]

There has been no publicity on the SWR site of impending changes related to contactless so we can only assume it is not happening yet. The validators currently are only for SWR smartcards but are confusing people who think they can use them with their contactless cards.

 

[Goldfish62]

But they're not live in terms of Project Oval though.

Correct.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Sep 2026 ==

There has been no publicity on the SWR site of impending changes related to contactless so we can only assume it is not happening yet. The validators currently are only for SWR smartcards but are confusing people who think they can use them with their contactless cards.

Yes, I've seen people trying to use contactless cards on them.

 

[londonbridge]

Perhaps they need to reinforce signage at stations saying “contactless payment cards not valid here” in that case.

 

[Edvid]

Regarding journeys to non-LU Aylesbury line stations, self-service machines at Chorleywood and Rickmansworth (to name two) now offer Ovalised fares. Those at Northwood (for example) still don't.

There has been no publicity on the SWR site of impending changes related to contactless so we can only assume it is not happening yet.

The powers that be won't advertise a specific date more than a few weeks out. If the November fare revision or thereabouts remains the go-live target you may not hear about it until mid-October.

 

[OneOfThe48]

I wouldn’t expect any fare changes and Oval extension to go live this year due to the (reputational and political) impact of the Fares Freeze

 

[JonathanH]

I wouldn’t expect any fare changes and Oval extension to go live this year due to the (reputational and political) impact of the Fares Freeze

The last update went live last December despite the fares freeze. The reshaping of fares for the next Oval extension will have to happen at some point. Does that mean people need to wait until at least March 2027 for Contactless to expand again?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The last update went live last December despite the fares freeze. The reshaping of fares will have to happen at some point.

While more "trials" are in the offing according to other threads including the LNER one (and they differ from that one so there's still no guarantee that one will be the one chosen), I don't think a wholesale fare structure standardisation will happen until GBR is actually formed. So it may be a while off.

Doesn't mean more Oval rollout can't happen though - because that's designed around TfL's systems and processes it isn't likely to change hugely under GBR.

 

[JonathanH]

Doesn't mean more Oval rollout can't happen though - because that's designed around TfL's systems and processes it isn't likely to change hugely under GBR.

I think that 'OneOfThe48' is saying that the reputational risk of increases to off-peak fares and additional restrictions from Oval implementation is greater than the potentially positive outcome of other Oval changes, at least until March 2027.

 

[OneOfThe48]

I think that 'OneOfThe48' is saying that the reputational risk of increases to off-peak fares and additional restrictions from Oval implementation is greater than the potentially positive outcome of other Oval changes, at least until March 2027.

Indeed - as far as the passenger feels, Oval IS fares reform / rises

And the Fares Freeze technically ‘started’ in March 2026. The last phase of Oval would have been, GA shenanigans excepted, finalised before the Fares Freeze announcement was made (and made without Oval in mind)

 

[Haywain]

as far as the passenger feels, Oval IS fared reform / rises

I'm not convinced that's really true. As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Ovalised fares produce winners and losers and many will see the convenience as a win regardless. In the case of the Aylesbury line, the fares appear to be contactless ready so there would be no reason not to enable contactless anyway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not convinced that's really true. As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Ovalised fares produce winners and losers and many will see the convenience as a win regardless. In the case of the Aylesbury line, the fares appear to be contactless ready so there would be no reason not to enable contactless anyway.

Contactless is already enabled to Aylesbury Vale Parkway and has been for months. The fares were Ovalised when it was.

Milton Keynes Central is probably one of the more needed ones but will require fare rationalisation to remove the TOC specific fares, which will result in increases, so that one probably won't be done any time soon. Wolverton, curiously, isn't in at all!

 

[JonathanH]

As has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Ovalised fares produce winners and losers and many will see the convenience as a win regardless.

The 0930 off-peak restriction will hit quite hard at many of the next wave of stations.

 

[Jaydubya]

The 0930 off-peak restriction will hit quite hard at many of the next wave of stations.

Yes at the moment someone from Hildenborough to London can buy a cheaper day return for the 0905 train (first off peak) than someone boarding at the next station Sevenoaks assuming the person from Sevenoaks returned during the evening peak

 

[Watershed]

The 0930 off-peak restriction will hit quite hard at many of the next wave of stations.

It's interesting to note that some very different time restrictions have been added for the test fares from likes of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells to London. The morning restrictions applying from 06:00 to 09:00, i.e. half an hour earlier:

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

Obviously this isn't definitive as the West Midlands PAYG test fares were set up with no evening restrictions, and subsequently had these added after the DfT insisted that the resultant revenue loss (sorry, "overcrowding") would be unacceptable.

 

[Jaydubya]

It's interesting to note that some very different time restrictions have been added for the test fares from likes of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells to London. The morning restrictions applying from 06:00 to 09:00, i.e. half an hour earlier:

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

Obviously this isn't definitive as the West Midlands PAYG test fares were set up with no evening restrictions, and subsequently had these added after the DfT insisted that the resultant revenue loss (sorry, "overcrowding") would be unacceptable.

looks like a £2.50 increase in the evening peak ticket with a network railcard assuming paper ticket singles are the same price. You currently have to travel 5 days a week to make a season ticket worthwhile on this route. Maybe these fares will make season tickets slightly more attractive

In addition it would be interesting to know if say a paper or e ticket from London Bridge to Frant would be valid to exit at Tunbridge Wells as with a Network Railcard this is £13.90 or £13 if you buy a return

 

[JonathanH]

It's interesting to note that some very different time restrictions have been added for the test fares from likes of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells to London. The morning restrictions applying from 06:00 to 09:00, i.e. half an hour earlier:

That is very interesting, as previously it had seemed like the 0630 to 0930 window was basically set in stone.

What is also interesting is that it seems to apply in the opposite direction as well - eg Clapham Junction to Tunbridge Wells / Sevenoaks to Tunbridge Wells.

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

Purchase flexible walk-up fares for any British train journey

Purchase flexible single/return tickets & Travelcards – in 3 clicks, at face value with no fees. Every British rail fare shown, railcard discounts included.

www.brfares.com

There is scope for all sorts of confusion there if they go through with a different window for journeys on selected flows.

It will be interesting to see if a shifted window or indeed a wider window is adopted anywhere in due course.

This is presumably the result of the political issue that has followed longstanding "arrival in London before 10am" (or earlier) restrictions becoming "not before 0930" for existing Oval implementations.

 

[plunet]

The Metropolitan Line used to have an easement at Chesham, Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood and Rickmansworth to permit entries before 0930 (times were staggered up the line) to be counted as off-peak such that passengers touching in for the first train timetabled to be passing Moor Park on/after 0930 would be counted as off-peak.

Not sure if this still exists and if the Watford branch had a similar arrangement.

 

[A S Leib]

The Metropolitan Line used to have an easement at Chesham, Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood and Rickmansworth to permit entries before 0930 (times were staggered up the line) to be counted as off-peak such that passengers touching in for the first train timetabled to be passing Moor Park on/after 0930 would be counted as off-peak.

Not sure if this still exists and if the Watford branch had a similar arrangement.

The single fare finder suggests that it's a flat 09:30 start time. Elsewhere, the only non-standard times I've found mentions of on TfL's website are there not being an off-peak fare for (including via) Z1 – Heathrow, and Watford Junction peak fares only applying southbound in mornings and northbound in evenings.

 

[Tester]

The Metropolitan Line used to have an easement at Chesham, Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood and Rickmansworth to permit entries before 0930 (times were staggered up the line) to be counted as off-peak such that passengers touching in for the first train timetabled to be passing Moor Park on/after 0930 would be counted as off-peak.

Not sure if this still exists and if the Watford branch had a similar arrangement.

Unless it has changed, this does not apply to single fares, but means that the fare will count towards the off-peak cap. The Lioness line is included - e.g. Watford High Street is 0910.

 

[mickey]

Unless it has changed, this does not apply to single fares, but means that the fare will count towards the off-peak cap. The Lioness line is included - e.g. Watford High Street is 0910.

There are around 80 stations where off-peak caps start earlier than 0930. List here.

 

[MikeWh]

The single fare finder suggests that it's a flat 09:30 start time.

Unless it has changed, this does not apply to single fares, but means that the fare will count towards the off-peak cap. The Lioness line is included - e.g. Watford High Street is 0910.

Correct. Single fares start off-peak at 0930, but easements allow peak fares to count towards the off-peak cap after a set time.

There are around 80 stations where off-peak caps start earlier than 0930. List here.

Indeed. The fare finder on my site includes the time that the off-peak cap starts from the origin station of the request.

 

[greatkingrat]

Does the grace period apply to these times as well, eg 0910 would really be 0907?

 

[MikeWh]

Does the grace period apply to these times as well, eg 0910 would really be 0907?

I don't think so.

 

[mickey]

Does the grace period apply to these times as well, eg 0910 would really be 0907?

The times are generally linked to the departure of specific services, so the grace period is already baked in, so to speak. For example, Maidenhead is valid from 0920 to allow travel on the 0924 eastbound service, but Furze Platt is earlier to allow the connection onto that service from the branch. IIrc some of them have shifted slightly over the years as timetables have been recast.

 

[Danno]

Hi @MikeWh

Do you have any more information on the next phase of the contactless rollout, which you mentioned was expected around the November fares revision? Do you know roughly what date or week in November the new stations are likely to go live?

I was thinking of emailing the DfT, but they probably won’t respond until the end of October if I contact them now, and they’re unlikely to confirm any specifics about the next phase anyway, so I’m not sure there’s much point!

 

[MikeWh]

Do you have any more information on the next phase of the contactless rollout, which you mentioned was expected around the November fares revision? Do you know roughly what date or week in November the new stations are likely to go live?

Assuming that the data has been signed off in time then it will be live in the system on the first Sunday in November. However, the go-live date will be sometime after that, at least a week and possibly more. I have no further info at this time.

 

[Danno]

Assuming that the data has been signed off in time then it will be live in the system on the first Sunday in November. However, the go-live date will be sometime after that, at least a week and possibly more. I have no further info at this time.

Thanks Mike. Much appreciated.

So, 1st November coincidentally lands on a Sunday, which would put the earliest possible go-live around 8th November, with it potentially slipping towards the end of the month, perhaps as late as 29th November.

I am preparing myself for the eventual delayed announcement.

 

[Edvid]

If you have an Ovalised cross-London paper ticket, am I right in saying the 1600-1900 restriction doesn't apply to the LU transfer? Looked up High Wycombe - Virginia Water for tomorrow and it appears an LU transfer during that interval is allowed with an Off-Peak Day Single, though I had to extend the transfer time (on NRE and TrainSplit) to get it there.