Contactless Machines Spotted at Swanscombe (Kent)

[Bella_Ciao]

I just spotted contactless machines at Swanscombe in the form of a pillar, located next to the ticket office.

I was so excited and happy about it but after searching the internet about it, there seems to be no news confirming the news that Swanscombe is going contactless.

Does this knowledgeable group have any inside information on it?
Thanks.

 

[Edvid]

The plan is to enable contactless at Swanscombe and 22 other Southeastern stations later this year. No specific go-live date has been given yet.

Coverage Map for PAYG fares in the South East – Oyster Fares Central

oysterfares.com

 

[Bella_Ciao]

The plan is to enable contactless at Swanscombe and 22 other Southeastern stations later this year. No specific go-live date has been given yet.

Coverage Map for PAYG fares in the South East – Oyster Fares Central

oysterfares.com

Thanks

 

[Surreytraveller]

And the fares will go up like they have everywhere else contactless has been enabled

 

[JonathanH]

And the fares will go up like they have everywhere else contactless has been enabled

The structure will change and there will be winners and losers at different times of the day. The fares will not universally go up.

 

[jon81uk]

And the fares will go up like they have everywhere else contactless has been enabled

Super off-peak will be eliminated, but anytime and off-peak will not go up.

 

[Haywain]

Super off-peak will be eliminated, but anytime and off-peak will not go up.

Swanscombe doesn't have Super Off Peak fares, so the only fares that might be lost are the Weekenders. Their loss will be countered by singles dropping to half of the return fare.

 

[jon81uk]

Swanscombe doesn't have Super Off Peak fares, so the only fares that might be lost are the weekenders. Their loss will be countered by singles dropping to half of the return fare.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Bella_Ciao]

These are the pillars I mentioned earlier, wrapped up in secrecy.

 

[Haywain]

wrapped up in secrecy.

Or simply because they're not yet it used

 

[SErailfan395]

if they're contactless only, why do they contain the oyster + contactless symbol on the readers? (attached is what was spotted before the blue wraps were used)

 

[Bella_Ciao]

Or simply because they're not yet it used

Isn't that obvious? I just used the expression as a hyperbole.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Apr 2026 ==

if they're contactless only, why do they contain the oyster + contactless symbol on the readers? (attached is what was spotted before the blue wraps were used)

Yes, it was like this few days ago when I first spotted them. And with contactless, I meant both contactless and oyster.

 

[SErailfan395]

today it seems they have finished installing a pair of them on the eastbound platform 2 exit too.

 

[Hadders]

if they're contactless only, why do they contain the oyster + contactless symbol on the readers? (attached is what was spotted before the blue wraps were used)

That's not the Oyster + contactless symbol, it's a card reader symbol.

 

[Edvid]

That's not the Oyster + contactless symbol, it's a card reader symbol.

In fairness, card readers on gatelines at some non-Oyster railway stations in the CPAY area sport something different (usually the pictogram in this photo) where ITSO validation was enabled before contactless-only expansions commenced in 2019. Until then the 'card and swoosh' symbol was a guarantee of Oyster compatibility.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Apr 2026 ==

And with contactless, I meant both contactless and oyster.

Oyster won't be enabled at Swanscombe (or anywhere else that doesn't already have it) for the foreseeable.

 

[Bella_Ciao]

In fairness, card readers on gatelines at some non-Oyster railway stations in the CPAY area sport something different (usually the pictogram in this photo) where ITSO validation was enabled before contactless-only expansions commenced in 2019. Until then the 'card and swoosh' symbol was a guarantee of Oyster compatibility.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Apr 2026 ==


Oyster won't be enabled at Swanscombe (or anywhere else that doesn't already have it) for the foreseeable.

So will it only be debit/credit card contactless payments at Swanscombe then? I personally don't see an issue with this because the charges are same whether you use Oyster or not, unless I am missing something?

 

[Haywain]

So will it only be debit/credit card contactless payments at Swanscombe then?

Yes, there is no prospect of Oyster being accepted beyond its current area.

 

[redreni]

So will it only be debit/credit card contactless payments at Swanscombe then? I personally don't see an issue with this because the charges are same whether you use Oyster or not, unless I am missing something?

The charges are not the same if your Oyster card has a Railcard discount applied, or a child (11-15) discount. In theory, there is a workaround for this (stick with paper tickets).

Although, reading between the lines, the availability of single leg pricing on paper tickets within the expanded Contactless area is being fairly heavily circumscribed by pricing managers getting upset about fares for longer journeys being cheaper than for shorter ones, which of course leads to people starting or finishing short if the fares are offered as traditional single tickets. Consider Maidenhead to Eynsford, for example: single leg pricing was available until December, but the off-peak single has since been increased to just 10p less than the off-peak day return. Consequently, Railcard holders must choose between single leg pricing on Contactless but no Railcard discount, or getting a third off a single fare that is nearly twice what it ought to be, or benefitting from both single leg pricing and their Railcard discount but paying a peak fare at off-peak times (this is known as 'simplification'). If Oyster were an option for that journey then many Railcard holders (but not Network or Two Together) would be able to benefit from all three of single leg pricing, their Railcard discount and off-peak fares.

So yes, it does make a difference.