Oyster on NR rail replacement buses

[bicbasher]

Do you still have to touch your card on the NR rail replacement services if the bus has an Oyster reader. If not how do the TOC's maintain revenue if they don't check before hand?

Also I think you have to touch on Oyster readers on buses if the replacement bus is on a TfL contract? (i.e. London Overground)

 

[W-on-Sea]

As far as I know (and in my experience), the answer is "no" on both counts. I wouldn't even expect the oyster reader pads on such buses to be switched on, let alone suffiicently programmed to recognize that they are on a rail replacement bus.

 

[Deerfold]

As far as I know the only time you have to do this is when you're catching a service bus instead of a dedicated replacement bus (and TfL do quite often put on extra (often short-run) buses at weekends when there's engineering work on.

 

[causton]

Many replacement buses don't have Oyster readers, as they come from outside London/an operator who specialises in anything other than TfL contracts. I think the simple answer is that everyone gets a free ride! I think the official word is 'buy tickets as normal and board the bus' but most stations seem to be locked/inaccessible when rail replacement is operating, and with Oyster that's impossible!