Renewing an Annual Travelcard

[miss_stoat]

Morning all, I wonder if you guys could help clear something up for me? Not sure if I have posted in the right section

Today I wanted to renew my annual Z1-4 at Liverpool St Travel Information Centre located in the London Underground concourse at Liverpool St
(where I bought last years) to find it closed. I asked a member of staff what time it opened and it wasn't for another hour. I then asked the member of staff if I could purchase my annual ticket from the ticket machine and he said no.

I left at this point as it's no bother for me to wander down to Liverpool St in my lunch break and get my ticket from the Travel Information Centre but it got me wondering if I had rocked up at my local LU station with the intention of purchasing said ticket does this mean I am not able to?

Thanks...

 

[CatfordCat]

This is TfL's page on where you can buy what sort of season ticket.

This is all part of TfL's "modernisation of underground stations to improve customer service".

This page on TfL's site says that "Everything that customers can do at a ticket office window will be available to them more readily, with LU staff helping, at ticket machines, on-line or by telephone."

Hmm.

In answer to your question, I think that if you'd waited until your annual season ticket had run out, then gone to your local underground station for this, the answer would have been no - you'd have had the choice to make a PAYG journey to central london, or to buy a shorter period season ticket.

For future reference (and assuming the system does not change again before this time next year) you can renew annual season tickets online, or at a national rail station ticket office - the price is no different either way. I am also fairly sure you can renew an annual season ticket a few days before it runs out, to avoid having to queue up on the first morning after it has.

 

[miss_stoat]

Thanks for that, I hadn't seen the page about what tickets you can buy and where...and I was under the impression (rightly or wrongly) that staff would be able to assist with something I'd normally have bought at a window...

I have my ticket now, I have just come back from the Liverpool St Travel Information Centre.

I wasn't able to use the NR ticket windows because of the card type I hold - it's not accepted by AGA - I knew this though. I wonder if can use this card at Ilford now it's TfL Rail and not AGA?

In answer to your question, I think that if you'd waited until your annual season ticket had run out, then gone to your local underground station for this, the answer would have been no - you'd have had the choice to make a PAYG journey to central london, or to buy a shorter period season ticket.

Yes, I figured as much...thankfully, I don't use the tube too much as I don't like it but I wondered about those that bought an annual for 2015 at their local LU station ticket window but are now finding they cannot renew them there...

 

[John @ home]

Today I wanted to renew my annual Z1-4 [Travelcard]

I wasn't able to use the NR ticket windows because of the card type I hold - it's not accepted by AGA ... . I wonder if can use this card at Ilford now it's TfL Rail and not AGA?

I think you'll have to tell us more about the card type you hold before we can answer that question.

 

[miss_stoat]

I think you'll have to tell us more about the card type you hold before we can answer that question.

Sorry...it's one of those VISA Electron thingamejiggers. I have never been able to use it with AGA (when they were at Ilford) not even at the ticket window but I wonder if I can use it at Ilford now its TfL Rail as I can use it at the Travel Information Centre and have always been able to use it on LU.

Having said that, most of my ticket purchases - apart from this one - are done online so not normally a problem...I was just thinking out loud as it were...

 

[John @ home]

Ah! I misunderstood. I thought there was something unusual about your Z1-4 Travelcard which meant it was not valid for travel at AGA stations. Sorry.

Turning to your question, the experience of other National Rail stations being taken over by TfL is that ticket office equipment is eventually replaced by that used in the rest of London Overground. If London Overground accept VISA Electron, I would expect that to be extended gradually to the former AGA stations.