I’ve finally been hit with the mystery invisible pink reader phenomenon. On Monday I made the journey shown in the image. The touch in at Waterloo mainline was definitely made at a gateline with a yellow reader attached, yet the journey history describes it as a pink reader. I wonder whether it might be connected to the final touch out being made at a tram boarding reader on platform 10a at Wimbledon? The journey was charged correctly and the ability to end an open rail journey by starting a tram journey at either Wimbledon or Elmers End is a long standing and sensible feature. I’ve raised a query with customer services so we’ll see what they come back with.
Incidentally, there are a few stations where a touch in at gates will be described as using a pink reader. This is when you are already in the system and need to enter again through gates having forgotten to touch out previously using a validator. See the Same Station and Continuation Exits/Entries page for more information. Interestingly Waterloo NR is one of those stations because the exit from the Waterloo & City line is not gated. However, that isn’t the scenario in play above.