Maximum Journey Loophole

I picked up this little gem on another website this week.  If you have over run the maximum journey time by just a few minutes and you are at an out of station interchange then there might be a way out of the incomplete journey penalty.  Thanks to Phil for allowing me to share his story:

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OSI may not end journey

Yesterday I discovered another little anomaly with the Oyster system.  I ventured out with one of my kids on a circular route taking in the DLR and Overground.  We touched in at Crayford and took the rounder service to Woolwich Arsenal.  Then it was the DLR to Shadwell with the obligatory sitting in the front seat pretending to drive the train.

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Special Offer – Get out of London

I’ve come across a special promotion on the National Rail Enquiries website where adult Oystercard holders (and Freedom Pass holders) can escape from London for very low fares.  £5 will get you a day return to many places just outside London while £20 will get you a saver return to places like Cardiff, Liverpool and Great Yarmouth.  First Class fares are also available.

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London Bridge OSI fixed

The possibility of proving two points in one trip proved too hard to resist today, so once again I ventured out on the trains.  On the way back I exited via the Southern gateline at London Bridge and re-entered via the Southeastern gateline.  This time the system correctly charged me just one journey, so it … Read more

An Unusual Refund

A couple of weeks ago I had a surprising email from Transport for London.  It told me that I was due a refund of £4 because of an ‘operational issue’.  It said that the refund was ready to be picked up from London Bridge Underground station.  This was just the start of a whole new discovery. 

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TfL forget ELL route validator

The East London Line has re-opened and from this Sunday (23rd May) will provide direct services from Dalston Junction to West Croydon and Crystal Palace.  That’s great, but there’s a vital piece of equipment missing at Surrey Quays if you change there when travelling between New Cross and New Cross Gate.

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Don’t use the bus (part 2)

I’ve had a reply to my letter about breaking an OSI by using a bus.  The person answering the letter has not understood what I was trying to say, so I’ve sent back an email reply explaining it in a different way.  At least this letter has been answered, unlike the earlier ones concerning the … Read more

Don’t Use The Bus!

I’ve managed to break the oyster system again!  I’ll admit that this time it was a deliberate attempt to try something out-of-the-ordinary, but not impossible.  I was returning from Balham to Crayford and I changed at New Cross Gate to avoid using zone 1.  It was raining, so rather than walk

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The Double Journey (Part 4)

To complete the picture I tried one more time to use the concourse at London Bridge while exiting from Southeastern (P1-6) and entering to Southern (P8-16).  Again I was charged for two journeys.  Whilst I await a response from either ATOC or the Oyster Helpline I have flagged these two OSIs as not working on … Read more