Oyster online website shut

by

The Oyster online section of the TfL website has been shut since Friday evening for important maintenance.  The closure was publicised beforehand, although it didn’t say it would happen before midnight Friday.  While the maintenance is fair enough, what has annoyed me is that all the information pages about Oyster have also been taken offline.  … Read more

Maximum Journey Loophole

by

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:

Read more

OSI may not end journey

by

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.

Read more

Special Offer – Get out of London

by

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.

Read more

London Bridge OSI fixed

by

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

by

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. 

Read more

TfL forget ELL route validator

by

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.

Read more

Don’t use the bus (part 2)

by

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!

by

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

Read more