8 thoughts on “New OSI at Tottenham Court Road”

  1. HI Mike – it would be so kind if you could help with this!

    I have a Zone 1-4 Annual Travelcard on my Oyster. I have to visit a client for work in Hollingbourne (two stops after Maidstone East). I normally travel from East Ham or Barking station to my normal place of work in Soho, but to get to Maidstone I get either go from Victoria or Stratford.

    I have brought a peak time ticket which says “from London Boundary of Zone 1″ to Hollingbourne. The ticket office guy says this is valid from Victoria (longer direct train) but not Stratford (shorter, with changes) .

    Do you know why as it’s an ‘Anytime day return”- surely I can use either Victoria or Stratford?
    Also how will my Oyster ‘know’ not to surcharge me for travelling out of the zone as obviously when I touch out at Maidstone/ Hollingbourne then it pay deducts loads from my pay as you go that I keep on therefor visits into Z5/6.
    And also does the Oyster system ‘remember’ you if you have a ‘suspicious pattern of travel’ like this.
    Thanks so much!!

    Lilly

    • Hi Lilly,

      Travelling from Stratford would mean using the high speed line which is not valid with your travelcard.

      As for Oyster, touch in at Victoria and then put the card away. There is no penalty for not touching out if both start and end are covered by the travelcard. As your paper ticket takes over at the boundary of zone 4 you will be fine. Even though stations in Kent have readers they are not Oyster, but the Southeastern smartcard called “The Key”. If you have to use a gate then use the paper ticket.

      Oyster keeps journey details for 8 weeks. You really won’t ring any alarm bells with this. If checked on the day then show both the Oyster card and the paper ticket. For absolute security keep the paper tickets for 8 weeks, but I really can’t see anyone being interested in your travel patterns at all.

  2. Looks like I had similar issues with OSI’s at TCR today which left me with an incomplete fare as the Oyster app shows it attempted to make the journey as a single one.

    16.52 – South Ken
    17.12 – TCR (Gate by the lift)
    17.33 – TCR (Central line gateline)
    17.45 – Marble Arch (exit)
    18.11 – Marble Arch (entry)
    Then incomplete journey.

    When I touched out at Forest Hill at 1901, I got Seek Assistance, then the top-up notice.

    • Hi,

      The OSI between gatelines at Tottenham Court Road is only 10 minutes, so this was almost certainly an EOSI. Call the helpdesk and they will undoubtedly refund you the overcharge. It also looks like you had an EOSI at Marble Arch too. I’d be interested to see your full journey history tomorrow.

  3. Hi Mike,

    Here is Saturday’s journey statement.

    Saturday, 29 December 2018 £10.70 daily total
    19:10 Bus journey, route 197 £0.00 £2.31
    19:03 Topped up, Forest Hill +£5.00 £2.31
    16:52 – ???? South Kensington to [No touch-out] £5.50 -£2.69
    18:11 Touch in, Marble Arch £3.10 -£2.69
    17:45 Touch out, Marble Arch +£3.10 £0.41
    17:33 Touch in, Tottenham Court Road £3.10 -£2.69
    17:17 Touch out, Tottenham Court Road +£3.10 £0.41
    16:52 Touch in, South Kensington £5.50 -£2.69
    16:24 – 16:40 Embankment to South Kensington £2.40 £2.81
    16:40 Touch out, South Kensington +£3.10 £2.81
    16:24 Touch in, Embankment £5.50 -£0.29
    14:55 – 15:34 Forest Hill to Charing Cross [London Underground] £2.80 £5.21
    15:34 Touch out, Charing Cross [London Underground] +£2.70 £5.21
    14:55 Touch in, Forest Hill £5.50 £2.51
    14:48 Bus journey, route 185 £0.00 £8.01.

    The Oyster helpline confirmed that they’re having OSI issues at TCR and Marble Arch for which they’ve had complaints since Friday about.

    • Thanks for that. I get the feeling some local staff are setting EOSIs without realising the implications. This isn’t the first issue I’ve heard about.

      What is particularly worrying is that because your card balance was negative when you tried to touch out at Forest Hill you were not charged the second incomplete journey, but given seek assistance instead. If that had happened at a TOC gated station with revenue staff present I’d think it fairly likely you’d be given a penalty fare.

  4. Hi Mike
    I understand Epsom is being added to Oyster soon as an add on fare like Redhill.
    I also understand a lot of paper tickets will no longer be available

    Will there quirks about fares from Epsom depending on what ticket you use.

    • Hi Charles,

      Things are moving very fast re Epsom. As you might have seen it goes live on Monday 25th. I know nothing about the range of paper tickets, but there will only be one set of Oyster fares to each station unless the journey requires changes and different routes can be identified. Epsom to London will be the same whether you use GTR or SWR.

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