Over 60s extension

Dear Mike

Sadly the saga continues and the ombudsman has accepted that GA is correct in saying I can’t use my 60+ Oyster card on any of their services other than the Stratford service. I would sore istevyiurvthought as I face a fine abstention prosecution if I continue to use their services Stansted service with an extension despite TfL telling you I can

Dear Mr. Moule,

I hope you are well.

I am contacting you regarding your case against Greater Anglia, the Rail Service Provider (“RSP”).

Thank you for your patience whilst I have been reviewing your case file.

I understand that you spoke to my colleague earlier this week, and I apologise that I was unavailable to take the call.

Following receipt of your application, we requested a response from the RSP as part of our investigation so that we can consider the information from both parties. To update you on your case, the RSP have provided a response as follows:

“The customer is travelling with an Oyster 60+ TravelCard which allows for free travel on the TFL network if the user lives in a London borough. When attempting to travel from London Liverpool Street to Bishops Stortford, the customer was stopped and advised that he could not use this particular ticket on our services. The customer claims that the inspector was rude when explaining these rulings and that the advice given was incorrect.

We have explained to the customer that in line with his Oyster 60+ Travelcard, travel is not permitted on GA services except between London Liverpool Street and Stratford. If the customer is looking to travel to Bishops Stortford, he would need to travel to the closest TFL station (for free – using his pass) and then purchase an extension ticket to travel on GA services. This is detailed in the terms and conditions of the card as below:

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/60-plus-oyster-photocard

We have also apologised for the interaction that the customer had with our colleague. We have advised that even when giving disappointing news, we expect staff to be polite and courteous and so we are sorry that this was not his experience. We have passed this on to the relevant management team to investigate with the colleague concerned, as per our internal processes. The outcome of the investigation would not be provided in line with GDPR. In terms of CCTV or body cam for the incident – no footage was requested and so any relevant footage would have subsequently expired.

The customer appears to have referenced several rulings in relation to Oyster and extension tickets, particularly section 14.3 of the NRCOT – which permits the customer to use an Oyster card and an extension ticket without the train needing to stop. However, this does not apply in this instance.

As per the terms of the customer’s ticket, free travel is not permitted on GA service, except between London Liverpool Street and Stratford. If the customer was attempting to travel to Bishops Stortford on GA services using this ticket, it was correct that he was stopped and asked to purchase another ticket. It would NOT be the case that he could travel to the Oyster boundary zone using the ticket, to then buy an extension – free travel would not have been applicable.”

Following the response, I have also reviewed the website (https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/60-plus-oyster-photocard#on-this-page-1) which indicates that travel is only permitted between Stratford and Liverpool Street on Greater Anglia services.

From your application form, I understand that you were seeking an explanation or apology.

Please can you review the response provided by the RSP and confirm if you wanted anything further clarifying?

Kind regards,

A quick update. The page about the 60+ Oyster has been updated and it is now a lot clearer.

Reading the recently mentioned webpage(https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/60-plus-oyster-photocard) I see it says “Free travel on most National Rail services in London” (going on to specify when)

My first question from this is what are the National Rail services in London that are not covered by this (i.e. are not included in ‘most’)?

Noting then that just below this it states “Free travel on the following National Rail services:” (followed by a slightly different specification of when, and a list), is this the ‘confusing’ section that should have been changed? (If so, it hasn’t been – it’s still confusing as there is no statement as to relationship between the two sections)

So this is the reply I have just got from TFL blaming GA for the issue rather than their previously confusing web page, which GA had relied upon. There is no apology from them for their previous adviser telling me that my oyster 60+ was not valid on GA and I was in the wrong for using it on their services.

Ref: 24015628

14 July 2026

Dear Richard,

Thank you for your patience while we looked into the concerns you raised regarding the validity of your 60+ Oyster photocard on Greater Anglia services.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for the considerable amount of information and evidence you have provided throughout your correspondence. The detail you supplied, including the responses you received from Greater Anglia, was extremely helpful in allowing us to understand the circumstances fully.

I am sorry that you received conflicting information about the validity of your 60+ Oyster photocard and for the worry and uncertainty this caused, particularly given the potential consequences you believed you could face when travelling.

From the information you have provided, it is clear that much of the difficulty arose from inconsistent guidance being given by Greater Anglia staff regarding the validity of 60+ Oyster photocard travel and the use of extension tickets. I note that Greater Anglia has since conducted its own review and confirmed that your 60+ Oyster photocard is valid on its services within the permitted area, including travel as far as Enfield Lock on the West Anglia route and to Harold Wood on mainline services, subject to the applicable time restrictions.

I also note that Greater Anglia has acknowledged that incorrect information was provided on a number of occasions and has apologised for the impact this had on you. It is clear that you did the right thing by raising these concerns directly with them and seeking clarification when you were given conflicting advice.

I am also sorry that you did not receive a follow-up response within our usual timescales while your concerns were being reviewed further. Given the seriousness of the issues you raised, it was important that we took the time to consider the matter carefully before responding.

Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention and for the persistence you have shown in seeking clarification. Customer feedback of this nature is invaluable in identifying areas where information can be made clearer and where operators can improve the consistency of the advice provided to customers.

If there is anything further I can help with, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Christopher Gee
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

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