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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 ServicesIf you wish to reply directly to this email, please click on the reply button on your toolbar. Please do not alter or delete the subject line as this may result in a delay responding to your email.
We aim to reply to all emails within ten working days.Thank you Mike for your help. Neither GA nor the Ombudsman have acknowledged their mistake unfortunately.
Best wishesDear 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,
Mike
Thank you for your helpful update. My only issue is that TFL are now saying one thing and GA through their customer service team and the MD another. GA need to change the announcement on their trains passing through Tottenham Hale to “Oyster Cards can only be used beyond this station with a suitable extension”. At the moment the announcement states that you cannot under any circumstances travel beyond TH with an Oyster Card and may be prosecuted for doing so or face a penalty fare. This is why I have had so many issues with GA staff.
RegardsThank you Vincent. It seems the training didn’t happen, particularly as their MD cant agree with their Revenue Protection manager on the issue
Dear Mike
Her is what TFL say about my 60+ Oyster Card. It seems that there is much confusion on the GA Service. I’d be interested in your take on this as it contradicts what GA have said before.
Ref: 23792496
15 June 2026
Dear Richard,
Thank you for contacting us.
I understand your concerns regarding the use of your 60+ Oyster photocard on Greater Anglia services and the conflicting information you have received. I’m sorry for the distress this situation has caused.
The 60+ Oyster photocard provides free travel on most TfL services and on some National Rail routes within specific areas. On Greater Anglia services, the photocard is only valid for free travel between London Liverpool Street station and Stratford station. It is not valid on other Greater Anglia routes beyond this section.
If you are travelling beyond the valid area, you would need to end your journey within the valid zone and then use a separate ticket for the remainder of your journey on National Rail services. Remaining on the same train without a valid ticket for that section can unfortunately lead to issues such as those you have described.
You can view the map showing where the 60+ Oyster photocard is valid on National Rail services here:
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/60-plus-london-free-travel-national-rail-map.pdf
I appreciate that this can be confusing, and I am sorry that the information was not clearer earlier. Your feedback is helpful and will be considered to improve how we explain these boundaries to customers.
If there is anything else I can help with, please let me know.
Kind regards
Laura Zamfir
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer ServicesMike
Thank you. I am forwarding the MD’s reply to me to Heidi Alexander and Lord Hendy. It’s completely unacceptable for this culture to prevail in the newly nationalised railway system led by complete ignorance by a highly paid public servant using civil powers through his staff to threaten passengers like me who stick to the rules and know more about the National Rail Conditions of travel than he does. I’ll let you know what response I get.
Regards
Greater Anglia are at it again. Last year using my 60+ Oyster card I was threatened with a fine and prosecution by a RPO at Liverpool Street if I boarded a Stansted Express train stopping at Bishops Stortford with an extension ticket from Enfield Lock (zone 6) to Bishops Stortford using section 14.3 of the National Rail Conditions of travel. I sent an email to the contact centre and was advised that my ticket was valid and I got an apology. In April this year, the same thing happened again and I was threatened by the RPO at the station that if he saw me boarding a train that to Bishops Stortford using my oyster card he would report me to revenue protection and he would personally ensure I was prosecuted for repeatedly using my oyster card when I was not permitted to do so. I complained to the MD Martin Beable and got this reply confirming that the only route I can use my 60+ Oyster card is on the Liverpool Street to Stratford services. I then received an email from a senior revenue protection officer saying I could use my oyster card with a suitable extension. If the MD doesnt know about the validity of oyster cards on their services and station staff proudly promote their new poster ” We wont always catch you but we will always prosecute you” what hope is there. Here are the two responses sent one day apart from each other contradicting each other:
Thank you for your recent email to Martin Beable. Martin has reviewed your comments and asked me to respond on behalf of the Senior Customer Contacts Team. I hope this is acceptable.
First, I would like to apologise for the difficulties you have experienced when using your 60+ Oyster card on our services. I appreciate that the information provided about this product has been unclear, particularly as you were given incorrect advice previously and I hope the explanation below helps to clarify the terms and conditions of the card.
As you may know, the 60+ Oyster card is available to people aged 60 or over who live in a London borough. The card provides free travel on the Transport for London (TfL) network and on certain routes operated by other train companies. On the Greater Anglia network, however, the card is only valid for travel between London Liverpool Street and Stratford.
Having reviewed your case, I understand that the issues arose while you were travelling on our West Anglia route to Stansted Mountfitchet. I can confirm that the 60+ Oyster card is not valid for travel on this part of the Greater Anglia network, in line with the card’s terms and conditions. I have attached a link for the map of where you can use this card, as well as the terms and conditions, below:
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/60-plus-oyster-photocard
If travelling to Stansted Mountfitchet, you may use your 60+ Oyster card on TfL services for the valid part of your journey, but you must also hold a valid ticket for any travel on Greater Anglia services beyond the card’s permitted area. For example, you could travel on TfL services to Tottenham Hale or Cheshunt and then use a separate ticket for onward travel to Stansted Mountfitchet on Greater Anglia services.
I appreciate that you believed you could use the card up to the boundary of its validity and then purchase an extension ticket onwards. However, the issue in this case is that the 60+ Oyster card is only accepted on Greater Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Stratford, and is not valid on other Greater Anglia routes.
This is why you were stopped and challenged while travelling on our services. That said, our staff are expected to remain polite and professional at all times, even when explaining ticketing restrictions, and I am sorry this was not your experience. I have passed your concerns to our Revenue Protection Management Team so the matter can be reviewed with the staff involved. While I am unable to share the outcome of any internal investigation, I can assure you that your concerns will be treated seriously.
I note that you intend to raise the matter with London TravelWatch. I would also like to make you aware of the Rail Ombudsman, which is a free and independent service. If you remain dissatisfied with how we have handled your complaint, the Rail Ombudsman can review the matter and decide whether any further action is appropriate, such as guidance, an apology, or compensation. As we have now reached a final position on your complaint, you may refer to this correspondence as a “deadlock letter” should you wish to contact them.
Email: info@railombudsman.org
Phone: 0330 094 0362Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us and I hope the above explanation is helpful.
Kind regards,
Anne Middleton
Senior Customer Contact Team
Greater Anglia
Thank you for your email and please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to you.
I am sorry to learn of your experience at London Liverpool Street on 2 April. The concerns you have raised regarding both the advice provided to you and the manner in which this interaction was handled are taken seriously.
With regard to ticket validity, you are correct that under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, Oyster with a suitable extension ticket can be used for journeys beyond the zonal boundary where permitted. We will review the circumstances you have described to ensure that our staff are providing consistent and accurate guidance to customers.
Your comments regarding the conduct of the Revenue Protection Officer and the station colleague have also been noted. Staff are expected to communicate professionally at all times and to identify themselves when requested. This will form part of our internal review.
Once again, I apologise for the distress caused and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Kind regards,
PetePeter Jackson
Revenue Protection Depot Manager North
Colchester, Ipswich, London Liverpool Street
