Contactless on Thames Valley Branches

[whole diary]

[w056863]

It is a commitment in the Direct Award (due 31/10/21), and the contactless fares are also in the fares database (with the exception of London fares), so I strongly suspect that it is going ahead.

[sunshinehappyness]

Three machines now installed at Henley station.  They are on although say "Closed" so not in use just yet.  Any thoughts on a go live date?

[w056863]

Being installed on the Marlow branch as I type. The commissioning and testing of these things always seems to take much longer than one would imagine

[w056863]

Contactless is due to go live on Windsor & Eton Central Branch as well as all stations on the Henley-on-Thames Branch line from Monday 28th March. Readers have been installed on the Marlow branch, but due to go live in April

[Ralph Ayres]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) still seem reluctant to publicise it. There are details about contactless pay as you go including that 28 March start date on https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/choosing-your-ticket/smart-tickets/contactless-payments but you won't find that page where you might expect it somewhere under Smart Tickets. It seems to be an orphan page that can only be reached by a direct link or a search result. Nothing in the Press area either. All very low-key.

[eightf48544]

I'm totally cofused!

We know they are being installed on the Marlow branch but what tickets you can by for what journeys is not clear.
 I
This raises a number of questions.

Do you have to register your bank card?

How do know if your journey is covered?

What happens if you tap in but not out (station with no reader)?

What about child fares?

What about railcards?

How does a TTI check you've tapped in?

Differentiating between between and off peak Fares.

I am sure there are other questions but tis is what comes to mind.




 

[Ralph Ayres]

I'm totally confused!

Don't overthink things - it's meant to be simple, convenient and flexible! Most of the queries about where, who, when etc are answered on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) page (link earlier) or on TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s website https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-and-where-to-buy-tickets-and-oyster/pay-as-you-go/contactless-and-mobile-pay-as-you-go?intcmp=55539. The "London's Rail & Tube Map" (hard copies available if you're lucky, or online) shows the existing contactless area and the branches are obvious.

Remember that you're not buying a ticket, you're recording the journeys you make so you can be charged at the end of the day. Fares are broadly comparable to buying actual tickets and in most cases you'll end up paying the same, but as it's based on the time you enter the station not when the train is timed to leave and there's no such thing as a return contactless fare then things aren't totally comparable. If you don't use the readers at both ends the assumption is you've made a long journey (on GWR they assume you've been to Paddington) and you will be charged accordingly; you shouldn't be travelling to a station without a reader. TTIs will use a reader to record every card they check but they won't know at the time if you touched in.  If at the end of the day there isn't a touch in and out either side of the check time, there will again be a long journey charge and if you keep doing it your card will be blocked for contactless travel so gates and readers won't accept it. If you go outside the area covered by the scheme you won't have a valid ticket and GWR will treat you accordingly; adding in the branches actually makes the area clearer.

Child fares, Railcards etc are some way off yet. All sorts of privacy, security, fraud and technical issues with linking a bank card to that information. Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) can broadly cope as it was designed with that in mind, but Oyster itself has now been pushed to or arguably slightly beyond its geographic limit so couldn't be extended to Reading.

[BBM]

I've just had an email from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) announcing today's start of Contactless on Henley and Windsor branch lines:

From 28 March, more stations are going contactless
Henley-on-Thames – Shiplake – Wargrave – Windsor & Eton Central
 
Travelling with us is about to get even easier. From 28 March, there's no need to stop at the machines to buy a ticket. Just go contactless and enjoy the convenience of tapping in and out at more stations on the London Thames Valley Line.

There's then a link labelled 'Find Out More' which links to the following page which I think is an existing one with branch line stations added:

https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets/choosing-your-ticket/smart-tickets/contactless-payments

[eightf48544]

RA thanks for the info. There are still a couple of points I'm unclear on:

Do you have to register your card? i couldn't find anything on your link unless I missed it.

Like a travelcard can it be used for any destinations in Zones 1 to 6.

it's no good for me as I have a railcard

[paul7575]

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) a contactless ‘bank’ card will work anywhere TfL^» (Transport for London - about) contactless works, so as well as in zones 1-6 all the existing extra bits such as Metropolitan and Overground out to Watford etc, out to Gatwick, Reading, and various other extensions.

Also AIUI you are not required to, but can optionally link a contactless card to an existing TfL account that you might already have, (eg for Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) PAYG^▸ (Pay as you go)).  Or presumably one can setup a new TfL account. The linking to a TfL account allows you to more easily check your journey history, and to deal with incomplete journeys online.

I still use Oyster PAYG because I have a railcard discount set, but I did also set up my debit card on a precautionary basis, I keep my Oyster card in a separate holder to my wallet full of bank cards, so I thought if I ever lost the Oyster card I could temporarily use contactless.

Paul

[RichardB]

This has just appeared

https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/gwr-branch-lines-tap-into-contactless-pay-as-you-go-technology/

[eightf48544]

I think I've just about sussed out Contactless bar a couple of queries.

If you are travelling with someone can you tap twice to get 2 tickets otherwise I presume they have to use a second card?

Taplow and Gatwick airport both have readers so it would be possible use contactless to buy a ticket, but what happens if you go Reading tap in at Taplow out at Gatwick?

My research suggests contactless is only of use for pasengers over 25s and under Senior Card age who make 
 journeys within the area which cost less than the weekly season ticket.

Buyer beware.

[Surrey 455]

I think I've just about sussed out Contactless bar a couple of queries.

If you are travelling with someone can you tap twice to get 2 tickets otherwise I presume they have to use a second card?

I'm fairly sure that each passenger needs their own card.

Taplow and Gatwick airport both have readers so it would be possible use contactless to buy a ticket, but what happens if you go Reading tap in at Taplow out at Gatwick?

My research suggests contactless is only of use for pasengers over 25s and under Senior Card age who make 
 journeys within the area which cost less than the weekly season ticket.

Buyer beware.

The TFL^▸ (Transport for London) single fare finder ( https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder ) says the following for Taplow to Gatwick:

Contactless

Peak : £25.80
Monday to Friday from 0630 to 0930.
Off Peak: £15.70
At all other times including public holidays.

Some journeys are charged via Zone 1 irrespective of the route taken.

[Trowres]

I am hoping to be able to travel from Heathrow Airport to Henley on Thames.

Is anyone able to confirm that Heathrow to HoT is achievable using contactless payment? Would the fare be cheaper changing at Hayes & Harlington? I gather that contactless is available on Heathrow Express (at higher  fares) so how does the system know whether I've used HEX or the slow train?

[IndustryInsider]

If you touch out/in at Hayes it can’t be a HEx, would be my guess?