Gatwick Express Oyster fare details

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Dear Transport for London,

I would appreciate it if you could clarify some points with regards to Gatwick fares and their interactions with Oyster travelcards. In particular:

* If a user travels from London to Gatwick using Thameslink or Southern on an Oyster card with a Travelcard loaded onto it, would they pay full fare or the travelcard extension fare?
* If a user travels from London to Gatwick using Gatwick Express (ie touching in at platforms 13/14 at Victoria) on an Oyster card with a travelcard loaded onto it, would they pay full fare or the Travelcard extension fare? If they would pay full fare, what is the rationale behind this, given the validity of travelcards on Gatwick Express?
* If a user touches in at a London Terminal for travel to Gatwick Airport via Southern or Thameslink with an Oyster card with a Travelcard valid for Zone 1 loaded onto it, and does not touch out (as they have a paper Boundary Zone N to Gatwick Airport ticket which they use to exit at Gatwick), would their Oyster card be charged?
* If a user touches in at London Victoria platforms 13/14 for travel to Gatwick Airport via Gatwick Express with an Oyster card with a Travelcard valid for Zone 1 loaded onto it, and does not touch out (as they have a paper Boundary Zone N to Gatwick Airport ticket which they use to exit at Gatwick), would their Oyster card be charged? If they would be charged, would this be refundable on presentation of the evidence?

Yours faithfully,

Murray Colpman

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Murray Colpman

Thank you for your email. Your enquiry does not constitute a request for recorded information as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act therefore your email has been passed to our Oyster customer service to answer as part of their 'business as usual' remit.

They will respond to you in due course

Yours sincerely

Emma Flint
Principal Information Access Adviser
Transport for London
[TfL request email]

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OysterEnquiries, Transport for London

[1]Transport for London
Transport
for London
29 May 2018

Ref: 11922015

Dear Murray Colpman

Thank you for your email of 18 May about Gatwick fares for Travel card
holders. I'm sorry for the late reply, I appreciate the time you’ve taken
to contact us about this.

Please see responses below: 

1. If a user travels from London to Gatwick using Thameslink or Southern
on an Oyster card with a Travelcard loaded onto it, would they pay full
fare or the travelcard extension fare?

--> Travelcard extension fare

2. If a user travels from London to Gatwick using Gatwick Express (ie
touching in at platforms 13/14 at Victoria) on an Oyster card with a
travelcard loaded onto it, would they pay full fare or the Travelcard
extension fare? If they would pay full fare, what is the rationale behind
this, given the validity of travelcards on Gatwick Express?

--> Full pay as you go fare would be charged. The reason is essentially a
technical one. Gatwick Express had to be set up within our systems as an
isolated operation, outside the fare zones for Oyster/Contactless fare
purposes, and as such Travelcards cannot be recognised. We have drawn this
issue to the attention of Southern again, so that they can review their
arrangements to discourage Travelcard holders with paper extension tickets
from validating their Oyster cards at Victoria Platforms 13/14

3. If a user touches in at a London Terminal for travel to Gatwick Airport
via Southern or Thameslink with an Oyster card with a Travelcard valid for
Zone 1 loaded onto it, and does not touch out (as they have a paper
Boundary Zone N to Gatwick Airport ticket which they use to exit at
Gatwick), would their Oyster card be charged?

--> No charge, except as below.

 4. If a user touches in at London Victoria platforms 13/14 for travel to
Gatwick Airport via Gatwick Express with an Oyster card with a Travelcard
valid for Zone 1 loaded onto it, and does not touch out (as they have a
paper Boundary Zone N to Gatwick Airport ticket which they use to exit at
Gatwick), would their Oyster card be charged? If they would be charged,
would this be refundable on presentation of the evidence?

--> The Oyster card would be charged. The charge should be refundable on
presentation of the evidence as customers should not be charged twice for
any journey. At the time of the launch of pay as you go to Gatwick, it was
our understanding that Southern were intending to discourage Travelcard
holders with paper extension tickets from validating their Oyster cards at
Victoria Platforms 13/14.

I trust you find this information useful.

Thanks again for contacting us. If there is anything else we can help you
with, please reply to this email. Alternatively, you can call us on 0343
222 1234 and we'll be happy to help you.

Kind regards

Lioba Rebstock
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

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References

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