Oyster and National Rail

As announced in the TfL fares changes decision, from Jan 2nd next year holders of the NR Disabled Railcard will be entitled to discounts at any time when using PAYG on Oyster. This will require a new discount code to be added to the Oyster. ATOC are supposed to be writing to all holders of disabled railcards to tell them about the change, but as yet this doesn’t seem to have happened. We have done some mystery shopping at some Circle line stations and the best answer we got was that it can’t be done until Jan 2nd.

Somewhat alarmingly one station insisted that railcard discounts do not apply to tube travel at all. I’ve passed the results back to TfL so I won’t name and shame just yet.

Now that the National Rail booking systems have the 2015 fares loaded it appears that there is a good way to undercut the price of a paper zone 1-6 travelcard. As we know, off-peak in boundary travelcards are being withdrawn from Jan 2nd, but out boundary ones will still exist. Epsom has long been one of the cheapest places to get one as Southern offer a discounted version which can only be used on their trains between Epsom and Ewell East. Once you are inside the zones it becomes a normal travelcard. There is no compulsion to use the ticket at Epsom.

So, the £10.50 Southern only travelcard from Epsom will save £1.50 over a zone 1-6 travelcard and £1.20 over the zone 1-6 off-peak cap on Oyster. Ticket offices should sell the ticket if asked, but it can always be bought online and picked up from your local TVM.

Remember that this is only effective once the fares actually change in
January.