Funny you should mention that machine at York Road: I tried to use it
today, to buy a 4-Zone Travelcard. It refused to take my ?10 note so,
(as before) I then intended to buy the ticket at Vauxhall where I had
to change onto the Victoria Line.

Only this time I was met by a simean being who refused to sell me a
Travelcard until I paid her the ?20 penalty fare she said I had
incurred. Not wishing to argue with someone who seemed to bear only
passing resemblance to a human being, I paid my ?20 and will now have
to go through the rigmarole of appealing.


But back to the main point: "By putting the slow trains on the northern
track of the pair, both up and down"

But that is not what they have done: the Up Slow line is on the
Southern of the pair of Up lines and the Down Slow Line is on the
Southern of the pair of Down lines.
Marc.