As K. Liv said "the train companies are dragging their feet despite being offered the equipment
and installation for free, but if we can take the railways in the zoned region under our
control
we'll sort it out without delay. Why are the railways dragging their feet in what is the
densest
used urban network in the world?
--
Clive

Because as private companies they only care about making money and
satisfying the requirements of their franchise agreements.

There is nothing in the agreements about accepting Oyster Pre Pay and
they do not see it as a way of making more money so they do nothing (or
worse than nothing, obstruct).

The only way to get things moving is for all future operators in (or partly in)
the TfL region to have a franchise requirement to accept Oyster Prepay.


You've put if far more concisely and to the point than my ramble
managed to! The TOCs are a hostage to their frachise agreements, and to
the structure they operate within. It's time to change that structure
(I'm starting to sound like a Marxist!).

If there had been an elected body responsible for the government of London
at the time of rail privatisation and they had been given some authority over
rail services and ticketing in the London region this mess could have been
avoided. However, a governing body for one of the main world cities with a
remit covering all transport in its region was considered unnecessary by the
government of the day.