"Barry Salter" wrote in message

On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:50:51 +0100, "Nigel Pendse"
wrote:

I wonder if Oyster can be used on Thameslink (aka FCC) between
Wimbledon and Farringdon? It's obviously allowed on the Tube
between the same stations, and the same Oyster card readers/barriers
apply regardless of which train is taken, so the system won't know
which route was followed. But would a ticket inspector on the FCC
train regard it as a non-valid fare?

Nope. The list of NR routes on which PAYG Oyster is currently valid is
currently as follows:

Amersham - Marylebone
Finsbury Park - Kings Cross/Moorgate
Harrow & Wealdstone - Euston (except Kilburn High Road & Sth
Hampstead) Kentish Town - Moorgate/Elephant & Castle/London Bridge
Liverpool Street - Walthamstow Central/Tottenham Hale/Seven Sisters
(but not intermediately)
Richmond - Gunnersbury
Stratford - Canning Town
Stratford - Liverpool Street
Upminster - Fenchurch Street/Liverpool Street via Barking (but not at
Forest Gate or Maryland)
West Ruislip/South Ruislip - Marylebone (but not intermediately)

As such, you'd be liable to a Penalty Fare if you did Wimbledon -
Farringdon on FCC.

How this would be policed solely through the barriers remains to be
seen, however...

It's funny that they allow West Ruislip/South Ruislip - Marylebone but
not Wimbledon - Farringdon, as these are both examples of identical
Tube/Rail journeys where the Rail route happens to be quicker/more
direct, but is otherwise no different. In the Chiltern case, of course,
different barrier lines are used at Marylebone (so they can detect which
train was used), but with the Farringdon example, the same barrier line
applies regardless of route. The only way that a smart barrier could
detect which route was used would be through journey time -- it would
typically (but not always) be much quicker on the Thameslink route.