Oyster Cards Should Be Used on Trains Says MP

Neil Gerrard, MP for Walthamstow, is backing calls for Oyster cards to be made available to use on trains as well as on the Underground.

“The cards have been a great success” says Mr Gerrard, “but it is still not possible to use them on many overground rail services. It is ridiculous that an Oyster card can be used to pay for a journey from Walthamstow to Liverpool Street, but not to intermediate stations.

"One train operating company, c2c, has now taken up the Mayor of London’s offer of funding from Transport for London to pay for the smart card infrastructure to support Oyster pay as you go. I believe that all the train operating companies should take this opportunity to offer a better service to their customers. Transport for London are offering validation equipment, including card readers, station equipment and office support to allow the companies to install the system.

"I am asking the Secretary of State for Transport to intervene and make sure that there is a London-wide roll-out of the scheme so that everyone locally, whatever form of public transport they use, can take advantage of an Oyster card.”

January 2007

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