An anonymous tipster points me to this set of London Travelwatch minutes, which say:Meeting with First Great Western (FGW) and Passenger Focus to discuss implementation of Oyster pay as you go on FGW. This was on schedule for May 2008 – nine months ahead of most other train operating companies (TOCs).An early rollout was mentioned at another London Travelwatch meeting.
First Great Western recently started accepting Oyster PAYG between Greenford and Ealing Broadway, with an extension to Paddington due soon. This announcement appears to allude to all their London services. It may also include Heathrow Connect as far as Hayes & Harlington, since that portion is technically a First Great Western service.
I also note 9 months from May is February 2009, which is either a miscalculation or they're expecting other companies to miss the advertised January date.
I suppose given the straightforward nature of FGW's limited number of routes in the zones, and very small number of stations, it is easy to pretend its a big deal.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there are any plans to install Oyster validators at the intermediate stations on the Greenford-Paddington route?
ReplyDeleteLiving next to West Ealing station with a Zone 2/3 Travelcard, this would make my occasional trip into Paddington much easier!
Am pleased to confirm that pay as you go oyster travel from Ealing Broadway to Paddington by FGW services is now working.
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