Stratford query

Timalay

At the 29th of December, I'll be going down to London to see a show (travelling from Sudbury, Suffolk).  Now from what I understand is Liverpool Street will be closed to national rail trains.  So I have booked the train to Stratford, and plan to catch the Central Line or Elizabeth to the theatre.  It may seem like a daft question but where do you tap on for the underground trains?  The only reason I ask is because I have only ever caught the Jublie line from Stratford before, and the Central and Elizabeth are on the same train lines as the the National Rail.  

spenderdave

If I remember correctly Stratford has one set of barriers at each exit which cover the whole of the station including the underground. If you are arriving with a ticket to Stratford you will need to exit the station via the barriers using that. Then to continue you will need to enter again using contactless or oyster to begin your underground or Elizabeth line journey. Unfortunately you will have to do a lot of walking around Stratford to get to the barriers.

But if this is a day trip and you buy a day travel card from Sudbury, this will be a paper ticket, and will include unlimited tube journeys. In this case you don't need to do anything at Stratford, just go to the Elizabeth line platforms with your travelcard ticket. OK, I know you have already bought your ticket.

400ixl

There are tap in / out machines on the platforms for the underground. No need to go out and back in again.

Timalay

spenderdave said:

If I remember correctly Stratford has one set of barriers at each exit which cover the whole of the station including the underground. If you are arriving with a ticket to Stratford you will need to exit the station via the barriers using that. Then to continue you will need to enter again using contactless or oyster to begin your underground or Elizabeth line journey. Unfortunately you will have to do a lot of walking around Stratford to get to the barriers.

But if this is a day trip and you buy a day travel card from Sudbury, this will be a paper ticket, and will include unlimited tube journeys. In this case you don't need to do anything at Stratford, just go to the Elizabeth line platforms with your travelcard ticket. OK, I know you have already bought your ticket.

I will be staying overnight.

MilesT6060842

I do a similar route quite frequently, and it can be a case of "hunt down the in-station Oyster validators", they are not in the most obvious places.  My usual interchange is to Overground (I also do Overground to Elizabeth line so do an interchange tap for that to get the cheaper zone 2 fare)

Greater Anglia Great Eastern main line trains usually come into platforms 9/10. Rarely 10a or 11/12 (which are not much used by anything).

• There are White/yellow validators on the platform 9/10 at "London" end, hidden behind the stairwell. 
• Some of the subway passages between the platforms also have White/Yellow validators on the walls.
• Another at the top of the stairway to platform 12 (next to Overground platforms) but that will be the wrong direction for your interchange to Central/Elizabeth.

There are also pink interchange validators around the station for changing between the TfL services.  You don't want to tap on a pink

(Technically you can start-tap on a pink and be charged correctly when you tap out at destination, but can't end your journey on pink and join a train, you will be charged maximum fare of several pounds.  Similarly tapping a white/yellow does not always result in getting the correct interchange zonal fare).

Timalay

MilesT6060842 said:

I do a similar route quite frequently, and it can be a case of "hunt down the in-station Oyster validators", they are not in the most obvious places.  My usual interchange is to Overground (I also do Overground to Elizabeth line so do an interchange tap for that to get the cheaper zone 2 fare)

Greater Anglia Great Eastern main line trains usually come into platforms 9/10. Rarely 10a or 11/12 (which are not much used by anything).

• There are White/yellow validators on the platform 9/10 at "London" end, hidden behind the stairwell. 
• Some of the subway passages between the platforms also have White/Yellow validators on the walls.
• Another at the top of the stairway to platform 12 (next to Overground platforms) but that will be the wrong direction for your interchange to Central/Elizabeth.

There are also pink interchange validators around the station for changing between the TfL services.  You don't want to tap on a pink

(Technically you can start-tap on a pink and be charged correctly when you tap out at destination, but can't end your journey on pink and join a train, you will be charged maximum fare of several pounds.  Similarly tapping a white/yellow does not always result in getting the correct interchange zonal fare).

 Sorry if this may seem a really daft question (that's just popped up in my crazy head), but will I be able to standard contactless payment on those "Oyster validators"?

400ixl

Yes, you can use contactless or Oyster cards on them.

Personally I haven't found them to be hard to find either. Not often I change at Stratford but going from the Norwich mainline to the central line (and back) the tap in/out terminals have been easy to spot. 

MilesT6060842

FYI link to official (somewhat dated) map to Stratford Station (PDF) 2 pages

Unhelpfully, the map does not show the positioning of on-station Oyster/Contactless validators. 
(It also has things in the key that are not on the diagram, e.g. train company symbols, one out of date)

I might try and overlay onto JPEG copies (2 images) the locations of the on-station validators (do a full platform walk when I pass through when I have some time and then overlay onto the map)

Stratford is known to be a confusing station and overcrowded at peak periods. There are proposals to redevelop it to improve people and train flow and reduce confusion (will take a lot of time and money)

abssorb

eTimalay said:

 Sorry if this may seem a really daft question (that's just popped up in my crazy head), but will I be able to standard contactless payment on those "Oyster validators"?

Any contactless bank card / payment-enabled smartphone can be used on all tube station ticket barriers.



Oyster cards are still a thing, as they offer a top up /  pay as you go option, but there's no advantage in price or convenience. 

Just make sure you use the same payment card in and out of stations and you will always pay the cheapest fare, including travelcard tariffs.