Rail passengers overcharged for London journeys
Londoners are paying up to four times as much as necessary for tickets at some suburban stations, because staff computer systems don't display the cheapest fare.
According to the Campaign for Better Transport, customers are being sold 'anytime' tickets, even when using an Oyster card would be much cheaper.
One researcher asking about the journey from Ewell West in Surrey to Theobalds Grove in Hertfordshire was offered a ticket for £19.50 - a trip that would cost just £5.20 with an Oyster card.
In another example, a £15.80 anytime ticket was offered for the journey from Streatham to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, although the off-peak Oyster fare is £5.20.
Martin Abrams, who carried out the investigation, said station staff told him their computer systems simply didn't show the Oyster fare.
"The fact that some fares don't even appear on the system at certain stations is a complete failure of the train operating companies, an embarrassment," he tells the Daily Telegraph.
The problem affects several different operators, including South West Trains, First Great Western and Southern, and may apply to non-London stations too.
The Association of Train Operating Companies told the paper that the problem will be fixed as quickly as possible, and that customers who believe they've overpaid can claim a refund.
"People using Oyster cards to travel to these stations will have paid the correct fare," a spokesman says.
"For other passengers, maps at stations and in ticket offices display information telling them they can use their Oyster card, but unfortunately it is still possible that some people could have been sold the wrong fare."
The train operators' code of practice says that "retailers should ensure that passengers are provided with all the information they may need to enable them to choose, buy and use the most appropriate ticket for their journey."
However, earlier this year, the Dispatches television programme secretly recorded a First Great Western trainer telling staff not to advise passengers about the cheapest ticket. The company claimed that this wasn't official policy, and that the trainer had made a mistake.
Just last week, though, internal emails were leaked showing that the company's policy for station staff was to assume that people had already researched the best deals themselves.
Rail minister Clare Perry said this was unacceptable. "The most important part of the railway is its customers, and they must be able to trust that they are getting the best possible deal every time they travel," she said.
"Train companies must get better at giving their customers information about ticket options in a straightforward way. I will not hesitate to hold operators to account if they do not take this issue seriously."
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