For Those Visiting London

A heads up that London Underground are 'enhancing' their service by removing ticket sale windows this weekend. So it's queue at the machine or get your contactless debit / credit card out.

They've been phasing out ticket offices for a while now - my local station lost its a couple of months ago.

There'll still be "visitor information centres" that sell tickets at a handful of key gateway stations including Heathrow T123.

Typical - do it at a time when the oversea tourists start arriving, it will be confusing enough for those of use who use it only occasionally - still 'every cloud....' taxi's will no doubt benefit ! A London of queues this summer then
Thanks for the heads up.

They've been phasing out ticket offices for a while now - my local station lost its a couple of months ago.

There'll still be "visitor information centres" that sell tickets at a handful of key gateway stations including Heathrow T123.

Must be Kings Cross's turn then, as that's where I received the leaflet yesterday.

There is a list of the ticket office closure dates here

BUT this does not mean you won't be able to buy tickets at stations - there will still be the ticket machines (more of them) and the staff will still be available - they just won't stuck in the office behind glass.

And given the ability to use contactless credit / debit cards many people won't even need to get a ticket or even an oyster card.

There is a list of the ticket office closure dates here

BUT this does not mean you won't be able to buy tickets at stations - there will still be the ticket machines (more of them) and the staff will still be available - they just won't stuck in the office behind glass.

And given the ability to use contactless credit / debit cards many people won't even need to get a ticket or even an oyster card.

True and true but;

1. Roaming staff have a tendency to do just that....

2. The latter is knack all use for visitors from the US whose credit card technology seems to be way behind ours

[mitchja]

I've always used an Oyster card for when I'm in London, which are now also available and able to be shipped in advance to international visitors as well, details here

I guess once Apple Pay launches in the UK (rumoured to not be far off now) and TFL start accepting it (they do now already EE's 'cash on tap' contactless mobile phone system if you have a compatible Android handset), US iPhones with Apple Pay enabled should then work with that.

My mother (83) is old school. And only ever pays with cash. Where will she be able to purchase tickets in the future? Are there any other outlets to buy underground tickets?

The big ticket machines at all stations take cash.

Cash tickets are phenomenally expensive though - in some cases almost double the Oyster/contactless fare. Could you not persuade her to try Oyster? So much quicker and far cheaper.

Ticket offices are being closed in a phased fashion throughout this year.

When they do close, you will see a temporary increase in the number of staff in the ticket hall to help customers use the ticket machines. In 2016 the staff count will drop when severance kicks in.

The larger type machines accept notes, coins and cards, smaller types are either coin and cards, or card only. When ticket office is shut/shuts, you won't be able to pay for travel with £50 notes (or 1p, 2p & 5p coins) apart from the 6 stations that have/will have Travel Information Centres (Euston, Heathrow 123, Kings Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria). There is also a relatively low daily spending limit for non-chip & pin cards on ticket machines (there was no limit at ticket offices).

Paper tickets are now often much more expensive than oyster/contactless, for example:
Zone 1-5 paper peak day travel card is £17.00
Zone 1-5 Oyster/Contactless daily cap £10.90

Company cheques will no longer be accepted. Personal cheques haven't been for quite some time now.

Refunding Oyster cards worth over £15 will have to be applied for online.

Station staff can not help with Contactless problems, apart from directing you to who to contact (TfL Customer services or your card issuer).

There are lots of little changes and these are just a few, all staff will have iPads by 2016 and new uniforms this summer.