Fare for non- zone 1 journeys

I don't know about Finsbury Park, but at some DLR stations you do have to actively hunt out the reader (West India Quay comes to mind).

That is quite possible - being a semi permanent operation & using full time drivers would certainly be factors.

I should have added this bit in my previous post to qualify why you wouldn't normally find the readers live on a rail replacement bus: another reason it wouldn't happen is because many rail replacement buses are operated by part time drivers who are not trained in how to use the ticket machine or the revenue structure.

These drivers tend to appear at the weekend for a variety of reasons such as 'keeping a hand in', 'bit of pocket money', etc - it's a lot easier for bus companies to provide drivers if all they to do is drive the thing, otherwise the whole operation would have to rely on full time drivers doing overtime, basically.

Yes they do get a fixed fee for providing a certain number of buses.

The bus operator and driver usually do not check tickets, however I have had the pleasure of being called back to the front by an Arriva driver to show him my travelcard, so from that point on I show my travelcard anyway.

However, I was thinking whether LU or TfL Revenue Protection check rail replacement services? Because I know for a fact NR operators like ONE certainly do!

When there were long-distance coaches replacing the railways (eg. when the East Coast Main Line was shut), were thorough ticket checks made? I can just imagine hundreds of passengers opting for the rail replacement coaches instead of National Express/ Megabus if that is the case.

On the other hand, is it really justifiable to pay £100+ for a standard open single if all you are getting is a National Express-style coach?

I got caught at Waterloo W&C the other day, I was interchanging to the Northern Line and so wasn't expecting to need to tap my Oyster anywhere. When I went through the barriers to the Northern Line I assumed they'd work like the ones at Stratford Jubilee and the Bank end of the W&C.

I presume the ticket gates would be placed directly in front of the stairs leading down to the platforms? Otherwise, pedestrians are being deprived of a direct link between Finsbury Park Stroud Green Road and Seven Sisters Road.

Don't even get me started on PAYG. Here is a question:

There is a suspension due to planned (or emergency) engineering works. You're going from Tottenham Court Road to Edgware, but all trains are terminating at Colindale, with local buses accepting LUL tickets.

If the PAYG user simply walks out of Colindale, they will be charged £4 for an incomplete journey in addition to the 90p for the bus to Edgware.

If the PAYG user touches out at Colindale and onto a 204 bus, the user will be charged 90p for the bus.

In both cases, paying more to be delayed