Availability of Rovers

A reader told me he was recently at Crystal Palace station, which is operated by London Overground, and was interested to see that Rover tickets can be purchased from ticket machines. These included the All-Line, the Kent and Thames Rovers, and North Downs, Thames Branches and Kennet Day Rangers.

I have been checking ticket machines from several other operators recently, and note they all say that Rovers cannot be bought from their machines.

I’ll be interested to hear from other readers regarding their local machines. The industry really should have a common standard, and operators shouldn’t be having limited software to suit their policies.

Meanwhile, another reader has told me that South Western Railway now sells Rovers online at https://tickets.southwestern railway. com/ sw/ en/ journeyplanning/ roversandrangers - a welcome move.

The Freedom Pass in Greater London is not a ‘Rover’ as such, although it does function as an Annual Zones 1-9 Travelcard for those aged 60 or over. It seems that the relaxation I described in RAIL 856’s The Fare Dealer, which temporarily allows interavailability between all types of Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express tickets, does not extend to Freedom Passes.

Holders can travel free to the boundary and buy an extension to Gatwick Airport on Southern or Thameslink trains, but still cannot use Gatwick Express.