The worst part about living in the near-edges of Greater London is the lack of Tube service. With the introduction of the Oyster card years before I decided to live here, it looked like it was one card for all–Tube, bus, light rail, rail services–but not the case if you live in Kingston upon Thames or Surbiton.
To get into London the fast way, which is commuter rail, I had to do a tedious process known as purchasing a ticket at a machine. Not only was going to the ticket machine an inconvenience, but I had to accumulate paper tickets and watch them so I won’t lose them. Did I mention it’s bad for the environment as well?
The days of printing tickets will soon be over (well, almost) from January 2nd. Now all rail services in Greater London–all 607 square miles of it–are accessible for all Oyster Card user, not just weekly, monthly and annual Travelcard holders. Ta ta, paper tickets and hello to up to 30% cheaper fares!
A one-way ticket from Surbiton or Kingston upon Thames to Waterloo will cost only £3.20 off-peak. Quite expensive still, but better than paying £5 off-peak!
So rejoice, pay-as-you-go customers, you can conquer all of London without being beholden to the paper ticket, and welcome to “Oysterland”!
To access the map of “Oysterland,” click here.
The Ed Column 
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