You can find the pink readers at a selection of stations
17:40, 24 Jun 2023
Oyster and contactless payment are an everyday part of life when traveling across the London Underground network. We see the yellow card readers on all forms of transport and at all stations in the city.
The yellow readers are well-known - you tap in at the start and tap out at the end. However, rarely seen pink readers - officially called route validators - can be key to getting you a cheaper journey, or in cases where they're used incorrectly, a more expensive journey. They are dotted around a few different train stations and are supposed to be used mid-journey.
This can save you money because it's more expensive to travel through Zone 1 (Central London). If you travel through London but avoid entering Zone 1 you should be charged less by using the pink readers.
READ MORE: Full list of the London Underground lines and how much time they actually spend underground
TfL will assume that you went through Zone 1 and charge you more if you do not use these special readers and therefore charge you the higher rate. Do not touch those pink readers at the end of your journey as that could mean that you are charged more.
Where are the pink readers on the London Underground?
Pink card readers are on, or in between the platforms where you change trains at the following stations:
- Blackhorse Road
- Canada Water
- Clapham Junction
- Gospel Oak
- Gunnersbury
- Hackney Central/Hackney Downs
- Highbury & Islington
- Kensington (Olympia)
- Rayners Lane
- Richmond
- Stratford
- Surrey Quays
- West Brompton
- Whitechapel
- Willesden Junction
- Wimbledon
If you want help knowing if you should use the readers, you can use TfL's single fare finder to check, or to see if there's a cheaper route.
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