Contactless customers overcharged by rail operator

A train operator has advised passengers to avoid making contactless payments after a technical issue left some customers being overcharged for their journeys.

C2c, which runs trains between Essex and London, said some customers had been "overcharged by up to £3 per journey" since Sunday.

The issue was affecting journeys to or from stations outside the Oyster zone in Essex, which start or end at either Fenchurch Street or Liverpool Street in London.

The company apologised and said it was working with Transport for London (TfL) to resolve the issue and arrange refunds.

Passengers should use paper or e-tickets instead of contactless payments in the meantime, the rail operator said.

"At present, we are working with TfL to identify the most efficient way of paying refunds to customers and we will confirm further details on resolution and refunds once these are agreed with TfL," it added.

TfL said: "We are aware that, following a pre-planned update to the fares data within the contactless pay as you go system last weekend, some of the data provided by c2c was incorrect."

It confirmed contactless fares on other routes were unaffected.

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