Extra London Underground staff were drafted in after a breakdown in
the Oyster card system left thousands of people needing replacement
cards.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7504734.stm

About 65,000 cards were corrupted and stopped working when they were
swiped during technical problems on Saturday.

Tube workers handed out replacement cards and to prevent long queues
some passengers travelled free of charge.

Transport for London (TfL) said by lunchtime on Monday more than
30,000 affected cards had been replaced.

Automatic refund

A TfL spokesman said: "The vast majority of passengers have travelled
without any disruption this morning and London Underground staff have
minimised the delay to passengers with cards that are not working.

"We are replacing affected cards and there are now less than 35,000
cards that need to be replaced.

"Ticket offices are well stocked and we advise those passengers who
have not yet replaced their cards to go to their nearest LU ticket
office throughout today."

The Oyster card system was inoperable for at least five hours on
Saturday and some 65,000 cards used during that time stopped working
or incurred a fine.

All passengers who incurred a maximum fare or fine as a result of the
fault will be given an automatic refund from Tuesday.

The cards are used as payment on buses, Tube, tram and the Docklands
Light Railway.

Passengers touch the electronic card on the reader on entry or exit to
a station, or when entering a bus.

An investigation has been launched into the problem and TfL is
expected to release a statement later this week.