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Southern's smartcard extends to Worthing

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ushawk

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Southern are to extend their "The Key" smartcard to Worthing this month.

See http://www.journeysolutions.com/sites/default/files/pictures/John Backway presentation.pdf

It doesn't mention availability on other operators services such as First Great Western.

Wont be valid on FGW, they wont be able to check the card as they wont have the readers.

I havent seen anyone who isnt a staff member using the cards yet, maybe when other tickets are able to be used, more might use it.
 

button_boxer

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Wont be valid on FGW, they wont be able to check the card as they wont have the readers.

The validity of a ticket doesn't change just because that ticket is held on a smartcard rather than on paper. If the ticket is routed Any Permitted then it is valid on all the relevant operators along the permitted routes and if any of these operators don't have the facility to read the card then that's their problem, not the passenger's. If the ticket is routed Southern Only then it would be valid only on Southern, but of course this is true regardless of the medium.
 

island

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If the ticket is routed Any Permitted then it is valid on all the relevant operators along the permitted routes and if any of these operators don't have the facility to read the card then that's their problem, not the passenger's.

You may wish to tell that to East Midlands "we don't accept Oyster TravelCards with boundary tickets" Trains.
 

johnnycache

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That's interesting i didn't know the FGW service was due to end
We will also be supplying card readers to FCC for the Brighton Main Line
These will be on loan until they receive their own from the South East Flexible Ticketing Project (SEFT)
 

mattdickinson

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Southern are to extend their "The Key" smartcard to Worthing this month.

See http://www.journeysolutions.com/sites/default/files/pictures/John Backway presentation.pdf

It doesn't mention availability on other operators services such as First Great Western.

An email I recieved yesterday states that the extension to Worthing will start on the 12th July.

It also contains a timeline for the remainder of the rollout:

Autumn 2012: Plusbus in Brighton, Crawley and Gatwick

Winter 2012: Brighton Main Line to Merstham and all other gated stations. Annual seasons, flexi seasons and break of journey enabled.

Spring 2013: Epsom, Uckfield and East Grinstead lines. West Worthing to Warblington and Arun Valley. Pay as you go enabled.

Winter 2013: Entire Southern network active. Travelcards enabled.
 

johnnycache

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I can confirm that FCC and FGW will be accepting Southern "key" ITSO cards within the boundaries of their availability

Note that Brighton and Hove bus tickets can also be added onto the cards

So things are moving.....
 

bicbasher

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Will LOROL stations from New Cross Gate to West Croydon and the WLL/Watford DC lines have ITSO capability by winter 2013? Otherwise there could be some embarrassing situations for pax using those stations which are served by Southern.
 

johnnycache

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Yes - all London TOC (including LOROL former Southern stations) should be able to accept ITSO from early 2013 and TfL stations/buses from 2014
 

34D

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Yes - all London TOC (including LOROL former Southern stations) should be able to accept ITSO from early 2013 and TfL stations/buses from 2014

Most interesting, I'd like to see properly what itso can do (beyond oap bus passes).
 

swt_passenger

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Most interesting, I'd like to see properly what itso can do (beyond oap bus passes).

AFAIK none of the railway ITSO systems have got an ITSO version of a stored balance PAYG system working yet.

Seasons and point to point tickets only so far, unless anyone knows different?
 

johnnycache

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We at Southern are planning to introduce a pay as you go product but the next big thing is to introduce flexible seasons

These will give money back if you travel very early (before the peak) or off-peak and will also not charge for days when they are not used

Expect to see some trials in the new year

The other thing to look out for is plusbus on ITSO in Crawley (with Metrobus) and Brighton (with Brighton and Hove buses) in September/October
 

jon0844

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Finally! This is exactly why I believe smartcard ticketing is going to be the future.

Fair play to Southern for doing this. It's the sort of thing that might just win a franchise (namely the new Southern/FCC combined franchise).
 

OwlMan

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One of the problems that I can see happening is when single & return tickets are available how does the ITSO system know which ticket you want to use.
For example if I had two return portions on my ITSO lest one from Lancing - Preston park and one from Woorting - Hove which one would it cancel if I travelled from Fishergates - Portslade?

For people that undertake a lot of journeys and the system covers a larger area there could easily be five or six tickets that would be valid including flexible seasons

Peter
 

radamfi

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It's the sort of thing that might just win a franchise (namely the new Southern/FCC combined franchise).

They are only doing what they promised to do in the current franchise.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
For example if I had two return portions on my ITSO lest one from Lancing - Preston park and one from Woorting - Hove which one would it cancel if I travelled from Fishergates - Portslade?

I very much doubt that regular tickets will be loadable onto ITSO cards, and certainly not returns. Presumably you will touch in at your origin and touch out at your destination and the relevant fare will be deducted from your balance. This is how it works in London and in the Netherlands, where you can pay as you go nationwide. Both the Netherlands and London made the smartcard single half the paper day return when smartcard payment came in, so there is no need for returns to be catered for. The Netherlands subsequently made the paper single half the day return as well, effectively making the day return irrelevant.
 

mattdickinson

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They are only doing what they promised to do in the current franchise.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I very much doubt that regular tickets will be loadable onto ITSO cards, and certainly not returns. Presumably you will touch in at your origin and touch out at your destination and the relevant fare will be deducted from your balance. This is how it works in London and in the Netherlands, where you can pay as you go nationwide. Both the Netherlands and London made the smartcard single half the paper day return when smartcard payment came in, so there is no need for returns to be catered for. The Netherlands subsequently made the paper single half the day return as well, effectively making the day return irrelevant.

It is already possible to load singles and returns on SWT's StagecoachSmart card.

I suspect the problem of multiple tickets will be addressed by being able to set the priority of usage at TVMs.
 

radamfi

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It is already possible to load singles and returns on SWT's StagecoachSmart card.

I suspect the problem of multiple tickets will be addressed by being able to set the priority of usage at TVMs.

It seems a bit pointless loading single and return tickets onto a smartcard, particularly if you have to visit a TVM to load them or choose between multiple tickets. If you have to visit a TVM, you might as well pick up paper tickets instead.
 

Brucey

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It seems a bit pointless loading single and return tickets onto a smartcard, particularly if you have to visit a TVM to load them or choose between multiple tickets. If you have to visit a TVM, you might as well pick up paper tickets instead.

They could be very useful for advance tickets (and other tickets purchased in advance). Rather than writing down an 8-digit code and having to visit a TVM with a card, the passenger simply places their card on the validator (either standalone or at a ticket barrier). Their journey is started and ticket automatically downloaded to the card.
 

radamfi

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They could be very useful for advance tickets (and other tickets purchased in advance). Rather than writing down an 8-digit code and having to visit a TVM with a card, the passenger simply places their card on the validator (either standalone or at a ticket barrier). Their journey is started and ticket automatically downloaded to the card.

For Advance tickets, the barrier could possibly work out which Advance ticket on that card is the next one to be used and select that one automatically without having to choose between multiple tickets on the card.
 
C

Cat123

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Hi,

Just to say, I wouldn't recommend using the smart card at the moment. There are still quite a few glitches.

I paid for a monthly ticket which didn't load. Staff at the station say they know nothing about it and staff on the phone say they can see I have a ticket but don't know why it isn't working.

Southern's advice: Just buy single tickets until we fix it. Now I'm £50 out of pocket and there's still no sign of a solution...
 

johnnycache

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I work for Southern
If you would like to PM some of the details i can take this up with the project team
I'm very sorry about the problem you have had and we'd like to make it up to you if we can
 
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