New ticket design

[yorksrob]

You're right. I used them in the late 90's. Perhaps it just seems like a long time ago

 

[Lincoln]

I think they look better than the current one though. I do remember MANY years ago though when seat reservations were on blue tickets rather than orange or is my mind playing tricks on me?

You're right a separate reservation coupon could be issued but it was rare to do so in any case as many booking clerks (myself included when I used to be one!) would just furnish the customer with a printed itinerary with all the reservations shown. I've attached a scan of a blank one.

Also, with Advance Purchase tickets there was a space on the rear for the issuing clerk to complete showing reservations and connecting trains.

Now we have a situation where someone could have a minimum of 4 coupons for a return journey with a single reservation each now... each looking much the same as each other, with them all being orange! Indeed many a time has a customer turned up for the time printed on the reservation and then missing what would have been the unbooked connecting train... progress?

Anything which can help alleviate that happening is surely a good thing, and staff will just get used to the new printing styles like they did in the past many times over. Almex anybody?

 

[yorksrob]

As a child I remember seeing the tray with all the different coloured ticket stocks and wondering what they were for. For me it was usually boring orange, with the odd black platform ticket to break the monotony!

 

[transportphoto]

Back on topic.. can we compile a list of the ticket issuing locations which are using the new style stock?

TP

 

[barrykas]

I wouldn't have said _many_ years ago. I seem to recall them in the late 1990s. Someone will know, doubtless.

They were still used right up until APTIS was withdrawn in March 2007, Upminster having the last machine.

You could (and indeed can) also get books for doing completely hand-written reservations, allowing for up to four seats on each leaf. Used where a passenger requests a reservation without a ticket.

 

[transportphoto]

You could (and indeed can) also get books for doing completely hand-written reservations, allowing for up to four seats on each leaf. Used where a passenger requests a reservation without a ticket.

How would this be processed from ticket office to train?

TP

 

[barrykas]

How would this be processed from ticket office to train?

The reservation is made through CRS/NRS/RJIS in the usual manner, and the clerk just fills out all of the details on the card by hand instead of running it off on APTIS and filling in the coach and seat number(s). Think they were mostly used by travel agents.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Every time I got one of the blue tickets, they had hand-written seat and coach numbers on them, it was never printed. I think the blue one posted above was a post British Rail one? I seem to remember them originally having "British Rail" written on the bottom left during the BR days as well as the logo. I haven't seen any myself for about ten years. Never saw the advance purchase one before.

I do if I recall correctly, remember buying advance purchase long distance tickets at Ipswich Train Station in the old travel center (now closed), which were on some kind of paper, rather than the usual ticketing stock. They had some sort of special background though an this was in the days where there were virtually no barriers around so it must have been some while ago.

 

[thedbdiboy]

What jumped out at me straight away is the CrossCountry logo at the top of the sample ticket. Why the logo? I assume that it is to help pasengers identify their train. What happens then when there are reservations on trains operated by different TOCs on the same ticket?

Totally unnecessary imo. This seems to me to be an idea by a designer rather than by someone with some insight into railway ticketing.

Firstly, the new RSP 9599 blank stock is a precursor to the new 'front of ticket' design. Because of the number of different devices and the huge stock held, the new blank stock has to be rolled out somewhat in advance of the other changes (as it works with existing print layout too).

Once the 'endorsements' box is universally appearing we really want to encourage any staff who provide advice to passengers such as letting them use a different train or go off route to use this as it will help reduce the number of issues where a passenger claims they are told one thing and then possibly encounter problems later on.

Secondly, the samples of new print formats being commented on are internal test samples, which are also proving the concept of possibly including TOC logos on some tickets (where it is only valid on one TOC's service for example). It is unhelpful when such internal samples are discussed on the basis of rumour!

Finally, when the new print designs are ready TOCs and staff will be briefed in advance of them appearing (although as ever, the quality of local briefing will be down to individual TOCs!).

 

[Deerfold]

They were still used right up until APTIS was withdrawn in March 2007, Upminster having the last machine.

You could (and indeed can) also get books for doing completely hand-written reservations, allowing for up to four seats on each leaf. Used where a passenger requests a reservation without a ticket.

I got one of those 3 or 4 years ago when I was collecting an advance at Leeds and the machine decided not to print the seat reservation.

 

[krus_aragon]

The reverse of new style tickets I got from Temple Meads a couple of weeks ago are identical to Searle's cricket one above, including no Endorsement box provision.

I've had that variety on two occasions over the past three weeks (from Cardiff Central and Queen St ticket machines) but have also had some old stock. I must admit that I paid so little attention to the brown advertising and logo on the back I thought it was advertising coffee shops!

 

[A1]

Back on topic.. can we compile a list of the ticket issuing locations which are using the new style stock?

London Bridge (some TVMs) has had the new stock (Santander advert) for around a week or so.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Sorry to unearth this thread but I know of a few places doing these new style tickets. Warrington Central gave me this type of ticket from the ticket office (Child single to LPY), Liverpool Lime street ticket office for a platform ticket and Birkenhead Hamilton Square for a platform ticket. I will keep an eye out on the Wirral stations and try and see which ones do these types of tickets.

Edit: Also, a friend gave me an itinerary he has issued between Helsby and Chester from a guard, which was also on this special ticket stock. So it seems that ATW may have this type of ticket fan-folded inside their Avantix Mobile machines.

 

[PR1Berske]

To take the conversation a little away from the main topic, I agree with something mentioned a few posts up.

I've booked an advance return to Bangor. I shouldn't have, in the 21st century, about 10 tickets.

Why not consolidate tickets? Or is this another hurdle erected by the Unions?

 

[telstarbox]

Please explain what the unions have to do with it.

 

[Eagle]

I've booked an advance return to Bangor. I shouldn't have, in the 21st century, about 10 tickets.

The information that tickets with reservations currently provide can't be fitted onto one coupon. As it stands, of course.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I've booked an advance return to Bangor. I shouldn't have, in the 21st century, about 10 tickets.

As Eagle said, you can't fit reservations and so on one ticket. However, that many tickets can be a bit of a problem so I suggest obtaining a ticket holder free of charge from any ticket office. When you are finished, you can dispose of the tickets (via the link in the bottom of my sig if you like ) and use it again, they're lifesavers sometimes, especially when in a similar situation to yourself.

They usually* have 3 slots in them, so I would put actual tickets in the middle, supplements/reservations in the bottom them railcard (if applicable) and receipts into the top one.

*some may not have three slots, some may only have 2 slots. Merseyrail for example, only give the clear ones for season tickets with only 2 slots. On occasion they even give the larger holders for travel passes on the Wirral, which are only a clear pouch. If you ask for a ticket older, you will most likely get a blue national rail one with the three slots in it. Some places you might even get a toc branded one.

hth

 

[PR1Berske]

Airline style tickets would be a true redesign though

 

[Eagle]

Airline style tickets would be a true redesign though

And how much to replace every ticket barrier in the country with one capable of accepting coupons larger than credit-card sized? :P

For better or worse, we as a country decided on a standard ticket coupon size sometime in the early 80s, and now we're kind of stuck with it. Same as how we're stuck with our tiny early-Victorian loading gauge.

In an ideal world, I'd have made it so that the actual tickets are on standard stock as they are today, but reservations (which don't need to go through barriers or anything) were larger and one per journey, and collection receipts either didn't exist or were printed on the same sheet as the reservation. Of course then you'd need to start making TVMs that can handle two different sizes of stock. But at least in this scheme it would be easier to transition.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Airline style tickets would be a true redesign though

Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt...Tribute was doing Airline style tickets back in 1994, though I don't think any of the TOCs still use the ATB printers, which is a shame as it means they can't sell Eurostar tickets on Tribute either.

 

[tsr]

Going back to the rollout of the actual new tickets (again) I have noticed that some TVMs have been fitted with both old and new ticket stock at once - so two portions of a CDR may be on two different types of stock, for example!

Has anyone else seen this?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Going back to the rollout of the actual new tickets (again) I have noticed that some TVMs have been fitted with both old and new ticket stock at once - so two portions of a CDR may be on two different types of stock, for example!

Not entirely unusual as it's perfectly possible to mix different batches of tickets in the machines, though the older stock should be used up first.

 

[transmanche]

And how much to replace every ticket barrier in the country with one capable of accepting coupons larger than credit-card sized? :P

As many ticket barriers have barcode readers (for print@home tickets), the simple solution would be to print a barcode on the big tickets.

 

[causton]

As many ticket barriers have barcode readers (for print@home tickets), the simple solution would be to print a barcode on the big tickets.

Erm...

...
not many?
(It remains to be seen how easy it is to retrofit them, however, especially on LUL gates for cross-london transfer! :P )

 

[tsr]

Not entirely unusual as it's perfectly possible to mix different batches of tickets in the machines, though the older stock should be used up first.

I knew that more than one type of stock can be used at a time - I was just amused by it, really. Evidently the station staff were trying to use up the old stuff, as the ticket office alongside the machines is now using the new style and has been for a good few days. If it avoids waste and is valid, it can only be a good thing, surely

 

[transmanche]

As many ticket barriers have barcode readers (for print@home tickets), the simple solution would be to print a barcode on the big tickets.

Erm...

...
not many?
(It remains to be seen how easy it is to retrofit them, however, especially on LUL gates for cross-london transfer! :P )

Well, the barriers installed by East Coast do.


Ticket barriers at Newcastle Rail Station Phone Barcodes by rantoutloud, on Flickr

And the LU-style Network Rail barriers at King's Cross have been retrofitted with barcode readers. (It was actually done before the new concourse was opened, but method was exactly the same as seen here.) So easily do-able.


Footbridge Ticket Barriers unmanned at Kings Cross by Lee Render, on Flickr

 

[rebmcr]

Seems like a large waste of money when we could just hang on a few more years until smartcards are up and running. We've managed for the last 30 years just fine.

 

[causton]

And the LU-style Network Rail barriers at King's Cross have been retrofitted with barcode readers. (It was actually done before the new concourse was opened, but method was exactly the same as seen here.) So easily do-able.


Footbridge Ticket Barriers unmanned at Kings Cross by Lee Render, on Flickr

Actually, these are new-style barriers. I can see why you would call them LU style, as LU are using them for new installations, but just about everywhere I've seen has one of these style barriers round here, only a few stations have the "glass" style barriers, such as Leeds and other East Coast stations. I'm guessing that with the right firmware, and a few screws, they can all be upgraded if necessary.

What I am talking about is the older ones still in use at many LU stations, and also have been removed and installed at other stations (such as Clapham Junction Grant Road entrance), such as these:

These don't look quite so easy to upgrade!

 

[crispy1978]

Scarborough's ticket machine is using the new design.

 

[jon0844]

Can someone upload some photos of the new tickets 'out in the wild'?