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We've got the Key, it's no secret... (Smartcards on GTR)

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jon0844

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I thought it time to start a thread dedicated to the pending arrival of smartcards on Great Northern and Thameslink at some point in the future. This could be the place to discuss the cards themselves, fares, anomalies, problems, Oyster acceptance and so on.

Smartcard fares are now visible on BRFares, and yesterday I noticed the first standalone validator at Hatfield (for the side/night entrance/exit).

2015-05-21 21.29.56.jpg

Staff still appear unaware of what's happening, or any dates (but it's been said for some time it will be September) but it's clearly happening.
 
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Aictos

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I thought it time to start a thread dedicated to the pending arrival of smartcards on Great Northern and Thameslink at some point in the future. This could be the place to discuss the cards themselves, fares, anomalies, problems, Oyster acceptance and so on.

Smartcard fares are now visible on BRFares, and yesterday I noticed the first standalone validator at Hatfield (for the side/night entrance/exit).

View attachment 22281

Staff still appear unaware of what's happening, or any dates (but it's been said for some time it will be September) but it's clearly happening.

Oooh, so that's what it looks like :)
 

causton

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Oooh, so that's what it looks like :)

You mean, the same as all the Southern ones? Keep your eyes open ;)

As I accidentally sold someone a Smart CDR from Boundary Zone 6 to a GTR location the other day, I have found out the hard way that the smartcard fares are in the system! ;)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS: Did see a lot of "Card Reader Not In Use" signs at St Albans on the gateline, so guess either I've not seen the card readers there before or they've just been installed too!
 

swt_passenger

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PS: Did see a lot of "Card Reader Not In Use" signs at St Albans on the gateline, so guess either I've not seen the card readers there before or they've just been installed too!

IIRC on some gateline designs the card reader is fitted internally and 'non-intrusively', they just have to align the sticky vinyl label above its position correctly, so you could probably get from 'no card readers' to 'out of use card readers' very quickly.
 

jon0844

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Yes, I think the only exterior update is the placement of a sticker. All the gates are ready and at Hatfield I think they're 'on', as in there's a red light on.

I guess I'll have to keep trying to tap my ITSO card on pads to see if they beep and give an error one day!
 

bb21

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Oooh, so that's what it looks like :)

What do you mean?! ;)

They have been around the Southern network forever. I am sure I have a photo with one next to a PERTIS machine somewhere.
 

jon0844

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Given who makes them, they're probably used around the world.
 

bb21

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Here we go, father and son, at Newhaven Harbour.
 

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jon0844

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Not seen a permit to rave* machine for some time.

* How our one was modified to say for as long as I can remember.
 

sarahj

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Their "TfL-inspired" signage appears to be slightly less durable than the real thing.

For some reason signs and ticket machines at stations right on the coast and where its quite windy sometimes do pick up some rust. I'm not sure why? :roll:

That poor pertis at the harbour must be the most least used one around. The only folks that seem to use them round there are tourists, and you dont get many from Harbour. The last time I got a pertis on that route was last week,a group of 9 walkers going from Bishopstone to Southease. Sold em a group 9 and they had £1.80 in pertis's. Tickets were printing off still as they left the train.:lol:
 

jon0844

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Just wanting to bump this a bit, as a few weeks ago the Cubic gates got updated to start accepting smartcards, and in the last week or so I see the TVMs now have been updated too - with a new option in the bottom left.

IMG_20150715_121345.jpg

(BTW is it me or does that new front screen look like there's an error dialogue popped up on the screen?)

Given the fares are already loaded on, I have to wonder what would happen if you tried using an existing Southern or Stagecoach smartcard? I have one somewhere, so may have to see what happens....
 

button_boxer

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Given the fares are already loaded on, I have to wonder what would happen if you tried using an existing Southern or Stagecoach smartcard? I have one somewhere, so may have to see what happens....

I suspect a Southern one would work but a Stagecoach one wouldn't. The interesting test would be a "The Key" card from another Go Ahead company other than Southern. With stagecoach you can't even use a rail-issued smartcard to hold bus tickets or vice versa, but I gather Go Ahead are a bit better at integration.
 

jon0844

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Aren't they all supposed to be ITSO compliant? I thought the idea was that any smartcard would work, obviously subject to being loaded with the right information?
 

hassaanhc

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.

View attachment 22962

(BTW is it me or does that new front screen look like there's an error dialogue popped up on the screen?)
Which is exactly what me and many others have thought when waiting in the queue at East Croydon and seeing the screen from a distance (text too small to read) :P
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Aren't they all supposed to be ITSO compliant? I thought the idea was that any smartcard would work, obviously subject to being loaded with the right information?
I wonder if my Brighton & Hove Key would work? Not seen anything to suggest that it will.
 

jon0844

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If only I could find my card.. I'd give it a try and at least see what it does.

But it's not the Southern Key, so perhaps I should at least try and get one of those.

Now if I could buy a ticket and store it on one, that could really be interesting if RPIs haven't yet been given compatible readers...!
 

sarahj

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Nope, the B&H bus key cards dont work. I've tried to read mine and some others when we were accepting bus tickets and my reader did not want to know.
Black : very good
Green : Good
Orange: the bus stop is over there.:lol:
 

causton

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I believe the ITSO card has to be registered in each 'estate' - with one 'estate' only being able to see the products from its own - so for example Stagecoach bus drivers couldn't see you had an annual season ticket on it on Southern rail!
 

JaJaWa

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I believe the ITSO card has to be registered in each 'estate' - with one 'estate' only being able to see the products from its own - so for example Stagecoach bus drivers couldn't see you had an annual season ticket on it on Southern rail!

Yes there are completely seperate sections on each card for different operators/services. However, currently most most operators/services will check that you are using their card when loading a product on, and only allow you to do so if it is. The exception to this is Nexus (Tyne and Wear Metro) in Newcastle, who don't perform the check, allowing you to load their products on to any ITSO card, not just the Nexus 'Pop card'. This is to benefit the large amount of people with Stagecoach 'Smart cards' and Go Ahead 'The Key' from their local bus operations in Newcastle.
 

transmanche

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. This is to benefit the large amount of people with Stagecoach 'Smart cards' and Go Ahead 'The Key' from their local bus operations in Newcastle.
And Newcastle University students, who can load tickets onto their uni ID cards.

I used to work for a company which also had a North East Regional Smartcard logo on their ID cards - presumably a forerunner of NESTI?
 

34D

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I believe the ITSO card has to be registered in each 'estate' - with one 'estate' only being able to see the products from its own - so for example Stagecoach bus drivers couldn't see you had an annual season ticket on it on Southern rail!

It doesn't 'have' to be like this though. The original ideal was full interoperability.

Regarding that 'smartcard' button, what will it do if pressed at a station within the oyster area?
 

JaJaWa

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I wonder what the Oyster area will be comprised of from September. They think the zones are being extended, but will it be as far as planned.
 

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jon0844

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Oyster is being extended to Gatwick Airport isn't it? Otherwise I don't think St Albans, WGC or Hertford North are being added to the zones (or indeed any stations beyond the current Zone 6).

I know there were plans in the original franchise/contract but it seems from everything I've heard that it will just be The Key. Of course I might be wrong and it could be down to TfL making an announcement first.

It's not too long to go now though.
 

Stats

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Oyster is being extended to Gatwick Airport isn't it? Otherwise I don't think St Albans, WGC or Hertford North are being added to the zones (or indeed any stations beyond the current Zone 6).

I know there were plans in the original franchise/contract but it seems from everything I've heard that it will just be The Key.

Indeed there were, and just to remind ourselves, the published franchise agreement says
Extension of Zonal Fares
11.2 The Franchise shall use reasonable endeavours to extend Oyster PAYG to those areas bounded by and including the Stations located at Epsom, Gatwick Airport, Luton Airport Parkway, Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North by 30 September 2015 provided that the Franchisee and the Secretary of State agree that the terms of such introduction are not detrimental to the overall commercial position of the Franchise.
 

jon0844

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It's the 'use reasonable endeavours' bit that makes it quite vague and open to not actually happening.

But does anyone know for certain? I could understand it if TfL was telling the TOC to keep quiet before making a big announcement, but I suspect there's no big announcement coming...
 

trevmonk

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The Southern/Thameslink/Great Northern booking engine now displays an option for smart tickets on Thameslink journeys when you do a search. They describe them as "Only valid to customers with a Southern key card". However when you select one it gives the message that there are no delivery options available, so I suspect the readers aren't enabled yet.
 

JaJaWa

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Time for another Freedom of Information request to the DfT? (and possibly TfL too this time?)
 

Stats

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Not a rail source but Luton Airport said a few days ago that Oyster is being extended to Luton Airport Parkway in September.
newsroom.london-luton.co.uk/news/record-breaking-summer-for-london-luton-airport-123149
 

JaJaWa

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Here was my last update on it: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2139074&postcount=3

Not a rail source but Luton Airport said a few days ago that Oyster is being extended to Luton Airport Parkway in September.
newsroom.london-luton.co.uk/news/record-breaking-summer-for-london-luton-airport-123149
Linked for those on mobile. Edit: and quoted:

With continued passenger growth expected, LLA is investing £100 million into the Airport to increase annual capacity from 12 million to 18 million by 2026, as well as delivering major upgrades to the Airport’s facilities, including:

A complete redesign of the terminal to create a quick, efficient, friendly and convenient passenger experience.
Doubling existing retail space and the development of a new world-class executive lounge.
Major upgrades to transport links, including better road access to the M1, new car parking facilities, a remodelled bus and coach interchange and improved rail links.
The addition of Luton Airport Parkway to the Oyster card network in September.
 
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jon0844

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I do hope all these extensions happen and we're just waiting for TfL or Boris to announce it with a huge fanfare soon.
 
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