Which train operators issue credit card sized tickets and which ones issue new style paper tickets?

[Haywain]

It’s got nowt to do with the size of equipment TMs are carrying though of course, it’s to do with cost.

Have you asked any TMs about that?

 

[Towers]

Have you asked any TMs about that?

Have I asked any TMs about why the rail industry is keen to move away from CCST stock?

Most TMs aren’t overly fussed, a CCST printer is hardly a Sportis machine. The whole lot goes in a bag or on a strap and is worn over the shoulder, it doesn’t really make any odds. Any annoyance mostly comes from the faff of having to explain the ToD process when somebody just wants to undertake the simple act of buying a ticket!

 

[yorksrob]

It's the crumbling edge of quality.

Is the railway a firm, clear, crisp piece of card that slides into your wallet, reassuring you with a nationwide, quality of service, or a scraggy piece of paper at the bottom of your pocket, like a receipt from Bejam.

 

[Towers]

It's the crumbling edge of quality.

Is the railway a firm, clear, crisp piece of card that slides into your wallet, reassuring you with a nationwide, quality of service, or a scraggy piece of paper at the bottom of your pocket, like a receipt from Bejam.

Quite! And as for these new plain white ones, wow…

 

[Wallsendmag]

Neither of those are the answer but PRT is a stepping stone to the digital future.

 

[Deerfold]

I originally replied to a comment where TPE and Northern were mentioned.
At those TOCs what do you need a CCST printer for?

Plusbus?

 

[Bungle965]

Plusbus?

No, can be printed onto PRT.

 

[route101]

Greater Anglia TVMs issue the new white tickets at Cambridge.

 

[Sleepy]

If it's got an Aztec code it's digital = happy DfT

 

[yorkie]

It's the crumbling edge of quality.

Is the railway a firm, clear, crisp piece of card that slides into your wallet, reassuring you with a nationwide, quality of service, or a scraggy piece of paper at the bottom of your pocket, like a receipt from Bejam.

If you want a ticket on card, get yourself some card and print your e-tickets on it

Traditional paper tickets are due to be replaced, whether people like it or not; other than using smart/contactless card for PAYG, the only option is going to be either an Aztec barcode ticket printed by a train company in flimsy paper format, or an Aztec barcode e-ticket, which you can either print (on card/paper of your choosing) or show on a device.

If anyone thinks that an alternative reality should occur, this can be discussed in the Speculative Discussion section.

 

[barringtoncem]

I have always had CCST tickets when purchased from the ticket office at my local station & also when collecting from the ticket machine for online purchased tickets

 

[AM9]

It’s got nowt to do with the size of equipment TMs are carrying though of course, it’s to do with cost.

TOCs want to replace CCST because PRT is much cheaper, TfL however aren’t terribly keen on stumping up for the thousands of barcode scanners that would need to be installed across LUL to make PRT work on their network. The upshot is that customers are inconvenienced.

For those who get CCSTs there's no inconvenience, PRTs are a pain. However it's not just cost for TfL, sp far, aztec coded bits of paper take longer for current gate readers to read and release the gate than CCSTs, which has a knock-on at busy stations causing congestion. Maybe TfL should install one reader at busy stations and designate that for aztec coded ticketholders. All the others can then handle CCSTs and contactless without interruptions to the flow.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I have always had CCST tickets when purchased from the ticket office at my local station & also when collecting from the ticket machine for online purchased tickets

Just the same way that people in the 60s had always caught a steam train, technology moves on

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Jul 2024 ==

For those who get CCSTs there's no inconvenience, PRTs are a pain. However it's not just cost for TfL, sp far, aztec coded bits of paper take longer for current gate readers to read and release the gate than CCSTs, which has a knock-on at busy stations causing congestion. Maybe TfL should install one reader at busy stations and designate that for aztec coded ticketholders. All the others can then handle CCSTs and contactless without interruptions to the flow.

Not as much of a delay as you'd think, people don't mistake their reservation coupon for a ticket and put that in a barrier for instance.

 

[AY1975]

Sadly Waterloo seems to have succumbed to the tide of bogroll.

Hopefully not for One Day Travelcards, though, as only CCST tickets will operate the London Underground ticket gates.

 

[yorksrob]

Hopefully not for One Day Travelcards, though, as only CCST tickets will operate the London Underground ticket gates.

I presume they keep a stash of them for London focused journeys.

 

[RPI]

The vast majority of GWR TVM's are still CCST, with only a handful being converted to PRT, nearly all onboard GWR machines are PRT though a handful of CCST printers are still about, mostly in the east, all GWR ticket offices currently issue CCST.

 

[Haywain]

Hopefully not for One Day Travelcards, though, as only CCST tickets will operate the London Underground ticket gates.

Travelcard cannot be issued to PRT.

 

[Deerfold]

No, can be printed onto PRT.

Do bus companies know that?

 

[Haywain]

Do bus companies know that?

Should do, it's been the case for several years. All bus companies are interested in is the right words anyway, the magnetic stripe means nothing to them.

 

[MrJeeves]

I had no issues in West Mids when using my PRT PlusBus, but I don't think anyone gave more than a cursory glance anyway.

 

[J-2739]

Greater Anglia TVMs issue the new white tickets at Cambridge.

They are garbage.

 

[blueberry11]

I have only been travelling regularly on the trains since 2023 and I usually get paper tickets because I prefer them over electronic ones. But since ~September 2023, they have been replaced with the larger tickets that have a barcode on them (Greater Anglia). Now I miss inserting the ticket onto the ticket barrier as well as the orange background (GA now prints it on white paper) and putting it on my phone case which has three CCS (credit card sized) slots.

I always thought the CCST tickets can safely be put in the recycling bin (maybe most passengers think that as well) but I mostly save them in my collections.

 

[High Dyke]

Interesting one at the weekend. Purchased a couple of singles from Worcester Foregate Street (WOF) to Finsbury Park using the ticket office at WOF. The payment card receipt was on paper stock but the tickets on card stock.

 

[MrJeeves]

The payment card receipt was on paper stock but the tickets on card stock.

Because the ticket had cross-London validity.

 

[swing]

For those who get CCSTs there's no inconvenience

except when they get demagnetised, or incorrectly swallowed by a ticket machine (*), of which I've had both happen to me enough times over the years to prefer eTickets or smartcard tickets to allow me to physically retain control of the ticket.

(*) Thankfully not often where I've had to actually request the ticket was retreived to continue travel, but it has on several occasions complicated delay repay claims.

 

[Belperpete]

except when they get demagnetised, or incorrectly swallowed by a ticket machine (*), of which I've had both happen to me enough times over the years to prefer eTickets or smartcard tickets to allow me to physically retain control of the ticket.

(*) Thankfully not often where I've had to actually request the ticket was retreived to continue travel, but it has on several occasions complicated delay repay claims

Can't recall ever having a ticket swallowed mid journey. But it is very common for the ticket to be swallowed at end of journey - you just need to ask to be let out manually if you are claiming delay repay.

 

[Purple Train]

except when they get demagnetised, or incorrectly swallowed by a ticket machine (*), of which I've had both happen to me enough times over the years to prefer eTickets or smartcard tickets to allow me to physically retain control of the ticket.

(*) Thankfully not often where I've had to actually request the ticket was retreived to continue travel, but it has on several occasions complicated delay repay claims.

I've had issues with CCSTs being incorrectly swallowed, but I've never had an issue with it being demagnetised.

To be honest I'm quite thankful that I live in TfL-land and therefore always get CCSTs: a firm piece of card that fits perfectly in my wallet is so much more reassuring than a flimsy torn-off scrap of newspaper that doesn't fit in my wallet and takes much less effort to tear. Only once have I had - or even seen - an accidentally-torn CCST, and that was from the man at the ticket office pulling it out of his portable machine at an angle!

 

[Gaelan]

Can't recall ever having a ticket swallowed mid journey. But it is very common for the ticket to be swallowed at end of journey - you just need to ask to be let out manually if you are claiming delay repay.

Haymarket routinely swallows Edinburgh-bound tickets - apparently if you intend to break your journey and resume it later you’re meant to ask gateline staff to let you through.

 

[Belperpete]

It's fairly easy for a TOC to get around that however by allowing issue to TOD.
There is little need to be carrying around a heavy CCST printer these days, especially for TOCs outside of London.

How would that work when the passenger is due to pass through a Penalty Fare zone before being able to pick up the ticket?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Jul 2024 ==

Avanti has been longer than that!

The last time that the TfW guard was unable to issue me with a ticket including cross London travel, and I didn't have time to buy it at New St, the Avanti guard was quite happy to sell me the necessary card ticket.

On one occasion I had to buy my ticket from Wales to South London at Euston. Fortunately the booking office was open.

 

[Bungle965]

The last time that the TfW guard was unable to issue me with a ticket including cross London travel, and I didn't have time to buy it at New St, the Avanti guard was quite happy to sell me the necessary card ticket.

On one occasion I had to buy my ticket from Wales to South London at Euston. Fortunately the booking office was open.

Must have been some time ago now as it was only the Envoy devices that could print PRT cross London (For a small amount of time their replacements) but that has been disabled for a while now.