14 Day All Line Rover and the Barriers….

[mainframe444]

I’m after a bit of advice here….

Planning a 14 day ALR in June, and I’m just curious as to other members experiences of barriers using this ticket…

Have you had any issues with it being retained?

Is it best to play safe and show it to a member of staff each time?

Thanks.

M

 

[jfollows]

Although a few years since, never retained, generally does not work, annoying staff who insist you put it through anyway, because they prefer not to know anything about tickets but let the barrier do their work for them.

 

[Snow1964]

Barriers are only as good as they are programmed.

In the past there was an excuse that could only hold certain amount of data. And rovers were not able to fit on available data.

But of course memory chips are much cheaper than in 1980s (and nowadays a negligible part of cost of a new ticket gate). If anyone is still using 30+ year old ticket barriers and ticket stock then could justify it as a still valid excuse, but really with Aztec codes barriers really ought to understand the ticket validity nowadays.

There is consumer law, that goods sold should be fit for purpose, and if they aren't the retailer should sort it

 

[Bletchleyite]

You'll probably laugh, but buy it from somewhere that only issues on "bog roll" and it'll have a barcode and so can't be retained. Probably less likely to get lost too in the large format, keep it in the notes part of your wallet.

 

[deltic14]

I have done a couple of all line rover tickets recently and have been issued with the non barcode credit card style ticket. I prefer this style as I use it with a senior railcard and it is handy to have them together in the same plastic wallet.

I learnt very early on that rover and ranger tickets seldom work the barriers so I always go straight to the gate with staff and show them both railcard and ticket together. I usually state that it is a rover and sometimes they look carefully at it but other times not. The only time I had any trouble was trying to exit through the shopping centre side of Stratford station to go to Stratford International at 6pm on a weekday. The numpty on duty tried to tell me (repeatedly) that my 14 day first class ALR was invalid... A short but firm conversation ensued which went my way when I offered to show him the national rail website in order to revise his knowledge of this type of ticket.

When I have used ranger and rover tickets (not just ALR) at automatic gates the ticket returned with the 'seek assistance' message. I have never lost one to the machine.

I have not had a rover ticket on paper roll with a barcode although I have seen someone with one. He wisely had it in a plastic wallet with card at the back as they dont fit in your wallet and get frayed with continual use - a real problem over 14 days. The advantage so I am told is that it makes delay repay for individual journeys possible wher journeys have been scanned.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your ALR.

 

[SuspectUsual]

You'll probably laugh, but buy it from somewhere that only issues on "bog roll" and it'll have a barcode and so can't be retained. Probably less likely to get lost too in the large format, keep it in the notes part of your wallet.

If I did that with a 14 day ALR I’d be worried about the ink staying intact on a bog roll ticket

 

[Bletchleyite]

Delay Repay is possible whether you've scanned or not, but scans do provide evidence to prevent arguing about it.

 

[mainframe444]

Delay Repay is possible whether you've scanned or not, but scans do provide evidence to prevent arguing about it.

Can you claim delay repay with an ALR, even though you haven’t actually booked as such to travel on the delayed train?

M

 

[jfollows]

Can you claim delay repay with an ALR, even though you haven’t actually booked as such to travel on the delayed train?

M

Yes.

 

[rg177]

I've done one on a Bog Roll type ticket and it worked precisely nowhere other than one of the London Terminals. Most staff were generally happy/intrigued to see one. At least two claimed it wasn't valid at 'their' station, but the single one who wouldn't give up that nonsense ended up looking very silly when his own colleagues told him he was full of it.

I've never had a credit-card style one retained. I've never had one open a single gate either, mind you!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Barriers are only as good as they are programmed.

In the past there was an excuse that could only hold certain amount of data. And rovers were not able to fit on available data.

But of course memory chips are much cheaper than in 1980s (and nowadays a negligible part of cost of a new ticket gate). If anyone is still using 30+ year old ticket barriers and ticket stock then could justify it as a still valid excuse, but really with Aztec codes barriers really ought to understand the ticket validity nowadays.

Storage for magstripe validation is still limited to maintain compatibility with the old London Underground P (for Pneumatic) gates, that date back to the late 80s and are still present at a number of stations, mostly in Zone 1.

Similarly the storage capacity of the magstripe is just 192 bits (24 bytes.)

If gates were to have Rovers added to the acceptance list, I'd expect it to be consecutive Rovers only so the date boxes on a Flexi Rover could be visually inspected.

 

[transportphoto]

Delay Repay is possible whether you've scanned or not, but scans do provide evidence to prevent arguing about it.

I've done one on a Bog Roll type ticket and it worked precisely nowhere other than one of the London Terminals.

Rejected at barrier scans are also logged so can be helpful time stamps too.

 

[Hadders]

I did a 1st class ALR last year. Purchased from Kings Cross Travel Centre to get 10% credit with Amex. Sadly issued on bog roll but it did last the course ink-wise. The ticket worked some, but not all, barriers.

I travelled extensively during the week and managed to claim more than £300 in delay repay.

 

[styles]

Can you claim delay repay with an ALR, even though you haven’t actually booked as such to travel on the delayed train?

M

Yes, though the theory and the practice are a little inconsistent. You'll get something: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/is-delay-repay-a-waste-of-time.251176/

It's a bit more standardised for e.g. season tickets, where you similarly may not have booked a specific service - it's a pro-rata amount based on the duration of the season ticket and the expected number of journeys it would be used for (e.g. a weekly season ticket would be 10 journeys, so if you're delayed by hours on your way home from work on just one day in a week, you'd expect 10% of the season ticket cost back).

 

[eastwestdivide]

I've never had a credit-card style one retained. I've never had one open a single gate either, mind you!

same here

 

[mrcheek]

Ive done about a dozen ALRs over the years.

Sometimes the gates work, sometimes they dont. There is no real reason for this either, to the extent that I have had the same gate accept the ticket one day, and then reject it the next day!

Ive never had the machine keep my ticket though, so its fine. Just try and use the gates nearest to where the member of staff is for when it fails. and of course theres no consistency with staff either, some just wave it through, others will look at it and be like "ooh, you dont see many of those", whilst others will get all confused, not know what it is, insist you try the gate again etc etc!
Staff on train are varied too. Ive had plenty suggest "it isnt valid on this train", while others are fascinated to see them, and ask how far youve travelled, where else youre going etc, generally interested

As for delay repay, yes you can claim (based on the price of a standard single ticket). last time I claimed, it was refunded within days. Then a week later I got a message stating that I was not entitled to a refund, as the service I was on was not delayed. And then showed the details of a totally different service. I politely replied that I already had my refund thank-you-very-much!
Another time, on a 14 day ALR, there were so many delays and cancellations that I got about half my money back!