First Great Western switching to the ATOS WebTIS booking engine in November.

[bnm]

I've just had confirmation via @FGW on twitter that they will be moving over to WebTIS (Mixing Deck) next month.

https://twitter.com/JustinMcAree/status/259966386955239424

This news followed an email where FGW informed of a change in the particulars of their booking engine's Data Protection Policy Data Controller, moving it from thetrainline to themselves.

Glad to hear that the awful thetrainline have lost a large contract.

 

[All Line Rover]

The 'up and coming' WebTIS interface is just as bad as Thetrainline. I hope FGW opt for the 'current' interface.

I give this a cautious welcome. Whilst it is true that WebTIS is superior for most journeys, it isn't good for any one booking engine to have a monopoly. At least XC and VT still use Thetrainline.

 

[IanXC]

At least XC and VT still use Thetrainline.

EMT, ScotRail, TPE and Hull Trains also use thetrainline, so I'm not sure we need to be concerned about market concentration just yet.

 

[bnm]

EMT, ScotRail, TPE and Hull Trains also use thetrainline, so I'm not sure we need to be concerned about market concentration just yet.

As well as c2c, Greater Anglia, ATW and SWT.

 

[maniacmartin]

SWT is also still trainline-powered.

What's interesting is that FirstGroup won't be using one provider for online ticket sales across their whole group. Though if they get on with WebTIS, perhaps they will migrate other First TOCs to WebTIS when their contracts with TTL end?

 

[All Line Rover]

That's a lot more than I imagined!

 

[SprinterMan]

Damn, I prefer thetrainline booking engine and normally book all my tickets through FGW's website. The mixing desk thing has never agreed with me tbh.

Adam

 

[bnm]

I make it thirteen TOCs/OAOs currently using thetrainline - Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry Trains, c2c, East Midlands Trains, First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First Hull Trains, First TransPennine Express, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, ScotRail, South West Trains (inc Island Line), Virgin Trains.

Five TOCs using ATOS WebTIS - Chiltern Railways, East Coast, London Midland, Southeastern, Southern.

And one TOC using mytrainticket - Northern.

The 'brand' Stansted Express sells dedicated tickets only, through thetrainline. The 'brand' Gatwick Express does the same through ATOS WebTIS.

Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect only sell dedicated tickets, using there own booking engines. Merseyrail and London Overground do not sell tickets online.

Have I missed any?

 

[ainsworth74]

I wonder how WebTIS is going to handle sleeper services...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I've just had confirmation via @FGW on twitter that they will be moving over to WebTIS (Mixing Deck) next month.
https://twitter.com/JustinMcAree/status/259966386955239424
This news followed an email where FGW informed of a change in the particulars of their booking engine's Data Protection Policy Data Controller, moving it from thetrainline to themselves.
Glad to hear that the awful thetrainline have lost a large contract.

That's an odd thing to do with only a few months of the current franchise left.
Aren't they tying the hands of their successor (might be themselves of course)?

 

[barrykas]

I wonder how WebTIS is going to handle sleeper services...

Without an upgrade, the answer appears to be that it won't! I managed to get a seated Sleeper reservation on the East Coast WebTIS instance, but only by going to the "Text Only" version. Couldn't get it to offer me a berth at all, on either the Caledonian or Night Riviera.

 

[TEW]

As far as I'm aware only the FGW booking engine will sell sleeper tickets currently, not even other Trainline powered sites sell berths. Allowing online bookings for the sleeper is a fairly recent change.

 

[ainsworth74]

Without an upgrade, the answer appears to be that it won't! I managed to get a seated Sleeper reservation on the East Coast WebTIS instance, but only by going to the "Text Only" version. Couldn't get it to offer me a berth at all, on either the Caledonian or Night Riviera.

I didn't even realise you could get it to give you a seated reservation! But I agree they must be having to give it an upgrade as only Trainline powered websites can do sleeper services currently. Unless FGW are planning on not selling sleeper reservations...

 

[cjohnson]

What's interesting is that FirstGroup won't be using one provider for online ticket sales across their whole group. Though if they get on with WebTIS, perhaps they will migrate other First TOCs to WebTIS when their contracts with TTL end?

Just had an email from FCC (appearing to cover themselves from a Data Protection Act point of view) saying they are changing their booking system in November and it won't be trainline.com powered anymore. So presume they are moving to WebTIS as well.

 

[bnm]

I've heard rumour that all First Group TOCs are switching to ATOS WebTIS.

 

[Pumbaa]

That's an odd thing to do with only a few months of the current franchise left.
Aren't they tying the hands of their successor (might be themselves of course)?

GNER did so with 2 months left if I remember correctly.

 

[maniacmartin]

Just had an email from FCC (appearing to cover themselves from a Data Protection Act point of view) saying they are changing their booking system in November and it won't be trainline.com powered anymore. So presume they are moving to WebTIS as well.

I've just got the email from FCC too today:

Dear Mr [redacted],

As a registered user of www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk we are legally required under the Data Protection Act 1998 to contact you with the information outlined below.

Please note: This is not a marketing communication and does not affect your opt-in/out preferences for marketing emails.

What is changing?
We will be changing our online booking system during November and we are writing to you to notify you of the change in data controller from thetrainline.com to ourselves as a result of this change.

What does this mean to you?
Your retail contract will be exclusively with,

First Capital Connect
50 Eastbourne Terrace
Paddington
London
W2 6LG
Company registration number 5281077

(...)

 

[bnm]

Pretty much the same email that I, and others, got from First Great Western.

Anyone received similar from TransPennine Express, ScotRail or Hull Trains?

 

[Goatboy]

A shame, as some ticket types are not available on WebTIS. None of the WebTIS based booking sites would sell me a SailRail ticket to Dublin - I had to find a trainline powered one instead in the end which handled it without issue.

 

[johnnycache]

FGW and FCC will be extended because of the omnishambles - so it might well be worth First Group switching supplier

 

[ainsworth74]

Anyone received similar from TransPennine Express, ScotRail or Hull Trains?

Just received an email from TPE advising that they're changing in November.

 

[calc7]

Just received an email from TPE advising that they're changing in November.

Me too, with the same horrendous wording

change in data controller from thetrainline.com to ourselves

The last I knew, "ourselves" is a reflexive pronoun.

 

[dggar]

I've received an email from FTPE, part of which is below

As a registered user of www.tpexpress.co.uk we are legally required under the Data Protection Act 1998 to contact you with the information outlined below.

Please note: This is not a marketing communication and does not affect your opt-in/out preferences for marketing emails.

What is changing?
We will be changing our online booking system during November and we are writing to you to notify you of the change in data controller from thetrainline.com to ourselves as a result of this change.

Just out of interest, I would be grateful if someone is abe to explain what is meant by
the change in data controller from thetrainline.com to ourselves

 

[ainsworth74]

Basically it seems most of the First Group TOCs are dropping The Trainline as the booking engine they use on their websites in favour of WebTis (as seen on East Coast, London Midland and others). As for that phrase, I assume it means that they'll be taking on responsibility for their users data rather than effectively outsourcing to The Trainline.

 

[wintonian]

I've received an email from FTPE, part of which is below



Just out of interest, I would be grateful if someone is abe to explain what is meant by
the change in data controller from thetrainline.com to ourselves

That means that thetrainline (TTL) will no longer be processing your personal data and FTPE will be processing it instead.

I assume TTL have lost the contract for FTPE?

 

[philjo]

I have received 4 of those emails from FCC.
One of which was using the email address I have only ever used when booking sleeper berths via the Scotrail site, and another one was to the email address I only use when booking with VT.

 

[Edvid]

The First Capital Connect Mixing Deck has gone live. Their guide is available here - existing accounts remain, but to access them the password must be typed in upper case for just the first log-on apparently.

 

[ainsworth74]

The interface looks good in blue. As of this post FGW and TPE still seem to be Trainline powered. It also seems to be happy to sell seated sleeper seats but no sign of berths yet.

 

[Edvid]

Despite my previous post, I had to create a new account...minor inconvenience though - to me anyway.

I like the interface as well.

 

[All Line Rover]

I too like the new FCC WebTIS interface. The process of getting through to the mixing deck is a bit long winded, although I assume the intermediate notice will be removed within a few weeks once people become familiar with the new layout.

I'm relieved that FCC have not decided to adopt the awful "FaresView" interface, which hopefully means it won't be rolled out across all WebTIS websites any time soon!