Is there going to be a UK train ticket redesign?

[F1Ken]

I have read that some people are not happy with the design because it is supposedly confusing. Could this happen? I hope the orang stripes with the BR double arrow remains. and the "Rail Settlement Plan" background has to remain.

Do they really need to change? I don't think so. I'm sad and I keep every Ticket I get from every journey. I have been doing this sins I was a boy. I have bags full off them.

Ken

 

[SS4]

No, they don't really need changing although it'd be nice to have the restriction code on off-peak tickets.
Typically change is called for when someone who got caught out tries to deflect blame from themselves onto the railway and especially when they whine to the press making out they're Mother Theresa and the railway is a more sadistic version of Hitler.

tl;dr: Our system works and if it ain't broke don't fix it

 

[Roverman]

Confusing? This is the stock excuse people come out with when they haven't bothered reading the Ts and Cs.

I hope they don't change the ticket design its iconic!

 

[craigwilson]

I hope not. I quite like the credit-card sized tickets and the fact that they fit so nicely in my wallet!! Nice and convenient - unlike that whole Print@Home malarkey...I like being able to go out travelling light, with the minimum on my person - I'd rather not have to find somewhere to stash a piece of paper.

 

[Eagle]

No, they don't really need changing although it'd be nice to have the restriction code on off-peak tickets.

Some machines are already doing this (and some are managing to mess it up).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I hope not. I quite like the credit-card sized tickets and the fact that they fit so nicely in my wallet!

And the fact they fit so nicely in every ticket barrier in the country.

 

[F1Ken]

Confusing? This is the stock excuse people come out with when they haven't bothered reading the Ts and Cs.

I hope they don't change the ticket design its iconic!

I agree. They are Very British in my opinion.

Ken

 

[ainsworth74]

The only change I'd make is changing the printers so it's possible to print things like reservations on the back of tickets so it's possible to cut down, in all but the most extreme cases, the number of coupons people are issued with.

 

[Eagle]

One thing I'd add is to the text at the bottom with the date and time of printing, put the location too, probably as a three-letter code (and yes I know that this information is already contained in numerical form, but my way is at least vaguely human-readable). It could theoretically help spot fare dodgers and such.

 

[DXMachina]

If someone is confused by a train ticket there's a bigger problem at hand than the ticket

 

[furryfeet]

No, they don't really need changing although it'd be nice to have the restriction code on off-peak tickets.

I would like BOTH the restriction code AND an easy to understand description of the restriction on the ticket.
Now I know, from brfares.com that some of the descriptions take up several paragraphs, but even the main clause e.g. "not valid before 0900 Mon-Fri"
would be an improvement.

 

[maniacmartin]

I think there needs to be more standardisation amongst the different TVMs and TIS, as they all have their own font and subtly different layout (e.g. different-sized Y-P letters etc)

 

[Simon11]

There are plans to make improvements to ticket designs in the pipeline however with the nature of the industry it will take a few years.

 

[yorksrob]

I do find the size of the tickets very convenient (and perfectly easy to understand). Maybe they could tweak the layout a little to include reservation details.

It has been changed before when the green background "British Rail" lettering changed to "Rail Settlement Plan" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean).

BTW, has anyone seen the ticket themed tea towels and cushions at the National Railway Museum ? (I think I shall be treating myself in the near future )

 

[RPI]

From Jan 2013 advance tickets will have all of the reservation details all on the actual ticket! good idea but just how this works in practice when you have a multi leg journey I don't know!

 

[Eagle]

It has been changed before when the green background "British Rail" lettering changed to "Rail Settlement Plan" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean).

Wikipedia is your friend :P

Also, don't some LO ticket machines use stock with both the double arrow and roundel on it?

 

[LE Greys]

I have read that some people are not happy with the design because it is supposedly confusing. Could this happen? I hope the orang stripes with the BR double arrow remains. and the "Rail Settlement Plan" background has to remain.

Do they really need to change? I don't think so. I'm sad and I keep every Ticket I get from every journey. I have been doing this sins I was a boy. I have bags full off them.

Ken

You think that's bad, I nearly wallpapered my room in them about 15 years ago (my mum put her foot down).

As for the redesign, surely, the airline-size tickets of about ten years ago would count as that. They didn't last long, mainly because of all the problems mentioned above.

 

[yorksrob]

Wikipedia is your friend :P

Also, don't some LO ticket machines use stock with both the double arrow and roundel on it?

Sounds more like a Rail Settlement "Team" than a plan to me !

 

[Cliveblackpool]

Could be an idea to print a barcode on it, and have readers at the stations, that when inserted bring up all the details you need.
Eg Valid on 14.03 train only, or time valid, no longer valid, not valid from that station. Routes permitted etc. The conductor could check it in a reader too.
Don't think the day is far away before an electronic ticket becomes the norm.
Up to the 70's tickets were less than half of today's size!

 

[Roverman]

If someone is confused by a train ticket there's a bigger problem at hand than the ticket

Totally agree.

 

[90019]

If someone is confused by a train ticket there's a bigger problem at hand than the ticket

Now that's going back a while.

 

[Kingsbury Jn.]

http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-settlement-plan[/url]

 

[Waverley125]

back about 2008 I bought two tickets in quick succession, one Grantham-Warrington Central return, which came on the standard orange/cream format.

Also two advance singles for Warrington Bank Quay-Glasgow Central, which came on much larger format tickets. Never seen these again since-what happened?

 

[Eagle]

Never seen these again since-what happened?

Larger stock was discontinued a few years back, mainly because it doesn't fit in ticket barriers.

 

[yorkie]

I have read that some people are not happy with the design because it is supposedly confusing. Could this happen?

Yes, it was revealed in a thread a few months ago that ATOC are looking at alternatives. There were also some ideas in the number of coupons thread.

If someone is confused by a train ticket there's a bigger problem at hand than the ticket

If being "confused" includes stating a ticket is not valid, when it is valid, then some rail staff are confused by train tickets, let alone the passengers!

 

[wintonian]

One thing I'd add is to the text at the bottom with the date and time of printing, put the location too, probably as a three-letter code (and yes I know that this information is already contained in numerical form, but my way is at least vaguely human-readable). It could theoretically help spot fare dodgers and such.

The fact that it is only decipherable by those in the know should (I would have thought) help increase detection rates. Of-course those who spend time getting clued up and and invest in the correct type of printer won't find it a problem.

 

[Starmill]

Larger stock was discontinued a few years back, mainly because it doesn't fit in ticket barriers.

I've never heard of these before, but googling reveals very little, is this what you're talking about?


I also notice that LU travelcards used to be printed on separate stock too, did they just decide to standardise these?

There is an example of one of those upright papery tickets there too. Reminds me of my biggest childhood mystery - what does the * mean?

Images NOT mine.

 

[Eagle]

I wasn't saying delete the numbers (quite the opposite, with my system it'd be easy to tell a forged ticket as the two won't match).

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I keep every Ticket I get from every journey. I have been doing this sins I was a boy. I have bags full off them.

Same here

Personally I think the orange tickets are fine, perfect size. If they were too big it would become a hindrance and if they were too small they would get lost a bit easier!

The color is fine and the ink color contrasts well so you can read them. So I don't see why they need to change them. They've been around for years with no fault AFAIK

 

[Eagle]

I've never heard of these before, but googling reveals very little, is this what you're talking about?

Notice how in that example you'd get the same number of coupons with the current system (one ticket, two reservation coupons) as with the old one (ticket which spills over onto two coupons, one barrier-opener).

 

[wintonian]

I wasn't saying delete the numbers (quite the opposite, with my system it'd be easy to tell a forged ticket as the two won't match).

Didn't think of that.