New Ticket Design Launched

[Mojo]

Looks as though 'Bardford' was the least of your worries! There is no suggestion of how to get from Leeds to there with this ticket. Confusing or what?

That was intentional

Northern have put in 'fake' reservations on most of their services which has the effect of restricting the use of Advance tickets, but this does not (or at least didn't at the time) include the electric trains between Leeds and Ilkley and to Bradford Forster Sq; so I put in the journey via Baildon to ensure that I could get the ideal price/departure times for my overall journey.

 

[crosscity]

That was intentional

Northern have put in 'fake' reservations on most of their services which has the effect of restricting the use of Advance tickets, but this does not (or at least didn't at the time) include the electric trains between Leeds and Ilkley and to Bradford Forster Sq; so I put in the journey via Baildon to ensure that I could get the ideal price/departure times for my overall journey.

That's clever. It answers a question I had in my mind - why would the reservation be from 'Bardford' when all trains from there to Todmorden would have started at or passed through Leeds?

 

[Solent&Wessex]

And here is another new design for you. Somewhat larger than the old paper Sportis tickets I remember.

 

[Hassocks5489]

And here is another new design for you. Somewhat larger than the old paper Sportis tickets I remember.

Very interesting. Are these from the new Fujitsu STAR-derived mobile devices I had read about a while ago (http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/news/pr/2015/fs-20150617.html)? The tickets look to be a funny size - not very convenient for carrying around in wallets etc.!

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Very interesting. Are these from the new Fujitsu STAR-derived mobile devices I had read about a while ago (http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/news/pr/2015/fs-20150617.html)? The tickets look to be a funny size - not very convenient for carrying around in wallets etc.!

They are from Fujitsu Star Mobile in training mode, yes, using the paper roll ticket option. They are large! The paper is security marked too, bit like security bus tickets.

 

[maniacmartin]

They look like they'll certainly get through the till roll quickly, given the length of the tickets they print.

P.S.: Is the till roll in upside down? I suspect the off-centre white band along the middle would align better the other way up.

 

[causton]

They look like they'll certainly get through the till roll quickly, given the length of the tickets they print.

P.S.: Is the till roll in upside down? I suspect the off-centre white band along the middle would align better the other way up.

The text looks upside down, so yes... I think...

 

[maniacmartin]

Of course depending on the way the printer works, it may not be possible to turn the roll upside down as it'd feed the wrong way. I'd find it amusing if it turns out that loads of this stock has been bought spooled back to front

 

[PermitToTravel]

Is someone at TPE HQ going to have lots of fun unrolling and rerolling it all?

 

[Solent&Wessex]

They look like they'll certainly get through the till roll quickly, given the length of the tickets they print.

P.S.: Is the till roll in upside down? I suspect the off-centre white band along the middle would align better the other way up.

The text looks upside down, so yes... I think...

The roll is not upside down. On the reverse is the standard small print about being issued in accordance with NRCOC etc, and an endorsements box, and RSP stock number. It is the correct way up for the way the black text is on the front.

However the roll might be printed wrongly as the "National Rail" green text on the front is upside down in relation to the black printing on the front and the preprinted text on the rear. The white band contains a security feature which can't be seen on the photo.

 

[northwichcat]

I think it's strange that some Northern TVMs have been doing the new design for a couple of years now but the Northern ticket offices are still doing the old design.

 

[Deerfold]

I think it's strange that some Northern TVMs have been doing the new design for a couple of years now but the Northern ticket offices are still doing the old design.

I think it's strange that this thread has been going for 2 years and I've still seen no publicity aimed at passengers about it.

 

[OwlMan]

Today collecting tickets at Nuneaton, I had a Virgin West Coast Only advance printout in the new style and a Virgin West Coast 1st Class sale ticket in the old style, theyu were in one order with one reference number.

 

[Haywain]

Today collecting tickets at Nuneaton, I had a Virgin West Coast Only advance printout in the new style and a Virgin West Coast 1st Class sale ticket in the old style, theyu were in one order with one reference number.

That will be because not all ticket types are specified for printing in the new format, and I would expect that the sale ticket is in that category. I think that VTEC Flat Fare and Rewards (RIP) tickets also only print in the old style.

 

[jon0844]

I think it's strange that this thread has been going for 2 years and I've still seen no publicity aimed at passengers about it.

There can't be a lot of publicity for staff either.

I got an excess done recently and the lady couldn't find the ticket number on the new design. A colleague helped, and it delayed me a matter of seconds, but she hadn't seen one before - and it was issued by a TVM at the same station.

Of course, if I had just travelled with it like anyone else, why would she get to see one if they issue the old ones at the ticket window?

You'd think there would be posters up to let people know that new tickets are coming, and you'd also think that you'd introduce it on a station by station basis, rather than machine by machine basis.

Imagine the poor customer that gets a ticket that looks different and confusing one day, then is back to old one the next, based on which machine they get to use. Way to inspire confidence!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There can't be a lot of publicity for staff either....

I have had one staff brief about the new design, and that was quite early on.

....and you'd also think that you'd introduce it on a station by station basis, rather than machine by machine basis....

AIUI, it's not even machine by machine, but almost ticket by ticket.

....Imagine the poor customer that gets a ticket that looks different and confusing one day, then is back to old one the next, based on which machine they get to use. Way to inspire confidence!

Happens quite a lot, some passengers have even thought the new ones were just a receipt and came to the office to say the machine hadn't printed their tickets!

 

[roversfan2001]

Leyland TVM gave me new-style tickets yesterday - but what seemed like an old-style reservation. Seems odd.

 

[talldave]

....
You'd think there would be posters up to let people know that new tickets are coming, and you'd also think that you'd introduce it on a station by station basis, rather than machine by machine basis.

Whose responsibility would that be? Is anyone in charge? It looks to be a mis-managed shambles.

 

[jon0844]

Whose responsibility would that be? Is anyone in charge? It looks to be a mis-managed shambles.

ATOC is behind it, so should have a way to inform people directly. I assume that isn't the case and ATOC works with each TOC, which decides how to train staff (AND customers) and has thus far done little to nothing.

Revenue staff mostly hate them because a lot of key information is so small, or obscured by the overwriting problems. It's also hard for me to sort through tickets as the text from many printers is so poor (too low resolution). Even with great eyesight, I can't scan through anywhere near as quick.

I agree there needs to be a change, but so far the changes have been a bit of a shambles and it seems like it's still experimental, despite people being given these tickets every day.

 

[cool110]

Leyland TVM gave me new-style tickets yesterday - but what seemed like an old-style reservation. Seems odd.

That happens with walk up tickets, new style reservations are for advances only.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Barry Doe in Rail 798 ( postal copy came this morning ) says that ATOC are acting on the variations in the new style tickets and have re-issued the specifications. He explains that the issue is similar to that of sending a Word document to various people with different software on their computers - they all see a slightly different version of what is the same document. Amongst other things, this new specification has abolished the smallest print font and should appear over the next few months.

 

[ainsworth74]

If only they'd done some, you know, actual testing in a controlled and organised fashion (perhaps even asking staff and passengers what they thought) rather than just rolling it nationally in such a haphazard way they might have spotted the issues with this new design before it got this level of silliness.

 

[yorksrob]

Or even better, just don't change what ain't broke.

 

[ainsworth74]

Or even better, just don't change what ain't broke.

I suppose but I do think the aim of getting reservations onto the same coupon as the ticket is laudable but the way they've gone about it? Not so much...

 

[najaB]

Or even better, just don't change what ain't broke.

Given that I've had as many as 10 pieces of card for a return journey, I don't know...

 

[jon0844]

He explains that the issue is similar to that of sending a Word document to various people with different software on their computers - they all see a slightly different version of what is the same document.

If only someone could come up with a fix to that problem. Like creating some sort of portable document format, which always retains the original layout perfectly.

But I guess I'm just being far too hopeful. Technology hasn't advanced enough for crazy ideas like that to come true.

 

[najaB]

If only someone could come up with a fix to that problem. Like creating some sort of portable document format...

I doff my hat to you, sir.

 

[Wallsendmag]

A lot of the problem seems to be really old systems that can't easily take up the new format

 

[jon0844]

A lot of the problem seems to be really old systems that can't easily take up the new format

Indeed, but wouldn't the first thing to do be to establish all the different systems in use? There can't be that many different ticket machines and printers out there can there?

 

[CyrusWuff]

Indeed, but wouldn't the first thing to do be to establish all the different systems in use? There can't be that many different ticket machines and printers out there can there?

I can think of thirteen Ticket Issuing Systems off the top of my head:

• Atos WebTIS
• Avantix Mobile
• Cubic FasTIS
• ELGAR
• Evolvi
• Fujitsu STAR
• Fujitsu STARmobile
• Parkeon
• Scheidt & Bachmann
• Shere FAST
• Shere SMART
• Trainline
• Tribute

The majority use Newbury Data ND4020 printers, with ELGAR using ATB2 (Airline style) tickets, and I think Tribute can as well (it certainly used to be able to, but they may have withdrawn that option given I don't think there are any TOCs that retail Eurostar products through Tribute any more).

Unfortunately, pretty much any change in functionality requires the supplier to put the TIS through RSP accreditation again, so they tend to hold off doing so until they've got a "bundle" of upgrades they can put in at the same time.