The National Rail reservation system is down all of today and tomorrow morning for advanced tickets. I have read from thetrainline.com that this is to increase capacity, allow home printing of tickets, mobile phone tickets and other future applications.
Does anyone know anything more about what is actually being done? Is it an upgrade to the existing system or a completely new one? Will there be any immediate changes when it comes back up or just over time?
I am not so sure about this move to printing tickets, it seems like a bad idea as more and more stations get barriers, surely a quicker move to smart cards would be better. I noticed this week that SWT have started their extended trial of smart cards for season tickets between Basingstoke and Weymouth. They are using 'StagecoachSmart' cards which have also been rolled out in Cambridgeshire on busses and will be nationwide shortly.
Does anyone know anything more about what is actually being done? Is it an upgrade to the existing system or a completely new one? Will there be any immediate changes when it comes back up or just over time?
I am not so sure about this move to printing tickets, it seems like a bad idea as more and more stations get barriers, surely a quicker move to smart cards would be better. I noticed this week that SWT have started their extended trial of smart cards for season tickets between Basingstoke and Weymouth. They are using 'StagecoachSmart' cards which have also been rolled out in Cambridgeshire on busses and will be nationwide shortly.