On board and platform ticket machines Scotrail

[CEN60]

From the information I have from those in the know, on board staff (TEs on DOO services like the Canal route and guards on others, but especially TEs seeing as they have no safety duties to otherwise do on train) must scan smart cards unless their machines or company issued mobile phones are not working.

Failure to do so, even for staff travel cards, is increasingly viewed as unacceptable by most in the company.

Interesting statement re staff travel cards - I have a all stations silver pass - never been asked to have it scanned - it is chipped with the ITSO logo / chip etc - but for whatever reason Scotrail wont allow it to open their gates at Central / Queen st etc. (works in London) - In fact I asked the guard on the Kyle line whether her machine could read the card - she told me she could not!

 

[causton]

In fact I asked the guard on the Kyle line whether her machine could read the card - she told me she could not!

Unless they actually tried, I doubt that was 100% accurate. An ITSO card is an ITSO card and should be readable, no matter what is printed on the front or back.

Reading ITSO cards doesn't require WiFi/3G/4G/any internet connection at all, just NFC, but sometimes the reader can be a bit dodgy and require an exact position on the back of the phone. And by phone, I mean that anyone with an Android phone can download the ECEBS Smart Ticket Checker and check for themselves what their ITSO cards show!

 

[_toommm_]

Unless they actually tried, I doubt that was 100% accurate. An ITSO card is an ITSO card and should be readable, no matter what is printed on the front or back.

Reading ITSO cards doesn't require WiFi/3G/4G/any internet connection at all, just NFC, but sometimes the reader can be a bit dodgy and require an exact position on the back of the phone. And by phone, I mean that anyone with an Android phone can download the ECEBS Smart Ticket Checker and check for themselves what their ITSO cards show!

I suspect the thick plastic backing on the samsungs they use may contribute to the less than reliable scanning - it looks to triple the depth of the phones they use

 

[craigybagel]

I suspect the thick plastic backing on the samsungs they use may contribute to the less than reliable scanning - it looks to triple the depth of the phones they use

It's deliberately thick, it contains several batteries so as to extend the life of the phone. If it only ran off the phones existing internal battery, it wouldn't last a fill shift.

 

[_toommm_]

It's deliberately thick, it contains several batteries so as to extend the life of the phone. If it only ran off the phones existing internal battery, it wouldn't last a fill shift.

I realise that, but there are phones out there which will give a good 7 hours screen on time I.e. Samsung Note 9. Turn the screen down to 720p in the software and the problem of battery life and thickness rendering NFC unusable is solved...

 

[craigybagel]

I realise that, but there are phones out there which will give a good 7 hours screen on time I.e. Samsung Note 9. Turn the screen down to 720p in the software and the problem of battery life and thickness rendering NFC unusable is solved...

If you work a 4 day week, the average shift length is 8:45. Try using your phone intensively for that length of time day in day out, and see how well the battery lasts. I know from painful experience that without the extra batteries, you haven't a hope of lasting a busy shift
My own TOC gets around the NFC issue by having us use an an app on our work phones instead. It scans cards in seconds with no issues.

 

[_toommm_]

If you work a 4 day week, the average shift length is 8:45. Try using your phone intensively for that length of time day in day out, and see how well the battery lasts. I know from painful experience that without the extra batteries, you haven't a hope of lasting a busy shift
My own TOC gets around the NFC issue by having us use an an app on our work phones instead. It scans cards in seconds with no issues.

I work on average a 4 day week - 5 one week, 3 the next. My average shift is 11 hours including breaks, which for most of this, my Note 9 is on my desk and on, with my 4G left on because I have unlimited data. It gets me through a day at work, and I only have to charge it when I'm going home because it's my personal phone and I use Netflix/Amazon Prime on my 1.5hour commute home. I use the screen on high brightness and in excess of QuadHD resolution. Turn the brightness down and turn the screen down to 1080p/720p in the settings, and bam!

 

[craigybagel]

I work on average a 4 day week - 5 one week, 3 the next. My average shift is 11 hours including breaks, which for most of this, my Note 9 is on my desk and on, with my 4G left on because I have unlimited data. It gets me through a day at work, and I only have to charge it when I'm going home because it's my personal phone and I use Netflix/Amazon Prime on my 1.5hour commute home. I use the screen on high brightness and in excess of QuadHD resolution. Turn the brightness down and turn the screen down to 1080p/720p in the settings, and bam!

I use the system being discussed here every day. It needs extra batteries.

 

[_toommm_]

I use the system being discussed here every day. It needs extra batteries.

Which phones do you use? IIRC it's either the Samsung S6 or S7

 

[craigybagel]

Which phones do you use? IIRC it's either the Samsung S6 or S7

S5 IIRC. No doubt a more modern phone such as what you use would do better alright - although I still have my doubts about its ability to cope with the demands of being used as a ticket machine - but in any case for how long would it be able to cope?

 

[_toommm_]

S5 IIRC. No doubt a more modern phone such as what you use would do better alright - although I still have my doubts about its ability to cope with the demands of being used as a ticket machine - but in any case for how long would it be able to cope?

The actual screen on time may not be as much as you think, depending on where you use it. On a service in the Hope Valley, granted, it would be used a lot. A service going between Preston and York Express may not see as much use, so standby time would be more important as it sees less actual use.

 

[reb0118]

I suspect the thick plastic backing on the samsungs they use may contribute to the less than reliable scanning....

It is this very "case" that contains the gubbins that scans the cards.

 

[_toommm_]

It is this very "case" that contains the gubbins that scans the cards.

But why would TOCs need an extra bit off kit to scan cards?

 

[craigybagel]

The actual screen on time may not be as much as you think, depending on where you use it. On a service in the Hope Valley, granted, it would be used a lot. A service going between Preston and York Express may not see as much use, so standby time would be more important as it sees less actual use.

It's true that on some days/routes it won't get used much, but it needs to be compatible with the worst case scenario. There will be routes where staff are selling tickets pretty much non stop from start till finish, and that is what the system is designed to cope with.