Railcards

[calc7]

Anyone care to guess what % of the time the main InterCity operators ask to see railcards?

I've travelled on Advance 1st (YP-discounted) tickets today on the following lines:

• Euston to Crewe
• Crewe to Shrewsbury
• Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton
• Wolverhampton to Euston

and was only asked for it on the first one.

Admittedly, I without doubt look in the 16-25 age bracket, but I find that I am asked for my railcard on journeys north/west/east of London no more than 2/5 of the time.

Answers on a postcard.

 

[transportphoto]

We've always been asked for the railcard, if it not immediately made obvious, both on local and inter-city services

Experiences may vary.

TP

 

[Mike395]

Certainly down here in Southeastern territory, I nearly always get asked for my railcard now. Didn't used to be the case, so I reckon the TOCs are clamping down on it.

 

[The islander]

Down in SWT and Southern country you will be asked. So it is advisable not to leave your railcard at home.

 

[dzug2]

Every time I've not shown it up front with the ticket I've been asked.

 

[motherwell334]

I always ask for railcards where the tickets have been bought from a TVM as you can purchase a 16-26 ticket no probs from TVM as it doesnt ask for rail card number etc

 

[Deerfold]

Any particular reason you don't automatically show it with your ticket?

 

[calc7]

Any particular reason you don't automatically show it with your ticket?

Because I'm so infrequently asked for it, it stays in my bag whilst the tickets are in my wallet/jacket pocket.



I concur with the posters on the commuter lines - I'm always asked for it then.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm never asked for my Railcard or my Priv because I show them with my ticket without being asked. Makes the guard's job easier.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I show my priv at the same time as my ticket because I keep them together anyway. Can't see the point of not doing it really, saves time and effort.

 

[Deerfold]

Because I'm so infrequently asked for it, it stays in my bag whilst the tickets are in my wallet/jacket pocket.

Ah - I always keep everything together - I find it makes it easier to not forget part of it.

 

[SS4]

I'm never asked for my Railcard or my Priv because I show them with my ticket without being asked. Makes the guard's job easier.

I do the same, it's quicker for all concerned

 

[Ferret]

Any particular reason you don't automatically show it with your ticket?

Custom and practice maybe? I asked a man for his senior railcard today and he said it was the first time in 5 years he'd been asked to show it!!!

 

[Bungle73]

I keep my railcard in the railcard wallet along with my tickets. I always show it when my ticket is checked. The only time I don't is when an automatic barrier has failed and I need to show my ticket to a member of the barrier to staff to let me through. It's just easier and quicker to just show the ticket; I've never been asked to show the railcard too in that situation.

 

[calc7]

I keep my railcard in the railcard wallet along with my tickets. I always show it when my ticket is checked. The only time I don't is when an automatic barrier has failed and I need to show my ticket to a member of the barrier to staff to let me through. It's just easier and quicker to just show the ticket; I've never been asked to show the railcard too in that situation.

Funnily enough, I have been asked to show the railcard at the barriers at the end of a journey when I was not asked for it.

The reason I don't always keep tickets with railcard is because I use TVMs a lot, collecting minutes before travel, so it really is a case of card/tickets in wallet and dashing onto the train.

 

[lyesbkz]

Technically you're supposed to show the railcard anyway. I see no real reason to not automatically present the railcard with the ticket.

22. Inspection of tickets
You must show . . . a valid ticket and any relevant Railcard, photocard or other form of personal identification in accordance with Condition 15.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I have been asked to show my Senior Railcard more often recently, at least by Virgin.
My view is that if you buy your ticket at a ticket office, the Railcard will have been checked there and anything afterwards is overkill.
On the other hand I do understand that if you buy your ticket at a TVM you should be asked to show a Railcard, because it won't have been checked at the time yuo bought it.
The source of tickets is obvious - from a ticket office they have round corners and are often better printed, from a TVM they are square and have obviously been torn from a strip.
However, the on-board checks don't seem to follow this rule.

 

[Bungle73]

I have been asked to show my Senior Railcard more often recently, at least by Virgin.
My view is that if you buy your ticket at a ticket office, the Railcard will have been checked there and anything afterwards is overkill.
On the other hand I do understand that if you buy your ticket at a TVM you should be asked to show a Railcard, because it won't have been checked at the time yuo bought it.
The source of tickets is obvious - from a ticket office they have round corners and are often better printed, from a TVM they are square and have obviously been torn from a strip.
However, the on-board checks don't seem to follow this rule.

I have two tickets: one from a TVM, one from the ticket office; they both have round corners.

 

[ainsworth74]

The source of tickets is obvious - from a ticket office they have round corners and are often better printed, from a TVM they are square and have obviously been torn from a strip.

I think you're thinking of Avantix machines that guards have. They issue tickets that have to be torn off from the machine. Ticket offices and TVMs issue the same style of tickets.

 

[Bungle73]

I think you're thinking of Avantix machines that guards have. They issue tickets that have to be torn off from the machine. Ticket offices and TVMs issue the same style of tickets.

The ticket I have from the TVM (I bought it online) has the tear-off tabs.

 

[ainsworth74]

The ticket I have from the TVM (I bought it online) has the tear-off tabs.

Hmm well never had one of those sorts from a TVM before myself.

 

[WestCoast]

I think the Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket Xpress TVM prints tickets with the "tear-off tabs".

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Well at Chester (with their boooking office/TVM equipment) the difference is obvious.
Same must apply across ATW and all Fujitsu/S&B kit, which is used by several TOCs.
Maybe not at other places.
I agree it's not foolproof.

 

[transmanche]

My view is that if you buy your ticket at a ticket office, the Railcard will have been checked there and anything afterwards is overkill.

OF course just because the person buying the ticket has a railcard, it doesn't follow that person using the ticket has a railcard...

 

[Bungle73]

I think the Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket Xpress TVM prints tickets with the "tear-off tabs".

Yeah, that looks similar to the ones at Sittingbourne:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/SIT/images/photos/800/o3029-0000002.jpg

 

[Anon Mouse]

OF course just because the person buying the ticket has a railcard, it doesn't follow that person using the ticket has a railcard...

Exactly. For some reason some holders of SNR Railcards have an attituide of "how dare that young upstart ask for my railcard", and this is a reason I suspect why many of my Collegues don't ask to see the SNR railcard!

 

[exile]

When I ask for a Wayfarer ticket I'm always asked if I want the over 60s version despite being 52......

 

[southerner2174]

Exactly. For some reason some holders of SNR Railcards have an attituide of "how dare that young upstart ask for my railcard", and this is a reason I suspect why many of my Collegues don't ask to see the SNR railcard!

That is the reason I always used to ask for it

 

[calc7]

Hmm well never had one of those sorts from a TVM before myself.

Posh ticket machines like EC and Virgin tend to print very good quality tickets akin to those from a booking office.

Some LM and c2c on the other hand print much shoddier tickets with the tear-off tabs. The font isn't as nice IMO and sometimes print "U12* LONDN" in much bigger letters instead of "Zone U12* LONDN".

 

[Muzer]

Occasionally, if the guard takes me by surprise and I don't have my tickets out, I might have some difficulty getting the YP railcard out after I've got my ticket out - after about 10 seconds, they usually tell me not to worry and move on...