Shapes on my Ticket

[tomtrainspots]

Hello all-

After looking through my ticket collection, I noticed that many of my train tickets had a small circle or diamond on the top of them. Naturally, i did some googling but to my bewilderment I couldn't find any information regarding my query.

Below I have attached links to 2 images containing tickets with the unexplained shapes printed upon them:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0p02aligu5cben8/Photo 13-02-2020, 20 47 43.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2umh7i0rpmthkty/Photo 13-02-2020, 20 42 02.jpg?dl=0

I have all confidence that someone, somewhere knows what these shapes correspond to (if anything at all) and I hope my restless mind can be settled

- Thomas

 

[jnjkerbin]

I believe the circle corresponds to a railcard discounted ticket and the diamond to a child rate fare - just a way to make it more conspicuous to staff checking tickets.

 

[tomtrainspots]

I believe the circle corresponds to a railcard discounted ticket and the diamond to a child rate fare - just a way to make it more conspicuous to staff checking tickets.

Ah ok, makes sense really. Guess if people were on a crowded train, a guard could in theory skim-read tickets quicker and know instantly when a discounted ticket is being used. Thanks for your help

(I was hoping the reason be more interesting, and I'd start a cult of the ticket shapes. We'd make a pyramid scheme and conjure up many conspiracy theories. I'm disappointed. I will be filing a formal complaint to the ticket gods.)

 

[YorkC]

AIUI, the circle is printed on all discounted tickets whether railcard or not - e.g. LNER Blue Light Card (34% off) tickets print with the circle but state "adult standard class" with no mention of the source of the discount.

 

[setdown]

On some tickets, the black circle is replaced with a "D", which I suppose is more obvious to its intention.

 

[Saperstein]

Or “DSB” on tickets issued from older machines.

But this probably shows a Disabled Rail Card discount is in use, not sure what other types of Railcard show on said tickets.

Saperstein.

 

[Saperstein]

Or “DSB” on tickets issued from older machines.

But this probably shows a Disabled Rail Card discount is in use, not sure what other types of Railcard show on said tickets.

Saperstein.

Found a couple of examples:




“DSB” on the Seaford ticket evidently plays a similar roll to “D” on newer ticket stock, or indeed the circle which is the observation by the OP that started this thread.

“NSE” on the London tickets I believe means Network Railcard.

Saperstein.

 

[yorkie]

AIUI, the circle is printed on all discounted tickets whether railcard or not - e.g. LNER Blue Light Card (34% off) tickets print with the circle but state "adult standard class" with no mention of the source of the discount.

That's right. The LNER tickets I use are like this.

 

[Wallsendmag]

That's right. The LNER tickets I use are like this.

That's a promo discount so no need to reference why.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Railcard-discounted tickets I bought just recently had the circle/blob on them, and I wondered what it meant (and had intended to ask someone on here). I'm virtually certain I've never had the blob on discounted tickets in the past... Maybe it's a fairly new thing.

 

[yorkie]

Railcard-discounted tickets I bought just recently had the circle/blob on them, and I wondered what it meant (and had intended to ask someone on here). I'm virtually certain I've never had the blob on discounted tickets in the past... Maybe it's a fairly new thing.

The new style tickets have been around for years but some TOCs were slow to take this up and even now some still use the old style!

Edit: 6 years ago:

... wallet confiscated .. stating that they thought that the tickets, which were issued on the new style printers at Mauldeth Road, weren't genuine, ...

GTR revenue protection officers confiscated tickets issued on the new style. GTR settled the matter out of court and paid a four figure sum.

To put it into context, Year 6 primary school students back then are now at college!

Yet some things never change.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I had my ticket clipped by a TfW conductor this week, and it left a steam-engine-shaped hole in it.
Does that have any mysterious significance?

 

[JBuchananGB]

Old style tickets have SNR printed when issued with a Senior Rail Card. I think I have also seen the 'D' and the solid circle on new style tickets.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Old style tickets have SNR printed when issued with a Senior Rail Card. I think I have also seen the 'D' and the solid circle on new style tickets.

The D and indeed C are for printers that don't have the ability to print the circle/diamond.