Ticket the size of an airline boarding card

[dcsprior]

Hi,

I can remember in the past (early '00s) buying train tickets from a travel agent that were printed on cardboard the size of an airline boarding card.

Does anyone have an image of one in that format, or the official name of that format so I could search for an image online (my google fu is failing me thus far)

Thanks,

David

 

[Bletchleyite]

They were called ATB tickets (Airline Ticket Blank, if I recall). Though I can't find a picture of one online using that term, I'm afraid.

 

[LowLevel]

Eurostar still use them but they're last in the UK.

Photo shows a Eurostar ticket on ATB stock courtesy of Wikimedia

 

[AlterEgo]

Virgin used to issue these by post in the very early website days. I had a Virgin Value 14 Day Advance from London to Liverpool in about 2000.

I seem to recall Virgin's early Value Advance tickets were not dynamically quota controlled and were set at three tiers: 14, 7, and 3 day advance.

 

[AlfDickens]

They were issued on the Tribute system. When King's Cross Travel Centre was using APTIS at the ticket counters, the telesales section used the Tribute system.

 

[The exile]

They were issued on the Tribute system. When King's Cross Travel Centre was using APTIS at the ticket counters, the telesales section used the Tribute system.

In similar fashion, IIRC the normal ticket office at Bath Spa used APTIS while the Travel Centre issued the airline variety.

 

[Jonny]

They were issued on the Tribute system. When King's Cross Travel Centre was using APTIS at the ticket counters, the telesales section used the Tribute system.

GNER seemed to use them a lot - for in person sales - at other locations.

 

[pdeaves]

Was this the 'Elgar' system? Or am I thinking of something else entirely?

 

[Ken H]

There was a problem with these for cross London tickets as they would not work LT (as was) ticket gates. So a credit card mag stripe ticket was issued for the Underground leg. I was issued with a few. Think when I bought tickets by phone.

 

[GWVillager]

In similar fashion, IIRC the normal ticket office at Bath Spa used APTIS while the Travel Centre issued the airline variety.

I have several of these for Cardiff Central to Bristol Parkway returns, though I am not sure where they were purchased. They could have been Bath Spa however, which would line up with this.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Didn't these over-sized tickets have to be issued together with supplementary CCST-sized "LU gate passes" when issued for itineraries requiring a cross London transfer?

 

[Royston Vasey]

GNER used to post these from websales which arrived in smart printed paper "wallets"

 

[Buzby]

Back in the 80’s you could buy a ‘Scottish Executive’ ticket in this format - it comprised of a car Parking Voucher, Seat or Sleeper Berth Voucher, Outbound/ Inbound rail ticket and a meal voucher if travelling on a day train, the tickets were all loose in a mini folder - as I recall it cost £79 First Class and I clocked up many journeys. The tickets all had a mag stripe on the reverse and a counterfoil but nothing ever scanned them - just imprinted with the scissor printer by BR Staff.

 

[northwichcat]

When ordering online from the relevant operator they seemed to come in a cardboard wallet, that had seating plans printed on the reverse.

Eurostar still use them but they're last in the UK.

I recall buying through tickets from a National Rail station to Paris in around 2006. It was the first time I was only given the option of doing Ticket On Departure, with no post option. It meant having to collect a second ticket at St Pancras that was the large type.

 

[SargeNpton]

Was this the 'Elgar' system? Or am I thinking of something else entirely?

Elgar was the Eurostar ticketing system.

 

[yorksrob]

Didn't these over-sized tickets have to be issued together with supplementary CCST-sized "LU gate passes" when issued for itineraries requiring a cross London transfer?

Yes, I remember getting them.

 

[randyrippley]

Pick ford's used airline style tickets in the 1980s, they replaced those tear out books of yellow flimsies

 

[Hassocks5489]

I'm currently cataloguing my vast collection of ATB tickets, which is a small subset of my even vaster collection of modern British railway tickets. The earliest were issued in 1994 at certain (then) BR Intercity travel centres where the early version of the TRIBUTE system had been installed. The oldest I've found so far, with about 10% of the collection catalogued, is dated 24 February 1994 issued at London St Pancras - although I have definitive information that the first machine was installed there on 21 January 1994. A 1995 version is illustrated, issued at Newcastle Telesales (NLC 6094). The Shere "QBuster" at-station kiosks soon followed: these more often issued CCST tickets, but I have ATB examples from London Paddington, Reading, Bristol Parkway, Coventry and (some years later) London Euston, Durham and Newcastle. The Trainline then began to fulfil online bookings on ATB ticket stock in 2006; latest example seen so far is September 2008. Everything written in the earlier posts in this thread is correct as far as I am aware.

 

[Ken H]

Anyone know what all this means (apart from the obvious stuff)

I am guessing it was issued 31 March 1995 at 1150, and that is valid for outward journey on 4th May.

 

[Hassocks5489]

Anyone know what all this means (apart from the obvious stuff)
View attachment 139620
I am guessing it was issued 31 March 1995 at 1150, and that is valid for outward journey on 4th May.

• 6094: NLC (National Location Code)
• 32: window number
• 15000032: machine number (strictly speaking only the last four digits: early TRIBUTE tickets like this had it prefixed with "1500". Other prefixes were seen on other types of ticket.)
• 21055: ticket serial number.
• 31MCH95 11.50: date and time of issue at, in this case, Newcastle Telesales
• 1072: NLC of London Brit Rail (the London station group, now known as "London Terminals"
• 3391: NLC of Weston-super-Mare
• 00411: route code of "AP Slough"

Edited to say: the bottom line (starting "OUT") only appeared on the Return portion of tickets. It showed the details of the corresponding Outward portion, possibly (?) as an extra security/anti-fraud check.

 

[Ken H]

• 6094: NLC (National Location Code)
• 32: window number
• 15000032: machine number (strictly speaking only the last four digits: early TRIBUTE tickets like this had it prefixed with "1500". Other prefixes were seen on other types of ticket.)
• 21055: ticket serial number.
• 31MCH95 11.50: date and time of issue at, in this case, Newcastle Telesales
• 1072: NLC of London Brit Rail (the London station group, now known as "London Terminals"
• 3391: NLC of Weston-super-Mare
• 00411: route code of "AP Slough"

Edited to say: the bottom line (starting "OUT") only appeared on the Return portion of tickets. It showed the details of the corresponding Outward portion, possibly (?) as an extra security/anti-fraud check.

Thanks. Makes sense.

 

[londonbridge]

I remember having at least one of these, I think it was a “Saturday Day Out” ticket that I bought for a football trip.