"Tickets purchased with a Railcard are not valid on this service" (SWR)

[devon_belle]

Never seen this before, but not a frequent SWR user at the moment. The on board display and auto-announcer rattled off a message about having a ticket or face prosecution, etc, then said that "tickets bought with a Railcard are not valid on this service"

This was not communicated on the platform, either by announcements or PIS boards, as far as I can tell. The guard also did not mention it, but I suppose he wouldn't have to if the automated announcement did.

How common is this and would a penalty fare be handed out for an accidental infraction?

For context, the train is 1T21 London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh.

 

[Starmill]

What a bizarre message. Tickets with 16-25, 26-30, Disabled, HMF, Veterans and so on all perfectly valid.

Are you sure it didn't say Network Railcard?

 

[devon_belle]

What a bizarre message. Tickets with 16-25, 26-30, Disabled, HMF, Veterans and so on all perfectly valid.

Are you sure it didn't say Network Railcard?

99% sure.

 

[swt_passenger]

It’s Saturday. Do any railcards have restrictions on weekends?

Seems from previous points made that it would be a pretty stupid general announcement on a weekday, but weekends even more ridiculous?

 

[northwichcat]

It’s Saturday. Do any railcards have restrictions on weekends?

Seems from previous points made that it would be a pretty stupid general announcement on a weekday, but weekends even more ridiculous?

Isn't the general weekday railcard restriction a minimum fare before a certain time, meaning there's no discount for local journeys but for Southampton to Scotland you'd need to find a real bargain fare for the discount to not apply!

 

[swt_passenger]

Isn't the general weekday railcard restriction a minimum fare before a certain time, meaning there's no discount for local journeys but for Southampton to Scotland you'd need to find a real bargain fare for the discount to not apply!

There is no general answer to restrictions, eg for journeys entirely in the Network card area Senior railcards are not valid until the offpeak fares become available, and Network railcards themselves are not valid until 1000 irrespective of the minimum fare, (although there are some long distance easements).

Looking at the wide variety of railcards, it would be absolutely impossible to fit all the possible restrictions into a short automatic announcement by an onboard PIS.

 

[plugwash]

Isn't the general weekday railcard restriction a minimum fare before a certain time, meaning there's no discount for local journeys but for Southampton to Scotland you'd need to find a real bargain fare for the discount to not apply!

I don't think there is a general rule

* The disabled railcard has no time restrictions.
* The 16-25, 26-30 HM forces and veterans railcards have a minimum fare of £12 before 10am on weekdays.
* The senior railcard terms say "Discounts are not available on tickets for travel on morning peak services for journeys that start and end within the London & South East area (defined by the Network Railcard area)"
* The two together railcard is not valid before 9:30
* The network railcard is not valid before 10:00

 

[yorkie]

Never seen this before, but not a frequent SWR user at the moment. The on board display and auto-announcer rattled off a message about having a ticket or face prosecution, etc, then said that "tickets bought with a Railcard are not valid on this service"

This was not communicated on the platform, either by announcements or PIS boards, as far as I can tell. The guard also did not mention it, but I suppose he wouldn't have to if the automated announcement did.

How common is this and would a penalty fare be handed out for an accidental infraction?

For context, the train is 1T21 London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh.

Did you get a sound recording or video of this?

It's not correct for any train, although there will be some instances where some Railcard discounted tickets wouldn't be valid, such a universal announcement is nonsense.

 

[devon_belle]

Unfortunately I did not. It was part of a long automated announcement with the new female voice (Eleanor?) rather than the classic SWR internal one (Celia?). It started with a statement about how abuse towards staff will not be tolerated, then explained that you must have a valid ticket, then if you didn't you'd get a penalty fare, then right at the end was the part about rail cards not being valid.

I did not hear the same announcement on the return journey. Although that was a different service pattern.

 

[Iggy12a]

From memory the announcement used to be that Oystercards and Freedom Passes were not valid on this service.

 

[methecooldude]

As a guard, it's been noted, reported, and its being fixed... it shouldn't be there. I wasn't too amused either

 

[1D54]

Excellent stuff methecooldude

 

[hermit]

From memory the announcement used to be that Oystercards and Freedom Passes were not valid on this service.

This was always inaccurate and annoyed me every time I heard it. Presumably someone complained, and the announcement now (also from memory) says that “ Oystercards, and Freedom Passes without a suitable extension” are not valid.

 

[methecooldude]

This was always inaccurate and annoyed me every time I heard it. Presumably someone complained, and the announcement now (also from memory) says that “ Oystercards, and Freedom Passes without a suitable extension” are not valid.

It's said that for a while, and only plays if the code entered has the first stop outside the London zones, which is correct.

 

[fandroid]

It's said that for a while, and only plays if the code entered has the first stop outside the London zones, which is correct.

I've heard it come on after leaving Clapham Junction on a Woking next stop service, when my immediate thought has always been "it's a bit late to announce that now!"

 

[methecooldude]

I've heard it come on after leaving Clapham Junction on a Woking next stop service, when my immediate thought has always been "it's a bit late to announce that now!"

Before arriving at Clapham, it plays "Oyster, contactless payment cards and freedom passes without a suitable extension are not valid after the next station stop"
But yes, it should play earlier... but in my experience, it's ignored anyway.

Wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to tap out with an Oyster on the south coast...

 

[Lockwood]

I've had it on one that had an extra stop at Wimbledon.

Platform announced the Wimbledon stop.
Train might have? Perhaps?
Train sets off... Oyster cards are not valid on this service. Or it was at Clapham and Oyster isn't valid after the next station.

Guard comes down. I present my Oyster card with a slightly worried look.
"Yeah, you're fine for Wimbledon."


I can imagine the frustration to staff of the automated announcements not aligning with variations to the norm

 

[methecooldude]

I've had it on one that had an extra stop at Wimbledon.

Platform announced the Wimbledon stop.
Train might have? Perhaps?
Train sets off... Oyster cards are not valid on this service. Or it was at Clapham and Oyster isn't valid after the next station.

Guard comes down. I present my Oyster card with a slightly worried look.
"Yeah, you're fine for Wimbledon."


I can imagine the frustration to staff of the automated announcements not aligning with variations to the norm

It's quite possible that if Wimbledon was added as an extra stop, then the guard used the code provided on their schedule card, it won't think the train is stopping at Wimbledon and hence it set off the message. It happens

 

[Lockwood]

Yeah, it wasn't really a problem to me.

I meant more that it must be frustrating to the guard having to keep disagreeing with the disembodied voice on the train