TRACSIS Ticket audit

[Stargull]

I’m currently on a Crosscountry train; a member of Crosscountry staff has already done an efficient and friendly ticket check.

Someone from a company called Tracsis has just announced a ‘ticket audit’. I have no idea what this data is being used for, or who Tracsis are. Any thoughts on whether I have to allow a scan of my (valid!) ticket?

 

[LowLevel]

I’m currently on a Crosscountry train; a member of Crosscountry staff has already done an efficient and friendly ticket check.

Someone from a company called Tracsis has just announced a ‘ticket audit’. I have no idea what this data is being used for, or who Tracsis are. Any thoughts on whether I have to allow a scan of my (valid!) ticket?

They are working for the DfT collecting data on ticket usage and other such things, what types of tickets are veing used on what trains, where they were purchased etc. They've been doing it for ever.

I'm not sure whether they're covered by the byelaw about offering your ticket up for inspection to an authorised person, but I suppose it's possible as they're accredited agents of the TOC/DfT - as part of the operating contract they have to conduct these surveys.

 

[Stargull]

Thanks for the reply! I asked and was told firmly that they worked for crosscountry. They wanted to view, but not scan, my ticket and for me to tell them where I was going.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Tracsis plc are a travel analytical company who have been known to do research work on behalf of Cross Country Trains. Whether or not you are obligated to present your travel ticket to one of their staff is another matter.

 

[Haywain]

Tracsis plc are a travel analytical company

Tracsis are (also) a significant software supplier to the rail industry.

 

[sheff1]

They are working for the DfT collecting data on ticket usage and other such things, what types of tickets are veing used on what trains, where they were purchased etc. They've been doing it for ever.

I'm not sure whether they're covered by the byelaw about offering your ticket up for inspection to an authorised person, but I suppose it's possible as they're accredited agents of the TOC/DfT - as part of the operating contract they have to conduct these surveys.

If they are seeking to inspect a ticket as an "authorised person" they must be able to prove they are such a person as per Railway Byelaw 24(3):

An authorised person who is exercising any power conferred on him by any of these Byelaws shall produce a form of identification when requested to do so and such identification shall state the name of his employer and shall contain a means of identifying the authorised person.

The Byelaws state:

“authorised person” means: (i) a person acting in the course of his duties who: (a) is an employee or agent of an Operator, or (b) any other person authorised by an Operator,

For category (b), which is what seemingly applies here, I would expect them to have written authorisation from the TOC to show upon request.

 

[Iggy12a]

Pre-Covid, I used to do the surveys on South Western. We had photo Id on a SWR lanyard, giving the name of the company I worked for and wording along the lines of "working in partnership with SWR", and showing the SWR logo. We carried a letter to show to the guard explaining our role, but that was never to be shown to passengers.

Participation was entirely voluntary, but any refusals were simply recorded under a category of "Passenger declined survey"

 

[Krokodil]

You don't have to answer the survey but the more responses the more accurate the data used to run our railways.

 

[embers25]

You don't have to answer the survey but the more responses the more accurate the data used to run our railways.

and LNER are showing just how DfT want to use such data.

 

[Krokodil]

Not the same data. This is an attempt to estimate how many passengers are boarding without tickets and why not.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Having seen the relevant brief, this is primarily a Ticketless Travel Survey. The aim being to get approximate figures for the level of fare evasion (be that completely ticketless, doughnutting, Railcard fraud, etc.)

The general perception on many TOCs being that it's gone through the roof since Covid hit.