Why can't ALL tickets be mobile and/or Print at Home?

[Wallsendmag]

Interesting! So can I take an ITSO card to an LNER ticket office and load a Gold Card discounted one-day travelcard? Can this be done at TVMs or only in person?

It'll work on both, although where would you be travelling from to get the Gold Card discount?

 

[johncrossley]

Which other TOCs issue Day Travelcards on ITSO?

 

[Wallsendmag]

I appreciate why organisations like TfL might not want to accept e-tickets at this time but what about companies such as Govia Thameslink Railway, Southeastern and Great Western Railway? Have they still got lots of ticket barriers that need to be upgraded?

I accept they may accept e-tickets ln some flows but it's not all. For example Guildford to Oxford when not travelling via London.

There was a RDG project to upgrade TOC barriers so all TOC barriers should be enabled

 

[Bletchleyite]

ITSO does seem to be the solution to the Travelcard issue. For everything else you'd only need to fit readers at some stations - yes, OK, at the moment you can break (but not resume) your Tube journey at any Tube station along the way, but this is very much a niche usage of cross-London through tickets and could be withdrawn without bothering too many people, or as an alternative at other Tube stations not commonly used for interchange with NR they could just have verification manually via an app on staff phones which they presumably have anyway.

 

[miami]

but this is very much a niche usage of cross-London through tickets and could be withdrawn without bothering too many people

The manual check seems to solve every problem other than travelcards - are those only available in the NSE region?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The manual check seems to solve every problem other than travelcards - are those only available in the NSE region?

Generally yes. The manual check wouldn't work at the main termini as it'd be too slow/require too many staff, but at stations not commonly used for interchange it'd be fine.

 

[miami]

How long does an e-ticket scan at the machine take?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How long does an e-ticket scan at the machine take?

Because people faff about a bit positioning it, they are often quite slow. I find that having the scanner pointing downwards is better (having used a few of these at airport) - maybe they should try that arrangement.

 

[infobleep]

There was a RDG project to upgrade TOC barriers so all TOC barriers should be enabled

Well then what is the reason why Guildford to Oxford tickets are only on orange paper.

To be faie I had Guildford to Oxford, Oxford to Dodcot Parkeay and Didcot Parkway to Guildford in the one transaction, mixing advances and flexible tickets. The stations should all have barriers though.

That route seems to accept eTickets on the LNER app.

Well Trainsplit didn't but to be fair I also had Oxford to Didcot and Didcot to Guildford in the same transaction but I would expect Didcot to be barriered.

 

[johncrossley]

Well Trainsplit didn't but to be fair I also had Oxford to Didcot and Didcot to Guildford in the same transaction but I would expect Didcot to be barriered.

I just checked Oxford to Didcot and Didcot to Guildford and they are also available as eTickets, even on the LNER app which appears to be fussier than the EMR app. The EMR app also offers these journeys as smartcard tickets so you can add the ticket to your smartcard using suitably equipped phones.

 

[Haywain]

Well then what is the reason why Guildford to Oxford tickets are only on orange paper.

To be faie I had Guildford to Oxford, Oxford to Dodcot Parkeay and Didcot Parkway to Guildford in the one transaction, mixing advances and flexible tickets. The stations should all have barriers though.

It looks like the GWR only Advance fares have not been enabled for eTicket fulfilment, but the flexible tickets have. If you ordered the tickets in one transaction it would have defaulted to a fulfilment method available for all of the tickets so would not have offered eTickets.

 

[johncrossley]

Which other TOCs issue Day Travelcards on ITSO?

I guess none other than LNER then?

 

[Haywain]

Which other TOCs issue Day Travelcards on ITSO?

A quick check shows that Chiltern, Avanti, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, c2c, Southeastern and South Western Railway have all enabled Off Peak Day travelcards for smartcard fulfilment.

 

[johncrossley]

A quick check shows that Chiltern, Avanti, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, c2c, Southeastern and South Western Railway have all enabled Off Peak Day travelcards for smartcard fulfilment.

Just Off-Peak and not Peak?

 

[SAPhil]

I accidently purchased e-tickets for a recent journey to Kew Gardens/Richmond (I was going to Kew but coming back from Richmond) from St Albans. I won't be doing this again in a hurry! All worked fine at St Albans. Didn't appear to be any e-ticket readers at West Hampstead Thameslink, so had to be let out by staff. No e-ticket readers at West Hampstead Overground so had to find someone to let me in. None at Kew although it probably wouldn't have worked if there were! Member of Staff told me that my return from Richmond wouldn't be valid starting from Kew Gardens - didn't bother to argue the point as I was intending to come back from Richmond anyway. At Richmond the e-ticket readers didn't recognise my tickets - had to be let in manually. No member of Staff initially at Wes Hampstead Overground - was just about to climb over the barrier when one appeared! Gates at West Hampstead Thameslink were open so no issue this time and finally the tickets worked at St Albans. Not a great experience and I wonder why such an option is even offered! Paper tickets for me next time!

 

[Haywain]

Just Off-Peak and not Peak?

I only checked Off Peak but I am sure that both would be enabled.

 

[miami]

was just about to climb over the barrier when one appeared

That can lead to a criminal charge

 

[johncrossley]

Putting singles and returns on smartcards at ticket machines isn't that useful as you still have to queue. When it comes to Day Travelcards, you have the additional advantage of being able to use the Oyster readers at Tube ticket gates, as the magnetic stripe when using a paper ticket often doesn't work. However, being able to put Day Travelcards on your smartcard using the NFC on your phone would be a lot more useful.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Putting singles and returns on smartcards at ticket machines isn't that useful as you still have to queue. When it comes to Day Travelcards, you have the additional advantage of being able to use the Oyster readers at Tube ticket gates, as the magnetic stripe when using a paper ticket often doesn't work. However, being able to put Day Travelcards on your smartcard using the NFC on your phone would be a lot more useful.

You can with the new National Rail Smartcard Manager app

 

[infobleep]

It looks like the GWR only Advance fares have not been enabled for eTicket fulfilment, but the flexible tickets have. If you ordered the tickets in one transaction it would have defaulted to a fulfilment method available for all of the tickets so would not have offered eTickets.

So would something like this just be an oversight or a policy decision?

 

[Haywain]

So would something like this just be an oversight or a policy decision?

I have no idea.

 

[infobleep]

I have no idea.

That's fair enough.

In the face of it, it seems odd not to allow advanced tickets whilst allowing flexible ones.

I could e-mail them and ask them if they would consider it. I don't know how receptive GWR are to such enquiries.

I seem to be unlucky when it comes to trying to get e-tickets.

 

[Hadders]

It'll work on both, although where would you be travelling from to get the Gold Card discount?

Stevenage to London Zones 1-6. Super off peak day Travelcard £12.50 at the weekend with Gold Card discount.

Admittedly not valid on LNER (rather farcically) but there are plenty of fast GTR services from my local station.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That can lead to a criminal charge

If you did so with a valid ticket that is very unlikely (though I agree it is technically a Byelaw offence).

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

How long does an e-ticket scan at the machine take?

Very quick, faster than using a bank card - but with a random amount on top as the passenger tries to get the screen on, start the app, select the right journey direction, activate the ticket (if mTicket), etc., etc. I think people will get more used to them and this will speed things up.

 

[Starmill]

Aztec codes on phone screens tends to be just about OK as long as they are displayed before the person approaches the gate, the screen is undamaged and not on it's dimmest setting. The codes on a ticket from a ticket office are inevitably rubbish and very slow to scan on a floppy piece of paper.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Stevenage to London Zones 1-6. Super off peak day Travelcard £12.50 at the weekend with Gold Card discount.

Admittedly not valid on LNER (rather farcically) but there are plenty of fast GTR services from my local station.

Wasn’t thinking of SVG sorry, was thinking of further North. my esteemed colleague is visiting in the next couple of days to instruct in all things Smartcard.

 

[SAPhil]

That can lead to a criminal charge

Out of interest, what is one supposed to do when all barriers are closed and no member of staff is present? Especially when trying to make a connection at a nearby station!

 

[Hadders]

Wasn’t thinking of SVG sorry, was thinking of further North. my esteemed colleague is visiting in the next couple of days to instruct in all things Smartcard.

I'll be sure to enquire next time I use the Travel Centre.

 

[island]

Out of interest, what is one supposed to do when all barriers are closed and no member of staff is present? Especially when trying to make a connection at a nearby station!

This can't happen as described. A gateline cannot be in operation fully closed if there is no staff member monitoring, either in person or via an intercom.

In an extreme case such as the staff member being attacked or taken suddenly ill, there is a red plunger (usually behind a break glass panel) which when operated opens all the gates.