Photo ID for Chiltern Season Ticket

[carpo]

I've just popped to Oxford Station as I'm about to purchase an annual season ticket from Oxford Parkway to Oxford. As far as I'm aware - I need to have a photo card done for the season ticket but I've just been told at the Oxford station that this not required and I can just load the season ticket onto the Chiltern Smartcard which I have and I do not require photoID.

Everything I can seem to find online says it does but the person I spoke to at Oxford was adamant about this; is this correct?

 

[Haywain]

I've just popped to Oxford Station as I'm about to purchase an annual season ticket from Oxford Parkway to Oxford. As far as I'm aware - I need to have a photo card done for the season ticket but I've just been told at the Oxford station that this not required and I can just load the season ticket onto the Chiltern Smartcard which I have and I do not require photoID.

Everything I can seem to find online says it does but the person I spoke to at Oxford was adamant about this; is this correct?

Does your smartcard have a photo of you on it? Or just your name?

 

[carpo]

Does your smartcard have a photo of you on it? Or just your name?

Just my name and the card number.

 

[Watershed]

With a Smartcard season my understanding is there is no requirement to have a photocard. Instead you just need to carry some form of photo ID in case you were asked to verify that you are the season ticket holder.

 

[Haywain]

With a Smartcard season my understanding is there is no requirement to have a photocard. Instead you just need to carry some form of photo ID in case you were asked to verify that you are the season ticket holder.

That's also my understanding and why I asked my question. An anonymous smartcard would still require a photocard.

 

[carpo]

Went to purchase it this morning and unfortunately it does look like it's mandatory and will not let me proceed with the purchase without one - just posting this in case anyone else is interested in the future.

Back down the station for me then to sort this out!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Went to purchase it this morning and unfortunately it does look like it's mandatory and will not let me proceed with the purchase without one - just posting this in case anyone else is interested in the future.

Back down the station for me then to sort this out!

Whilst it doesn't say it on Chiltern's website, the usual guidance when buying a season ticket to load onto a Smartcard is to enter the last eight digits of the Smartcard number in the Photocard field.

 

[carpo]

If anyone is interested - i've now had it confirmed by Chiltern that a photocard is absolutly required on the network, station staff at Oxford Parkway have provided me with one and i've purchased the ticket!

 

[mikeg]

If anyone is interested - i've now had it confirmed by Chiltern that a photocard is absolutly required on the network, station staff at Oxford Parkway have provided me with one and i've purchased the ticket!

Interesting. Required on the network? Or required with a Chiltern smartcard? If the former, it's going to cause problems when someone who legitimately uses an Avanti/WMR* smartcard wants to make a permitted diversion from their normal route? Or use their smart season as part of a split ticketing arrangement.


*ok so WMR say a photocard is still required for their smartcards.

An Aside: Industry policy here seems confused. Some TOCs (WMR, LNER) are in the photocard camp. Others such as Northern are in the no photocard camp. What then happens were there is cross-validity? Surely contractually the terms of the medium should apply rather than TOCs make up rules about what medium is accepted on 'their' network?

 

[Haywain]

Some TOCs (WMR, LNER) are in the photocard camp.

I'm not so sure thst LNER are in that camp where smartcards carry the holder's name. They certainly aren't where it carries a photograph.

 

[mikeg]

I'm not so sure thst LNER are in that camp where smartcards carry the holder's name. They certainly aren't where it carries a photograph.

Hmm interesting I was just looking at what is said about smart seasons on their website

 

[Wallsendmag]

We (LNER) have three types of Smartcard. Those issued online come with a photo. Those issued via a Smartcard printer at Kings Cross, Peterborough , Doncaster ,York and Newcastle Travel Centres also come with a photo on. Those issued at our other locations don't have a photo and require a photo card.

 

[carpo]

Interesting. Required on the network? Or required with a Chiltern smartcard? If the former, it's going to cause problems when someone who legitimately uses an Avanti/WMR* smartcard wants to make a permitted diversion from their normal route? Or use their smart season as part of a split ticketing arrangement.


*ok so WMR say a photocard is still required for their smartcards.

An Aside: Industry policy here seems confused. Some TOCs (WMR, LNER) are in the photocard camp. Others such as Northern are in the no photocard camp. What then happens were there is cross-validity? Surely contractually the terms of the medium should apply rather than TOCs make up rules about what medium is accepted on 'their' network?

I meant network aka the entire Chiltern Railways network. You can have a smartcard, but there's no photo on it, and you have to register it to a photocard. It's odd isnt it. I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to the staff at Oxford as it's a GWR station and she was certain that this wasn't required, but it clearly is.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I believe the rules are that Smartcards printed with the customer's name and with those details registered in TMS do not require a photocard but those like most of LNER's which simply have the customers name written on must also have a photocard.

 

[D1537]

I'm not so sure thst LNER are in that camp where smartcards carry the holder's name. They certainly aren't where it carries a photograph.

My LNER smartcard has my name and photograph on it.

 

[Haywain]

My LNER smartcard has my name and photograph on it.

So you don't require a (separate) photocard.

 

[D1537]

So you don't require a (separate) photocard.

Indeed. It sounded like the OP was saying that they had one or the other, which is incorrect in my case.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I believe the rules are that Smartcards printed with the customer's name and with those details registered in TMS do not require a photocard but those like most of LNER's which simply have the customers name written on must also have a photocard.

Though Chiltern aren't currently issuing anonymous cards as they can't be registered against a web account. As such, they're only usable at TVMs and Ticket Offices.