Lots of bits of cardboard

[Barclay]

Last weekend my girlfriend and I spent some time in the Midlands. At the end of my journey I had 28 tickets/seat reservations etc in my wallet. Is this a record?

We travelled Twickenham-Vauxhall-Euston-Stoke-Longport, then Longport-Stoke-BirminghamNS-Redditch, then the next day Redditich-BirminghamNS-Euston-Vauxhall-Twickenham.

 

[Urban Gateline]

This doesn't surprise me tbh! As every part of the journey that requires a reservation will warrant a reservation coupon, as well as journey splits resulting in more coupons!

Just for a simple reservable return journey without a change, you'd get 5 pieces of paper, 2x Tickets (Out and Return), 2x Seat Reservations (Out and Return) and 1x Collection coupon confirming that the tickets were collected!!!

 

[Mike395]

Can tickets be recycled, or are most places unable to take them due to the magnetic strip?

 

[Eagle]

Can tickets be recycled, or are most places unable to take them due to the magnetic strip?

I keep my tickets; tickets are awesome. I also ask for a card receipt each time :P

 

[SS4]

It could well be. At least it serves as a nice historical record (hence why it annoys me when barrier staff/machines keep my ticket)

 

[jopsuk]

I've had 15, for just myself
An out and a back ticket, two seat reservations each way and two two-part bike reservations each way plus a collection receipt.

 

[parkender102]

Yes that 28 ticket journey would be interesting with Cycle reservations thrown in too! You'll get 2 tickets - one to put on the bike and one Passenger copy - for every train in the journey. I regularly get 17 tickets for 1 return journey from Shotton to London - includes all seat reservations and cycle reservations (x2). I usually keep my Rail tickets in one of those Oyster Card plastic wallets - if I end up with more than 1 weeks worth I end up with a burst wallet :roll:

 

[SS4]

I, like I suspect most of the travelling public, get 4 tickets. 2 reservations and 2 for the journey. Please don't let this turn into another ticket format thread

 

[142094]

Can tickets be recycled, or are most places unable to take them due to the magnetic strip?

The magnetic strip would be removed along with other contaminants in the process - trust me there are a lot of things much worse to deal with in paper recycling.

 

[BestWestern]

It's a pretty silly situation this, and it's made worse by the practice of printing everything on bog standard matching ticket stock, which makes it difficult for people to make sense of. It can be very frustrating indeed for both Guard and passengers when half the people in a heavily reserved coach present you with only their seat reservation coupon - having taken the time to sort through their many bits of paper to have handy just the ones they thought they needed - and then have to go rummaging through their luggage for the other bits! :roll: It isn't their fault of course, it's just a daft system. I've suggested, as I'm sure have many of my colleagues, that something might be done about it, but it's a bit of a brick wall

 

[Mike395]

The magnetic strip would be removed along with other contaminants in the process - trust me there are a lot of things much worse to deal with in paper recycling.

Good to know - I'll start putting my old tickets in the recycling then!

 

[SS4]

It's a pretty silly situation this, and it's made worse by the practice of printing everything on bog standard matching ticket stock, which makes it difficult for people to make sense of. It can be very frustrating indeed for both Guard and passengers when half the people in a heavily reserved coach present you with only their seat reservation coupon - having taken the time to sort through their many bits of paper to have handy just the ones they thought they needed - and then have to go rummaging through their luggage for the other bits! :roll: It isn't their fault of course, it's just a daft system. I've suggested, as I'm sure have many of my colleagues, that something might be done about it, but it's a bit of a brick wall

You won't do anything on that subject until you can get passengers to accept they have responsibilities (good luck with that)

 

[34D]

:roll: It isn't their fault of course, it's just a daft system. I've suggested, as I'm sure have many of my colleagues, that something might be done about it, but it's a bit of a brick wall

Any suggestions from anybody?

I'd like to use the larger Eurostar-style tickets (as issued heavily by intercity travel centres around 15 years ago) as these would have sufficient space for one piece of card to replace 5 or 6 (both directions, reservations, cycle and meal entitlement on the same ticket) - at least most stations now issue the 'receipt' and 'card receipt' on thermal paper.

 

[LexyBoy]

Please don't let this turn into another ticket format thread

And four posts later...

Any suggestions from anybody?

I'd like to use the larger Eurostar-style tickets (as issued heavily by intercity travel centres around 15 years ago) as these would have sufficient space for one piece of card to replace 5 or 6 (both directions, reservations, cycle and meal entitlement on the same ticket) - at least most stations now issue the 'receipt' and 'card receipt' on thermal paper.

Can I suggest we have a picture competition where folk can submit their suggestions for an improved ticket design, since everyone seems to have strong opinions on how it should be done? It would be interesting to see if we got a design that everyone agrees is better than what we have at the moment.

Also, in before "smartcards are the answer"...

 

[Eagle]

...at least most stations now issue the 'receipt' and 'card receipt' on thermal paper.

Only if you're buying from the ticket office, that is. I prefer the TVM (no interacting with humans required) which prints everything on ticket stock, receipts, card receipts and all.

 

[island]

Any suggestions from anybody?

I'd like to use the larger Eurostar-style tickets (as issued heavily by intercity travel centres around 15 years ago) as these would have sufficient space for one piece of card to replace 5 or 6 (both directions, reservations, cycle and meal entitlement on the same ticket) - at least most stations now issue the 'receipt' and 'card receipt' on thermal paper.

This old chestnut ATB tickets are too big, don't work gates, and will be looked at very curiously by grippers now.

 

[thedbdiboy]

And four posts later...





Can I suggest we have a picture competition where folk can submit their suggestions for an improved ticket design, since everyone seems to have strong opinions on how it should be done? It would be interesting to see if we got a design that everyone agrees is better than what we have at the moment.

Also, in before "smartcards are the answer"...

I've stated in a separate thread that this whole issue is being looked at by ATOC/RSP in conjunction with the industry (TOCs, suppliers etc) with a view to redesigning the ticket layout and vastly reducing the number of coupons required. However, in all seriousness, if anyone wants to float any ideas on this forum - they will be looked at! The only restriction is that you need to: a) work within the exsting size layout ('CCST') - because there is already millions of pounds of hardware out there that works on this format; b) printing is one colour only, on one side of the ticket - for much the same reason!

Otherwise, let you imagination run riot.....

 

[Eagle]

a) work within the exsting szie layout ('CCST') - because theres is millions of pounds of hardware out there that works on this format

b) printing is one colour only, on one side of the ticket - for much the same reason!

c) the font size currently used to print the words "To", "From", "Validity", "Date" and so on is the smallest font size the machines can print.

 

[amcluesent]

>Otherwise, let you imagination run riot....<

Just print one ticket with a QR code (matrix barcode) which the pax\RPI can scan with a smartphone for intinerary URI. The same info is on the mag-stripe for the barriers.

 

[Eagle]

>Otherwise, let you imagination run riot....<

Just print one ticket with a QR code (matrix barcode) which the pax\RPI can scan with a smartphone for intinerary. The same info is on the mag-stripe for the barriers.

It would have to be a very big QR to fit all the relevant information on (much bigger than the ones you normally see which just encode URLs). It would have to fill the ticket, basically.

 

[amcluesent]

It would have to be a very big QR to fit all the relevant information on

That's why I said it just refers to a URI for the itinerary hold either on the ToC's booking database or the TrainLine's national database.

 

[SS4]

That's why I said it just refers to a URI for the itinerary hold either on the ToC's booking database or the TrainLine's national database.

Until it's down and/or inaccessible

 

[bb21]

What happens if the passenger does not own a smartphone?

 

[LexyBoy]

I've stated in a separate thread that this whole issue is being looked at by ATOC/RSP in conjunction with the industry (TOCs, suppliers etc) with a view to redesigning the ticket layout and vastly reducing the number of coupons required. However, in all seriousness, if anyone wants to float any ideas on this forum - they will be looked at! The only restriction is that you need to: a) work within the exsting size layout ('CCST') - because there is already millions of pounds of hardware out there that works on this format; b) printing is one colour only, on one side of the ticket - for much the same reason!

Otherwise, let you imagination run riot.....

I posted in earnestness- I'd be interested to see others' suggestions, and
to propose my own. I think that the current credit card size is sufficient for most ticket types. Advance tickets are to an extent a different matter but that's possibly a topic for a seperate discussion.

 

[SS4]

I think that the current credit card size is sufficient for most ticket types. Advance tickets are to an extent a different matter but that's possibly a topic for a seperate discussion.

I concur. The majority of passengers will have four tickets and those savvy enough to know how to split are savvy enough to know to keep their tickets on them

 

[LexyBoy]

I concur. The majority of passengers will have four tickets and those savvy enough to know how to split are savvy enough to know to keep their tickets on them

erm, not really what I was getting at- I'd like to see Advances all on one ticket but accept it's unrealistic with the existing infrastructure. What I was getting at was the requirement for Advance tickets to be readable by ticket gates- at the moment they should always be rejected IMO.

If you're on split tickets then there shouldn't be any reason not to show all tickets held. It's not a game of Poker.

 

[Paul Kelly]

I think the design of tickets (but not seat reservations) is quite reasonable at present. I think maybe the ticket type should always go along the top bar though. At present it seems to go there if the ticket is intended for reading by bus drivers (e.g. travelcards, Plusbus) otherwise it goes in the bottom right. If reservations are compulsory this could also be indicated in a large font in the top bar.

The tendency for ToD machines to print all sorts of extra stuff e.g. name of cardholder, booking reference etc. at the bottom bar makes the ticket look very cluttered I think and shouldn't go on the main ticket.

Instead of a pile of seat reservations I think there could be a separate itinerary to go along with the ticket. A lot of the space on current seat reservation cards is wasted and all the details should be able to be shown in a max of 2 lines I think. You could fit 3 or 4 journey legs onto a single itinerary card, and have multiple itinerary cards if more were needed. It would need to have some very clear way of specifying when the trains listed in the itinerary were compulsory to travel on and when they weren't.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There should also be standards applied (by ATOC if necessary) to the way in which TOCs use the system in order to keep things consistent and less confusing for passengers. E.g. those Merseyrail Day Savers that print out as single tickets (even though they're valid for multiple journeys all day) are very confusing. Also those East Midlands Trains groupsave tickets that print out on one ticket coupon showing as valid for one adult. (One coupon is not a problem but the number of adults in the top right should then be shown as THREE or FOUR rather than ONE!) There should be quality standards to prevent such abuses of the system.

 

[SS4]

erm, not really what I was getting at- I'd like to see Advances all on one ticket but accept it's unrealistic with the existing infrastructure. What I was getting at was the requirement for Advance tickets to be readable by ticket gates- at the moment they should always be rejected IMO.

If you're on split tickets then there shouldn't be any reason not to show all tickets held. It's not a game of Poker.

Yeah I know that, I structured my post poorly

 

[BestWestern]

You won't do anything on that subject until you can get passengers to accept they have responsibilities (good luck with that)

Well, yes, fair point...!! :roll:

 

[sheff1]

This old chestnut ATB tickets are too big, don't work gates, and will be looked at very curiously by grippers now.

* I don't think they are too big.

* If we didn't have automatic barriers there would be no need to work them.

* 'Grippers' look at current tickets curiously anyway.

Larger tickets work pefectly well on other railways which don't have barriers and where conductors scan ticket barcodes. In my opinion, the real old chestnut is the view that what works abroad 'will never work here'.

I think maybe the ticket type should always go along the top bar though. At present it seems to go there if the ticket is intended for reading by bus drivers (e.g. travelcards, Plusbus) otherwise it goes in the bottom right.

The tendency for ToD machines to print all sorts of extra stuff e.g. name of cardholder, booking reference etc. at the bottom bar makes the ticket look very cluttered I think and shouldn't go on the main ticket

Agree with both of these.

What I was getting at was the requirement for Advance tickets to be readable by ticket gates- at the moment they should always be rejected IMO.

That is the logical option. If coupled with the ticket type on the top bar, it surely strengthens the case for manual rather than automatic barrier lines.

If you're on split tickets then there shouldn't be any reason not to show all tickets held. It's not a game of Poker.

Quite, but I have been reprimanded by conductors for showing 'all tickets' even though that is usually what they ask for