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Annual Season ticket use
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In my experience (several years of holding annuals, generally going through four sets of barriers at least five days a week) - no.
What happens more commonly is that the ink fades, so typically I end up requesting a replacement after about 6 to 9 months after the ticket was issued. I don't recall ever having to get a replacement because of problems with the magnetic strip.
What happens more commonly is that the ink fades, so typically I end up requesting a replacement after about 6 to 9 months after the ticket was issued. I don't recall ever having to get a replacement because of problems with the magnetic strip.
Ticket Man
Member
my last season ticket gave up on the gates after 3 weeks, most of the time I just flash it to the gate-line who very rarely questions why I did not attempt to use the barrier.
Having had an annual for the last four years, I concur with your observations! My tickets have never failed to work the gates, but they usually fade so that I have to get one or two replacements each year.
My experience has been quite the opposite. My season ticket goes through 4-6 gates a day and fails after 3-4 months.
I think they're used to it. No-one on the gateline ever asked me why I wasn't putting my ticket in the gate.
LexyBoy
Established Member
I'm about 9 months into my (first) annual Season, and the ink is beginning to fade to the point I'm considering replacing it. I reckon it will last the duration though. Pretty good considering it lives in my back pocket!
The magnetic strip is still working fine (and I regularly enter strong) magnetic fields. It only goes through a barrier at one end of my journey though. OTOH colleagues who travel from London find that the strip only lasts a couple of months, so maybe the Underground barriers treat it more roughly (or it just gets used more).
The magnetic strip is still working fine (and I regularly enter strong) magnetic fields. It only goes through a barrier at one end of my journey though. OTOH colleagues who travel from London find that the strip only lasts a couple of months, so maybe the Underground barriers treat it more roughly (or it just gets used more).
Personal experience - based in London and nearly twenty years worth of paper Travelcards bought from National Rail ticket office.
On average ticket needs replacing once/twice per year due to mag strip failure (six/eight times per day minimum trough gates), by which time it is almost completely unreadable due to a coating of grime/grease/oil on the front.
Last year, ticket bought from London Euston London Midland ticket office, worst ever - six tickets in course of year - mag strip failure on all occasions.
Oh, other features of London Midland annual Travelcard/Gold card replacements:
1 The printed text did not match the ticket stock and led to over-printing, something Underground RPIs got a little exercised about on one occasion (all ended OK though)
2 The text was not in the same format as, nor completely matched, that detailed and required on the Underground delay compensation form - net result was that I had to resort to including a copy of the ticket.
1 The printed text did not match the ticket stock and led to over-printing, something Underground RPIs got a little exercised about on one occasion (all ended OK though)
2 The text was not in the same format as, nor completely matched, that detailed and required on the Underground delay compensation form - net result was that I had to resort to including a copy of the ticket.
222007
Member
I can safely say the ink used on the ticket is C**p. Often season's are very poor in terms of visability. I must say i do NOT blame anyone for this and i think it seems to be just as frustrating for me as it is the passengers. Why the railways cant find a better solution to this i don't know. I had a chap today tell me i was a jobsworth for swiping his season through my advantix as i couldnt see it not even holding it up to the light.
My last 2 annual seasons still worked in the barriers at the end of the year, but the ink had faded badly (though just about readable in good light) - there was an obvious groove on it where it had been through the barrier 4 times each day.
Someone I travel with often found his mag strip stopped working after 2-3 days (& getting "09" error codes at the barriers ) so though he bought monthly tickets would need go get it replaced a couple of times a week (I think the record was 30 minutes!) - he later discovered it was his work security pass that was wiping the mag strip on the ticket.
The National rail ticket wallets - does anyone know if these are PVC or use an inert material?
I have sometimes found details from the ticket being readable on the inside of the wallet after I have removed the ticket, so suspect the wallets may be PVC & thus accelerating the fading process.
Someone I travel with often found his mag strip stopped working after 2-3 days (& getting "09" error codes at the barriers ) so though he bought monthly tickets would need go get it replaced a couple of times a week (I think the record was 30 minutes!) - he later discovered it was his work security pass that was wiping the mag strip on the ticket.
The National rail ticket wallets - does anyone know if these are PVC or use an inert material?
I have sometimes found details from the ticket being readable on the inside of the wallet after I have removed the ticket, so suspect the wallets may be PVC & thus accelerating the fading process.
FCC replacements are the same, as they appear to be designed to print on a totally blank ticket. Originals are fine. Bizarre! I wonder if they have a choice of type before printing?
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Any ticket issued at a National Rail station uses thermal printing and not ink based printing - that went out with APTIS!
The modern ticket stock does have a laminate layer to protect the printed area but ticket gates do treat them quite roughly. All the more reason to move away from printed ticket stock for season tickets!
The modern ticket stock does have a laminate layer to protect the printed area but ticket gates do treat them quite roughly. All the more reason to move away from printed ticket stock for season tickets!
CaptainHaddock
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I've had all sorts of problems with my season ticket fading due to barrier use at Leeds. The magnetic strip still works but the ink fades so badly that it's unreadable within two months.
After a guard on a Cross Country train said it was faded so badly it was no longer valid, I went to Leeds travel centre to get a replacement, only for them to say they could only replace season tickets issued in their office, which seemed ridiculous.
The problem is that the ticket was issued through my company's business travel section who use Southeastern trains call centre to issue season tickets, and Southeastern insisted I had to send the faded ticket back before they'd send a replacement, effectively meaning I would be without a season ticket for at least a week and thus having to shell out for day tickets needlessly.
In the end I resolved it by getting a friendly chap at my local ticket office to reissue it, but I expect another set of shenanigans next time it fades.
After a guard on a Cross Country train said it was faded so badly it was no longer valid, I went to Leeds travel centre to get a replacement, only for them to say they could only replace season tickets issued in their office, which seemed ridiculous.
The problem is that the ticket was issued through my company's business travel section who use Southeastern trains call centre to issue season tickets, and Southeastern insisted I had to send the faded ticket back before they'd send a replacement, effectively meaning I would be without a season ticket for at least a week and thus having to shell out for day tickets needlessly.
In the end I resolved it by getting a friendly chap at my local ticket office to reissue it, but I expect another set of shenanigans next time it fades.
If it keeps fading I'd just show the season to the people on the barrier. If they complain just tell them the reason. Since a lot of people travelling to Leeds have MetroCards that don't go trhough the barriers, they are normally not too bothered letting you through the wide gate.
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