Avantix replacement (previously: Arriva ditch Avantix)

[hairyhandedfool]

Do any Envoy/WLMTS users know if it's possible to excess multiple tickets in one go?

Earlier I had to do an over distance excess for a pair of tickets issued with a Two Together Railcard - the only way I could figure it out was to do one, put it in the basket, then do the other, then issue them both. Of course, doing one at a time it wouldn't let me select the R/C, so I ended up selecting a different one in order to get the discount. This seems odd to me, so maybe I'm missing something. A lot of work for £2.30!

A colleague was saying he had to do the same to excess some Groupsave tickets.

Does it have a manual fare mode?

On STAR (Ticket office) the same sort of error happens, won't do more than one excess at a time but won't issue one ticket on a 2TR. On STAR (ticket office) there is a couple of manual fare modes, one of which is specifically for excess fares, and that allows one 2TR excess fare to be put in the basket at a time.

I've never used Envoy so I don't know if it's the same or not.

 

[plymothian]

Yep, get that 'check restrictions' prompt frequently. Annoying as, when the new system was first touted at my depot as being the new thing, one of the things they seemed proud of was the ability to enter your trains headcode and only be offered tickets valid on that service. That seems to have fallen by the wayside...

As for the excess issue, I understand why it's not letting me select the correct railcard - it's because the ticket I'm currently retailing (ie the excess fare) doesn't meet the railcard terms. The issue is more that there is no way to excess multiple tickets at once - in other words it's impossible to fulfil the Two Together conditions in the excess menu. Not sure if this applies to Family R/C?

If one edits the ticket to reflect more than one person, then carry on, the Calculate Excess option doesn't appear.

I need to get my hands on an Avantix and see if it was possible on that - I can't remember.

It was possible on Avantix to override 'this ticket does not meet railcard conditions', and likewise with groupsaves, dump it in the basket and duplicate.

STARMobile allows you to excess 2Together tickets, but set up as individual excesses each time, as there is no duplicate option.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Do any of the portable TIS developers actually go out with conductors/TMs to see these kinds of real-life ticketing issues in the field? Sounds like it might be an education to some.

 

[craigybagel]

STARMobile allows you to excess 2Together tickets, but set up as individual excesses each time, as there is no duplicate option.

Although it does at least let you put them in the basket so you can sell them in one transaction.

Incidentally, I'm pretty sure it originally didn't allow you to excess 2togethers, I think that was a later upgrade? I'm sure that issue came up with us anyway, although we were one of the first sets of guards to go over to it.

 

[Ticket Monster]

Three weeks in and I've gotten faster with the new machines. Even excesses are quicker although it's still frustrating when you need to do two at once. Hopefully it'll be solved with a software update at some point. I won't hold my breath - updates probably need to be paid for so if LM can avoid updating then they probably will.

Biggest issue going forward is going to be the printers - the Steatite units we're using are pretty fragile - the slightest knock and it's liable to jam. And the hopper is way too small...

 

[johntea]

Something has been really bugging me recently as I'm confused!

I'm fairly sure in the past for contactless payments this was built into the main Starmobile device (whatever it is called!), but on recent trips on Northern there now seems to be a seperate 'black box' device for taking card payments!

Am I going mad?! Was this always the case?

 

[Adam0984]

It's always been a separate black pin pad

 

[CentralTrainer]

Correct - it's always been a smaller card payment unit. If I remember correctly - the main ticketing issue unit is nothing more than an Android Tablet.

 

[Bungle965]

Correct - it's always been a smaller card payment unit. If I remember correctly - the main ticketing issue unit is nothing more than an Android Tablet.

On Northern it is a Samsung phone.
Sam

 

[Bungle965]

An update, First Hull Trains have gone down the sensible route and have STAR Mobile with CCST stock.
Sam

 

[aleandrail]

Does anyone have a definite list of which type of ticket the different rail companies are using.

many thanks.

 

[Sprinter153]

Does anyone have a definite list of which type of ticket the different rail companies are using.

many thanks.

I'll have a go, any corrections or supplements welcome:

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Fujitsu PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Arriva Trains Wales
Chiltern Railways
CrossCountry
Grand Central
Great Western Railway (Penzance, Par, Plymouth, Exeter (West Crew), Bristol (West Crew), Cardiff)
Northern
TransPennine Express

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Both Fujitsu PRT and Steatite CCST Printers
Greater Anglia

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Steatite CCST Printer
Abellio ScotRail
First Hull Trains
Great Western Railway (Paddington, Maidenhead, Reading, Oxford, Redhill, Worcester, Bristol (HSS), Exeter (HSS), Swansea, Weymouth, Westbury)



DORIS - Zebra ZQ500 PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Virgin Trains East Coast



Worldline Envoy / WLMTS - Steatite CCST Printer
East Midlands Trains
London Midland
South Western Railway
Southeastern
Southern
Virgin Trains West Coast

 

[Kite159]

There are a couple guards at Salisbury which are using the Fujitsu STAR Mobile device, prints out regular tickets

 

[Bungle965]

I might be wrong but I thought that Chiltern had CCST stock as well as PRT?
Sam

 

[Sprinter153]

I might be wrong but I thought that Chiltern had CCST stock as well as PRT?
Sam

I don't think so. I've only seen on-board staff, and queue-busters at Marylebone and Moor Street, using PRT printers.

There are a couple guards at Salisbury which are using the Fujitsu STAR Mobile device, prints out regular tickets

If they are SWR staff, it will be Envoy/WLMTS - the clue is that Envoy printers for all the above TOCs have a blue case. STAR Mobile printers (identical hardware) have black casing, and may come in a padded bag with slots for the PED and phone.

 

[Bungle965]

I don't think so. I've only seen on-board staff, and queue-busters at Marylebone and Moor Street, using PRT printers.

I would have thought that some of the Arriva group TOCs such as Grand Central and Chiltern would have gone down the route of using CCST printers rather than the paper rolls, as they are far more likely to get requests for cross London tickets.
Sam

 

[hairyhandedfool]

You would have thought they'd have sorted the LUL issue out before starting to use the PRT stock too......

According to Northern managers (who, admittedly, seem to love passing the buck) it was Arriva HQ that stipulated PRT, rather than CCST, on all franchises they run. Obviously I don't know how true that actually is, given the pathetic reasons they gave for PRT being better than CCST.

 

[aleandrail]

I'll have a go, any corrections or supplements welcome:

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Fujitsu PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Arriva Trains Wales
Chiltern Railways
CrossCountry
Grand Central
Great Western Railway (Penzance, Par, Plymouth, Exeter (West Crew), Bristol (West Crew), Cardiff)
Northern
TransPennine Express

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Both Fujitsu PRT and Steatite CCST Printers
Greater Anglia

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Steatite CCST Printer
Abellio ScotRail
First Hull Trains
Great Western Railway (Paddington, Maidenhead, Reading, Oxford, Redhill, Worcester, Bristol (HSS), Exeter (HSS), Swansea, Weymouth, Westbury)



DORIS - Zebra ZQ500 PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Virgin Trains East Coast



Worldline Envoy / WLMTS - Steatite CCST Printer
East Midlands Trains
London Midland
South Western Railway
Southeastern
Southern
Virgin Trains West Coast

Many thanks for the information.

 

[Right Away]

I'll have a go, any corrections or supplements welcome:

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Fujitsu PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Arriva Trains Wales
Chiltern Railways
CrossCountry
Grand Central
Great Western Railway (Penzance, Par, Plymouth, Exeter (West Crew), Bristol (West Crew), Cardiff)
Northern
TransPennine Express

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Both Fujitsu PRT and Steatite CCST Printers
Greater Anglia

Fujitsu STAR Mobile - Steatite CCST Printer
Abellio ScotRail
First Hull Trains
Great Western Railway (Paddington, Maidenhead, Reading, Oxford, Redhill, Worcester, Bristol (HSS), Exeter (HSS), Swansea, Weymouth, Westbury)



DORIS - Zebra ZQ500 PRT (Paper Roll) Printer
Virgin Trains East Coast



Worldline Envoy / WLMTS - Steatite CCST Printer
East Midlands Trains
London Midland
South Western Railway
Southeastern
Southern
Virgin Trains West Coast

Excellent compilation there Sprinter153. On GWR I have seen Gloucester and Fratton (both West depots) using the PRT version of STARMobile. Contrary to one of my previous postings (apologies), Weymouth have now migrated across to PRT. It would appear that the remaining stocks there of CCST were being used up first. Westbury would appear to be the only West depot to be using CCST stock now.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Bog roll on VTWC I think?
Or it certainly was for a PNR CAR single I bought recently

 

[johntea]

It appears Transpenine Express now have the means available in order to ‘scan’ the QR codes on mTickets (presumably paper tickets too if they feature one?)

Wonder if it puts an end to multiple usage of open returns, or if it just checks vadility

Although I suppose it would be hard to ‘expire’ them due to BoJ

 

[Sprinter153]

It appears Transpenine Express now have the means available in order to ‘scan’ the QR codes on mTickets (presumably paper tickets too if they feature one?)

Wonder if it puts an end to multiple usage of open returns, or if it just checks vadility

Although I suppose it would be hard to ‘expire’ them due to BoJ

FirstGroup has a standardised Clipper app now, you can accept or reject the tickets and it keeps a log of where and by whom.

Here's one of mine I scanned earlier:

 

[pompeyfan]

One of the issues with QR codes though is that you need signal to check and sell tickets which means doing revenue in rural areas is very difficult, I'm glad my routes aren't restricted to QR yet.

 

[sonic2009]

So shock horror I saw a guard with Avantix today onboard London Midland..... I thought everyone had changed over to new systems...

 

[Ticket Monster]

So shock horror I saw a guard with Avantix today onboard London Midland..... I thought everyone had changed over to new systems...

Crewe guards haven't been trained on Envoy yet. Some guards at other depots are stubbornly hanging on to Avantix. We've been told Avantix will be gone by December 3rd - we'll see.

 

[sonic2009]

Crewe guards haven't been trained on Envoy yet. Some guards are other depots are stubbornly hanging on to Avantix. We've been told Avantix will be gone by December 3rd - we'll see.

I was on a Liverpool bound service, I thought the new franchise would want all depots trained up

 

[Bungle965]

Are STAR with the toilet roll stock able to print PlusBus yet?
Sam

 

[Ticket Monster]

I was on a Liverpool bound service, I thought the new franchise would want all depots trained up

They probably do. But until they collect the keys I don't think they have any say in LMs training regime.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Are STAR with the toilet roll stock able to print PlusBus yet?
Sam

I know Northerns can.

 

[plymothian]

Are STAR with the toilet roll stock able to print PlusBus yet?
Sam

Only day tickets, not 7 day - and only if the bus companies in the area involved have agreed to recognise paper tickets.

They are still unable to print cross-London or London inclusive tickets as TfL are still refusing to accept paper tickets.