Does anyone remember the Capitalcard?

[bicbasher]

I'm sure as a child in the 80s, BR introduced an early form of the Travelcard called the Capitalcard for off-peak travel, which if I recall could only be purchased from rail stations, rather than shops in the London area?

Also, I remember London Regional Transport as it was known had the LU Card which offered peak travel on tube services, DLR and buses, but not on BR/NSE services which if I recall was scrapped with the introduction of the Peak One Day Travelcard?

 

[yorkie]

Yes, you are right, it crops up from time to time and some people still refer to a Travelcard as a Capitalcard.

http://www.srpublicity.co.uk/nse/history.htm

"...Ticketing products like Gold Card and ‘new‘ Travelcard (that had changed from Capitalcard to Travelcard as far back as 1989)..."

Good website, that.

NSE should never have been broken up / abolished.

 

[Zoe]

Also, I remember London Regional Transport as it was known had the LU Card which offered peak travel on tube services, DLR and buses, but not on BR/NSE services which if I recall was scrapped with the introduction of the Peak One Day Travelcard?

I believe you are referring to the "LT card" which was withdrawn in the early 2000s.

 

[bicbasher]

I believe you are referring to the "LT card" which was withdrawn in the early 2000s.

That's the one, thanks.

To stretch the question out a little further. What did LT call the same product as the Capitalcard until NSE called the product Travelcard?

 

[transmanche]

The Capitalcard is what we call a Travelcard today. The original Travelcard was LT only; the Capitalcard joined it as an equivalent for both LT & BR services. You could buy it from both LT and BR stations. Then in 1989 the two were merged as the Travelcard. (Was that the time that zones 3A/3B/3C were renamed 3/4/5?)

The LT Card is what we call a Peak Day Travelcard today. I think LT wanted to introduce a peak one-day Travelcard, but couldn't get agreement with with the railways - so did their own one.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What did LT call the same product as the Capitalcard until NSE called the product Travelcard?

They called it a Capitalcard!

 

[bicbasher]

The LT Card is what we call a Peak Day Travelcard today. I think LT wanted to introduce a peak one-day Travelcard, but couldn't get agreement with with the railways - so did their own one.

I also remember the LT Card had restrictions on the Bakerloo line where it ran on NR infrastructure.

In that case as Zoe mentioned the Peak Day Travelcard replaced the LT Card in the early 2000s, it must have been intervention from the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone to get the TOC's to agree to it?

 

[Cliveblackpool]

When I was on holiday in Palmers green, (late 70's) I bought Travelcards and a couple times a Capitalcard. The Capitalcard included the overground and I traveled from Palmers Green to Moore Street, instead of bus to Woodgreen & tube.
At 10am the train was virtually empty, and a much more pleasant journey on BR.

 

[transmanche]

When I was on holiday in Palmers green, (late 70's) I bought Travelcards and a couple times a Capitalcard.

Not quite that long ago: the Capitalcard was only available from 1985-1989. The Travelcard was introduced in 1983, but would not have been valid on trains from Palmers Green until the Capitalcard was phased out in 1989.

 

[Greenback]

Indeed. I'm sure I purchased a tube and bus only travelcard in 1984, on one of my first independent trips to London. It wa smuch smaller than today's tickets, and had a small logo mad eup of the Underground zones on it, IIRC. I found it in a pocket of an old coat several years later!

 

[87 027]

When I was a student in the late 80s, Chris Green of NSE gave a talk to the Uni Railway Society and this was one of the topics he covered. As I recall he said that NSE wanted to keep the name 'Capitalcard' but LT were adamant that the name of the new combined product should be 'Travelcard'.

 

[bicbasher]

Indeed. I'm sure I purchased a tube and bus only travelcard in 1984, on one of my first independent trips to London. It wa smuch smaller than today's tickets, and had a small logo mad eup of the Underground zones on it, IIRC. I found it in a pocket of an old coat several years later!

And here it is!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/macrike/4320809254/

 

[transmanche]

This is the classic (pre-UTS) design for a one-day Travelcard. Seasons were a similar design but in 'portrait' format.

Capitalcards issued by LT used red text on an off-white background and with a simpler design and no zone colours.

 

[bicbasher]

This is the classic (pre-UTS) design for a one-day Travelcard. Seasons were a similar design but in 'portrait' format.

Capitalcards issued by LT used red text on an off-white background and with a simpler design and no zone colours.

I remember that design, although I take it that was also a LT only Travelcard which must have been slightly cheaper than the Capitalcard considering it was printed in 1987?

 

[34D]

and I traveled from Palmers Green to Moore Street,

Moorgate or Broad Street?

 

[Greenback]

And here it is!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/macrike/4320809254/

Yes, that looks like the one (except I didn't have a Weekly! Odd how the mind plays tricks, I could have sworn that the swirly pattern was in the shape of the zones!

 

[W-on-Sea]

Yes, that looks like the one (except I didn't have a Weekly! Odd how the mind plays tricks, I could have sworn that the swirly pattern was in the shape of the zones!

The one that was in the shape of the zones (ie. blue for zone 1 in the centre, then a ring of green for zone 2, and then a ring of orange for zones 3abc) was the all-zones variant. The one pictured excluded zone 3c (which now = zones 5 and 6), so wasn't valid everywhere on the tube (but was valid everywhere on buses, as zone 3 wasn't subdivided for buses)

Like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66669581@N00/4938804892/in/set-72157624833978568

(I have no recollection of their not having been valid to Heathrow on the tube. Wonder when that ended?)

Also, here, a pic of a Capitalcard, showing how very much less thought went into the visual design of the ticket than that of Travelcards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66669581@N00/4938805912/in/set-72157624833978568/

 

[bicbasher]

Also, here, a pic of a Capitalcard, showing how very much less thought went into the visual design of the ticket than that of Travelcards
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66669581@N00/4938805912/in/set-72157624833978568/

Considering Ealing Broadway was managed by BR/NSE at the time (and still managed by FGW instead of LUL), that must be a British Rail Capitalcard?

 

[W-on-Sea]

Considering Ealing Broadway was managed by BR/NSE at the time (and still managed by FGW instead of LUL), that must be a British Rail Capitalcard?

Maybe! But the ones issued at LUL stations looked the same!

 

[Bungle73]

I remember the old style Travelcards because I was issued with one at school in the '80s. I also remember the Capitalcard as I used to buy one when I used to *cough*bunk off from school*cough* and use it to travel round London for the day. It was my first experiences of travelling on a BR train by myself. It's also how I got to know London's Tube and rail network so well.

 

[transmanche]

Considering Ealing Broadway was managed by BR/NSE at the time (and still managed by FGW instead of LUL), that must be a British Rail Capitalcard?

Maybe! But the ones issued at LUL stations looked the same!

I don't know what the LU day version looked like, but the season was definitely red text on an off-white background.