GWR website - can't purchase e-tickets

[Oxstu@OXF]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this questions but has anyone else had an issue purchasing tickets through the GWR website, whereby the only ways to collect tickets is at a ticket machine or have them posted to your address?

I frequently buy tickets in bulk for work and I've always been able to get e-tickets on the website, but this issue has manifested itself twice now in the past month with seemingly no way to resolve it. I don't have this issue when purchasing through their app.

Does anyone have any advice or know if their website is having problems related to this? Thank you!

 

[AlterEgo]

E-tickets aren't available on flows which will include a cross London transfer because they won't be accepted by the Underground. Which itinerary are you having a problem with?

 

[Oxstu@OXF]

All the tickets are for travel from Oxford to London Paddington. None of the require a cross London transfer. I've been buying the same tickets for months and this has only become an issue in the last 2/3 weeks. My apologies for not making that clearer.

 

[Adam Williams]

Can you provide the exact details of a ticket that you were unable to buy as an E-Ticket?

Price, origin, destination. Ideally ticket type code / route code if you know where to find them.

 

[Hadders]

And to add that if you’re buying several tickets in one transaction if one of them is not available to be issued as an e-ticket then all of the tickets will get issued as a ticket on departure.

 

[Oxstu@OXF]

Can you provide the exact details of a ticket that you were unable to buy as an E-Ticket?

Price, origin, destination. Ideally ticket type code / route code if you know where to find them.

Of course

Outbound (Thursday 14th November)
OXF - PAD
dep 0847
Price - £9.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)

Return (Friday 15th November)
PAD - OXF
dep 1757
Price - £4.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)

And to add that if you’re buying several tickets in one transaction if one of them is not available to be issued as an e-ticket then all of the tickets will get issued as a ticket on departure.

All the tickets are for the same route, from Oxford to London Paddington

 

[yorkie]

Of course

Outbound (Thursday 14th November)
OXF - PAD
dep 0847
Price - £9.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)

Return (Friday 15th November)
PAD - OXF
dep 1757
Price - £4.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)


All the tickets are for the same route, from Oxford to London Paddington

You may want to try buying from the forum ticketing site?

 

[Adam Williams]

Of course

Outbound (Thursday 14th November)
OXF - PAD
dep 0847
Price - £9.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)

Return (Friday 15th November)
PAD - OXF
dep 1757
Price - £4.30 (16-25 railcard discount applied)
Type - Advance single
Route - GWR only (00820)


All the tickets are for the same route, from Oxford to London Paddington

GWR appear to have forgotten to enable these ticket types in RCS (the Retail Control Service) for E-Ticket fulfilment on this flow.

The walk-up fares are enabled, however.

 

[Tester]

GWR have forgotten to enable these ticket types in RCS for E-Ticket fulfilment on this flow.

You truly could not make this stuff up

 

[Haywain]

GWR appear to have forgotten to enable these ticket types in RCS (the Retail Control Service) for E-Ticket fulfilment on this flow.

It could be that they were enabled and have 'fallen off' the list when another change has been made. @Wallsendmag has experience of such things happening with RCS, I believe.

 

[Oxstu@OXF]

GWR appear to have forgotten to enable these ticket types in RCS (the Retail Control Service) for E-Ticket fulfilment on this flow.

The walk-up fares are enabled, however.

How ridiculous! At least that makes sense Thank you!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Of course

Outbound (Thursday 14th November)

Return (Friday 15th November)

Are you sure those dates are correct? 14th November is Friday and 15th November is Saturday.

That said, I can get Chiltern's website to offer e-tickets on those trains and at those prices on the Thursday and Friday, so it may be a glitch with GWR's site.

 

[Adam Williams]

That said, I can get Chiltern's website to offer e-tickets on those trains and at those prices on the Thursday and Friday, so it may be a glitch with GWR's site.

I would posit that some TIS suppliers are no longer strictly using the data provided in RCS. Likely because it's all a bit of a joke.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I would posit that some TIS suppliers are no longer strictly using the data provided in RCS. Likely because it's all a bit of a joke.

It's also possible the change was only made yesterday, as I've noticed that Chiltern's site tends to take an extra day to reflect changes compared to some other TIS suppliers.

 

[Wallsendmag]

How ridiculous! At least that makes sense Thank you!

ive seen it happen a few times one day they’re enabled the next they’re not and npbody has made any changes

 

[Adam Williams]

Why do Rail Delivery Group think RCS is fit-for-purpose if that's a common occurrence?

 

[OscarH]

Why do Rail Delivery Group think RCS is fit-for-purpose if that's a common occurrence?

It's probably easier to list the Rail Delivery Group services that are fit for purpose than aren't

 

[Oxstu@OXF]

Are you sure those dates are correct? 14th November is Friday and 15th November is Saturday.

That said, I can get Chiltern's website to offer e-tickets on those trains and at those prices on the Thursday and Friday, so it may be a glitch with GWR's site.

Yes, I meant Thursday 13th and Friday 14th. Apologies! I would use Chiltern but I've had so many issues with their system charging my card for a ticket but then not sending me the ticket, saying there's been an 'error'.

The weird thing is I had a similar issue on the 28th September but I was able to get e-tickets on the app. I've tried to do that now and it doesn't work on either the website or the app. If it is as common occurrence as it seems, I'm surprised neither GWR nor the RDG have done something to rectify it.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Having just checked, the Trainsplit app is allowing e-ticket fulfilment as well, suggesting it may be something specific to GWR's web TIS.

 

[aar0]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this questions but has anyone else had an issue purchasing tickets through the GWR website, whereby the only ways to collect tickets is at a ticket machine or have them posted to your address?

I had a similar oddity on Saturday, a ticket bought on GWR that was e ticket or posted (first or next day) only - no option to collect!

 

[Wallsendmag]

I’ve just had a message this morning to say several weekly seasons from Newark are no longer enabled for Smartcard fulfilment

 

[CyrusWuff]

I’ve just had a message this morning to say several weekly seasons from Newark are no longer enabled for Smartcard fulfilment

Sounds like RCS has thrown a large wobbly!

 

[Oxstu@OXF]

I contacted GWR customer service who said they would carry out an internal investigation. I've just had this response from them:

'Thank you for contacting Great Western Railway regarding E-ticket availability.

E-tickets are currently not available for every journey with us. Depending on how the conductor can check tickets on the day will determine whether you will be able to have an e-ticket or paper ticket.

This is likely what you are experiencing.

I am sorry for any inconvenience and this information has been passed on to the Ticketing team for future improvements to our services.

Thank you for contacting Great Western Railway.'

Never heard anything so ridiculous.

 

[Adam Williams]

Complete nonsense (obviously)!

 

[Joe Paxton]

Complete nonsense (obviously)!

Imaginative nonsense though, I suppose one could give them that!

 

[fandroid]

I'll spend the rest of the day trying to work out how paper tickets can offer a better checking experience for conductors than e-tickets can, even if he/she left all their technical gadgets in the depot before joining their train.

 

[Sonic1234]

The quality of responses from Customer Relations has nosedived in recent times. They were very sorry about my "special offer promotional break-of-journey ticket type" once!

 

[CyrusWuff]

I'm reliably informed this has now been resolved and e-tickets should be available again tomorrow.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I'm reliably informed this has now been resolved and e-tickets should be available again tomorrow.

At least, until the next time...