Managers & on-board staff using Duty Authority to Travel (DAT) cards

[Barnes_Station]

Can anyone shed light on which TOC staff can possess a DAT card and what exactly they can use it for? I cannot find any documentation on the validity and use of DAT cards online.

It was my understanding that you must have a diagram with travel on another on another TOCs service to use a DAT card. However, I’ve observed these cards used across a range of grades as a means for the fastest/most convenient way to travel.

These are some of the questions I have:

Must on-train staff relinquish their DAT card if they move to an office-based role?

Can you be reprimanded for possessing a DAT card if your role doesn’t require one? For example, RST issue a DAT card in error and you keep it.

Can a DAT card be used to attend a general work meeting. E.g. Cross Country staff in Birmingham travelling on Avanti to attend a meeting in Euston?

Can a Guards Manager use a DAT card to travel to another depot to attend a Guards meeting?

Can a Revenue Protection manager use a DAT card to travel between their office and a station-based revenue block?

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[transportphoto]

These are very specific questions, I’m curious your inspiration to ask?

 

[Barnes_Station]

It seems non-traincrew staff using DAT cards is a very grey area and I don’t want to find myself on the wrong side of a disciplinary for misuse!

Unfortunately there’s hardly any documentation on these cards and even senior managers can’t give clear answers on the dos and don’ts!

 

[Haywain]

Must on-train staff relinquish their DAT card if they move to an office-based role?

That would seem to preclude driver's or guard's managers covering vacant diagrams, so I would have thought they would retain them.

 

[janb]

The following answers are based on my interpretation of the information available on the internal national rail knowledgebase. If you have access to this, you can make your own interpretation.

Must on-train staff relinquish their DAT card if they move to an office-based role?

As Haywain says there may be roles where you would still be required to retain it. If the new role does not require it they must either send it back to RST by Special Delivery or cut it up, take a photo and email the photo to RST.

Can you be reprimanded for possessing a DAT card if your role doesn’t require one? For example, RST issue a DAT card in error and you keep it.

Its on the employer to apply for you so if I was in that situation I would query (in writing) with them whether I needed it. If yes, and you never actually do at least you have covered yourself in event of future query, if no then follow the instructions for disposal in my previous answer.

Can a DAT card be used to attend a general work meeting. E.g. Cross Country staff in Birmingham travelling on Avanti to attend a meeting in Euston?

No.

Can a Guards Manager use a DAT card to travel to another depot to attend a Guards meeting?

No.

Can a Revenue Protection manager use a DAT card to travel between their office and a station-based revenue block?

No I don't think so, unless you consider that a "legitimate operational role".

 

[Haywain]

Unfortunately there’s hardly any documentation on these cards and even senior managers can’t give clear answers on the dos and don’ts!

This, from Knowledgebase, may be useful:

1. Active staff who work for a TOC may be eligible for a DAT card.
2. Your employer must apply for a DAT card on your behalf and will only do so if one is needed for your role.
3. You can only use it when on duty and when you are on a diagrammed duty. If you are contingency/management staff, you must have proof that you are carrying out a legitimate operational role. You can also use it for route familiarisation and to attend training at the Driver Academy.
4. You can only use it in the class indicated on the card.
5. You cannot use it to attend medicals, meetings, Trade Union duties etc.
6. You cannot use it for residential or leisure travel.
7. When entering or leaving a gated station, you must touch the card on the reader to open the gate.
8. You should have your rostered diagram, Safety Critical at Work Identity Card (or equivalent), or letter from your employer with details of your training at the Driver Academy with you when travelling. If you do not have these but have a legitimate operational reason for travelling then you should explain this to revenue staff. They will obtain your details, if needed, and check with your employer at a later stage to validate your journey.
9. If you use it for a reason as specified in 5 or 6 above, in the incorrect class of travel, or do not have a legitimate operational reason for travelling, this will be considered a Travel Irregularity and you may lose your rail staff travel facilities.

 

[transportphoto]

The answers to what journeys can be undertaken using a DAT card are specifically laid out on the reverse of the card and the covering letter to the home address with the card.

I’m struggling to understand how a DAT holder is confused as to its validity.

 

[baz962]

I

The answers to what journeys can be undertaken using a DAT card are specifically laid out on the reverse of the card and the covering letter to the home address with the card.

I’m struggling to understand how a DAT holder is confused as to its validity.

Have a separate question for this as I hold one but have never used. A colleague had one but didn't need it for travel as he had free travel for work anyway , but if there was a queue for the gates and he was going to miss his train , he would use it just to open the gate. He didn't need it for the actual travel and has since retired. Would you get in trouble for that or be ok with an explanation. As he got free travel anyway and would be in uniform and have passes he wouldn't get checked anyway and would only need the passes to show so revenue wouldn't know about the dat usage , unless observed on the gateline.

 

[skyhigh]

A colleague had one but didn't need it for travel as he had free travel for work anyway , but if there was a queue for the gates and he was going to miss his train , he would use it just to open the gate. He didn't need it for the actual travel and has since retired. Would you get in trouble for that or be ok with an explanation.

It is a Bad Idea to use the pass to open barriers where you haven't been entitled to use the pass for travel. I know several people who got a 'please explain' email questioning the use of the pass for this purpose, along with a request for evidence that a valid ticket/pass was held for the journey.

 

[CyrusWuff]

It is a Bad Idea to use the pass to open barriers where you haven't been entitled to use the pass for travel. I know several people who got a 'please explain' email questioning the use of the pass for this purpose, along with a request for evidence that a valid ticket/pass was held for the journey.

Very much this. Rail Staff Travel monitor the use of DAT, Residential and Status Passes; and there's some form of monitoring of Oyster Gate Pass usage too.

Misuse is taken very seriously.

 

[baz962]

Very much this. Rail Staff Travel monitor the use of DAT, Residential and Status Passes; and there's some form of monitoring of Oyster Gate Pass usage too.

Misuse is taken very seriously.

Well I wondered as you aren't using them for travel. Just to open the gate when you have passes but need staff to open the gate but they are too busy to open it in time.

 

[skyhigh]

Well I wondered as you aren't using them for travel. Just to open the gate when you have passes but need staff to open the gate but they are too busy to open it in time.

You're not using the pass as intended - therefore it is simply misuse of the pass. It has the potential to cause a lot of bother, don't risk it.

 

[Starmill]

Non-operational staff who are required to travel in the course of work are likely to be given a Rail Warrant to cover the cost of the journey, or booked a ticket by an online service and fulfied to whichever method would usually be available. Either way, they'd be travelling with a ticket. If they're a TOC employee they would already know which operators permit duty travel with their own pass, and obviously wouldn't need to be provided with a ticket in that circumstance. I'm sure there used to be some operator-specific bearer passes which were kept in offices for non-operational staff to use for duty travel as well but I don't know for sure.

 

[Haywain]

I'm sure there used to be some operator-specific bearer passes which were kept in offices for non-operational staff to use for duty travel as well but I don't know for sure.

You are correct - LNER certainly had a (very) small number of such passes for use on CrossCountry services.

 

[357]

It is a Bad Idea to use the pass to open barriers where you haven't been entitled to use the pass for travel. I know several people who got a 'please explain' email questioning the use of the pass for this purpose, along with a request for evidence that a valid ticket/pass was held for the journey.

My staff pass does not open barriers - my wife works for another TOC and I have a nominee pass that does open barriers. The two passes are for the same TOCs as we are both part of the same owning company.

If I ever get an email, I will send them a photo of both passes (from my work email address) and explain the situation.

A "please explain" is not the negative thing that many people think it is - the bad stuff comes later if your explanation is not accepted or not agreed with.

 

[Starmill]

My staff pass does not open barriers - my wife works for another TOC and I have a nominee pass that does open barriers. The two passes are for the same TOCs as we are both part of the same owning company.

If I ever get an email, I will send them a photo of both passes (from my work email address) and explain the situation.

A "please explain" is not the negative thing that many people think it is - the bad stuff comes later if your explanation is not accepted or not agreed with.

If you are able to locate the right person it's worth raising that internally. For example I believe it used to be the case that Transport for Wales gates didn't accept Avanti West Coast staff passes, but it was in fact quite easily added to the list of appropriate TfW stations.

 

[357]

If you are able to locate the right person it's worth raising that internally. For example I believe it used to be the case that Transport for Wales gates didn't accept Avanti West Coast staff passes, but it was in fact quite easily added to the list of appropriate TfW stations.

My specific TOC doesn't code them at all. Other group passes are coded. I don't even know if my staff pass has a chip/hardware in it.

 

[CyrusWuff]

If you are able to locate the right person it's worth raising that internally. For example I believe it used to be the case that Transport for Wales gates didn't accept Avanti West Coast staff passes, but it was in fact quite easily added to the list of appropriate TfW stations.

It's also worth noting that some TOCs have a policy of not adding any other TOC passes to their gate configuration, even TOCs that are within the same owning group.

 

[Krokodil]

I don't even know if my staff pass has a chip/hardware in it.

You could ask a guard to scan it.

 

[357]

You could ask a guard to scan it.

I'll try that next time I'm on a train where the guard has a scanner. My TOC doesn't issue them and I doubt my other half has one either.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I'll try that next time I'm on a train where the guard has a scanner. My TOC doesn't issue them and I doubt my other half has one either.

Download the national Rail Smartcard Manager app , scan it yourself.

 

[Haywain]

Download the national Rail Smartcard Manager app , scan it yourself.

Or the e-cebs smart ticket checker (which has a curious effect on either the wi-fi or bluetooth of a nearby device!).

 

[357]

Download the national Rail Smartcard Manager app , scan it yourself.

Or the e-cebs smart ticket checker (which has a curious effect on either the wi-fi or bluetooth of a nearby device!).

Thanks both. Can confirm my TOC doesn't read anything but my nominee pass does read a staff pass

 

[Starmill]

You're not using the pass as intended - therefore it is simply misuse of the pass. It has the potential to cause a lot of bother, don't risk it.

Indeed. The conditions actually mention this point directly and are not really open to interpretation:

6. The cardholder cannot use it:
- to attend medicals, meetings Trade Union duties etc.
- for residential travel (travel from home to work) or leisure travel (i.e. travel when not on duty)
- in First Class if the class of travel indicated is Standard Class
- on London Underground services for any reason, even if on duty
- as a gate pass (i.e. if you are commuting or on a leisure journey with a season ticket, Residential Pass or non-smart enabled TOC card or pass, or working at or passing through a station, you cannot use a DAT card to open the gates).

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/images/RST/RST_Conditions_of_Issue__and_Use_v13.pdf

 

[Barnes_Station]

Indeed. The conditions actually mention this point directly and are not really open to interpretation:

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/images/RST/RST_Conditions_of_Issue__and_Use_v13.pdf

I didn’t know this existed! Many thanks