I spotted on the Virgin Trains (VT) or Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) or both Twitter feed the other day an advertisement for their mobile tickets. Reading and contributing to a recent topic about ticket checks this got me wondering something.
Disclaimer: I pay for my rail travel accordingly and have no issues with doing so. I also claim refunds and the likes where necessary. I in no way intend to evade paying the appropriate fare, this post actually tries to establish whether such a thing is possible and then this may be able to help a TOC iron out this potential flaw.
I have never had a mobile ticket as I much prefer a bit of orange card that doesn't have a battery to go flat.
However, i have been thinking. I regularly get an open return from Retford [RET] to Doncaster [DON] on a Sunday (or from Worksop [WRK] to DON on a Saturday as Parking restrictions apply at RET) And on either Hull Trains (HT) or VTEC services I have NEVER had my ticket checked. Not once, not even if I board the train at the door used by a member of crew with a ticket machine.
There are no barriers at WRK or RET or DON so i could easily just get on and off at DON without a ticket.
What is to stop a less honest person not having a ticket and in the unlikely event that a ticket inspector appears in their coach, quickly buying a mobile ticket to show them when they get to them. This to someone who travels as frequently as me would save them hundreds of pounds per year.
I'm rather hoping that the answer is "The barcode shows the ticket has been purchased after the departure of that particular service and is therefore invalid for travel on that service"
I appreciate also that you commit an offence by boarding a train without a valid ticket but do you think the TOC would show leniency if you purchased the ticket on your phone after you boarded if your connecting train was delayed and you had no time to purchase the correct ticket?
Rob
Disclaimer: I pay for my rail travel accordingly and have no issues with doing so. I also claim refunds and the likes where necessary. I in no way intend to evade paying the appropriate fare, this post actually tries to establish whether such a thing is possible and then this may be able to help a TOC iron out this potential flaw.
I have never had a mobile ticket as I much prefer a bit of orange card that doesn't have a battery to go flat.
However, i have been thinking. I regularly get an open return from Retford [RET] to Doncaster [DON] on a Sunday (or from Worksop [WRK] to DON on a Saturday as Parking restrictions apply at RET) And on either Hull Trains (HT) or VTEC services I have NEVER had my ticket checked. Not once, not even if I board the train at the door used by a member of crew with a ticket machine.
There are no barriers at WRK or RET or DON so i could easily just get on and off at DON without a ticket.
What is to stop a less honest person not having a ticket and in the unlikely event that a ticket inspector appears in their coach, quickly buying a mobile ticket to show them when they get to them. This to someone who travels as frequently as me would save them hundreds of pounds per year.
I'm rather hoping that the answer is "The barcode shows the ticket has been purchased after the departure of that particular service and is therefore invalid for travel on that service"
I appreciate also that you commit an offence by boarding a train without a valid ticket but do you think the TOC would show leniency if you purchased the ticket on your phone after you boarded if your connecting train was delayed and you had no time to purchase the correct ticket?
Rob
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