New Ticket Design Launched

[DeeGee]

Reading Buses launched something similar here a couple of years ago. Under 19s can get a whole day ticket for £2.40 or any single for £1.40 with no ID necessary.

How does that work, then? What if 39 1/2 year-old me turned up and asked for one of those Solo tickets? Would I be asked to prove my entitlement? Or to explain myself?

 

[jon0844]

This all looks like a seriously inadequate test phase, as happens with too many IT projects these days.

But what an incredibly long test phase to still be getting nonsense like this!

 

[maniacmartin]

The Parkeon machines use variable-width fonts IIRC which are far, far easier to read and which these tickets are really designed for.

For the old-style tickets, I actually find S&B font easier to read

 

[JaJaWa]

How does that work, then? What if 39 1/2 year-old me turned up and asked for one of those Solo tickets? Would I be asked to prove my entitlement? Or to explain myself?

"We reserve the right to ask older looking customers for identification from time to time. This scheme is designed for customers under the age of 19 only."

Presume they would only do so if you looked like you were taking advantage!

 

[crehld]

As promised, an example from a Northern TVM at Settle. As you can see this is a much better implementation of the new style compared to some of the other examples above. No overlapping text (although admittedly there's no reservations to get in the way on my example), but, more importantly, I believe the font is clear and legible, even with my arm outstretched a la my long-sighted mum. It doesn't look messy at all.

I suggest it is the font that is the issue on certain types of TVM, not the design per se (which I think is a vast improvement). I imagine fonts are stored as software on the offending TVMs so it couldn't be too difficult to get it fixed.... could it??

 

[bb21]

Unfortunately S&B machines have one of the worst designs for printing speed and font legibility imo and print some right ugly tickets, but it would seem that they are favoured by some TOCs. They are imo the worst ticket machines I have ever had the misfortune of using.

I can see their engineers simply taking the spec given by ATOC and implements them without a second's consideration as to whether they would come out right.

 

[crehld]

Picked this one up today. Anyone up for identifying the error?

 

[crehld]

(sorry about poor image quality!)

 

[bb21]

Railcard marker missing?

 

[crehld]

Railcard marker missing?

Yep! Other than looking at the price you'd be none the wiser! Really odd as the next ticket I printed included it!

 

[ainsworth74]

I do find it amusing that these new tickets no longer mention anything about a specific TOC restriction on advances.

 

[crehld]

I do find it amusing that these new tickets no longer mention anything about a specific TOC restriction on advances.

I guess there's no point given the ticket will tell you precisely which train you must take. It's redundant information.

 

[suzanneparis]

Why can't it specify what trains it is valid on? Otherwise it is hopeless because in my experience different staff will tell you different things!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Picked this one up today. Anyone up for identifying the error?

Well, a sort-of error - it's not in any meaningful sense refundable, nor exchangeable, because the fee (£10) is higher than its value.

I know that's intentional, of course, but it is very slightly misleading
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I guess there's no point given the ticket will tell you precisely which train you must take. It's redundant information.

In a sense, but given that if you have to take another train because of disruption you're meant to stick to the same principal TOC (i.e. comply with the route marker) it can be useful.

 

[Hadders]

Why can't it specify what trains it is valid on? Otherwise it is hopeless because in my experience different staff will tell you different things!

For some ticket s you'd need a book rather than a couple of lines to list all of the information!

Thankfully there is a link to the exact restriction code on the National Rail website referenced on the ticket.

 

[ainsworth74]

I guess there's no point given the ticket will tell you precisely which train you must take. It's redundant information.

True but without a specific TOC restriction it strikes me that it is much easier to argue that you can, in the event of delays, take the next available train to your destination regardless of operator rather than waiting for the next train by the operator your ticket is restricted to as there is no longer an operator restriction printed on the ticket.

 

[crehld]

True but without a specific TOC restriction it strikes me that it is much easier to argue that you can, in the event of delays, take the next available train to your destination regardless of operator rather than waiting for the next train by the operator your ticket is restricted to as there is no longer an operator restriction printed on the ticket.

True, but the advance ticket terms and conditions merely state:

If delays occur while travelling, you will be allowed to take the next available train(s) to complete your journey.

It's therefore always been easy to argue you can take the next available train regardless of operator!

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's therefore always been easy to argue you can take the next available train regardless of operator!

And now even easier, I guess

I suppose that's a passenger benefit!

 

[yorkie]

I do find it amusing that these new tickets no longer mention anything about a specific TOC restriction on advances.

Apparently they do now

True but without a specific TOC restriction it strikes me that it is much easier to argue that you can, in the event of delays, take the next available train to your destination regardless of operator rather than waiting for the next train by the operator your ticket is restricted to as there is no longer an operator restriction printed on the ticket.

True, but the advance ticket terms and conditions merely state:

If delays occur while travelling, you will be allowed to take the next available train(s) to complete your journey.

It's therefore always been easy to argue you can take the next available train regardless of operator!

So we're now back to potentially debating over which rule 'trumps' which rule Although in practice passengers are often allowed to take the next train regardless.

 

[450.emu]

As promised, an example from a Northern TVM at Settle. As you can see this is a much better implementation of the new style compared to some of the other examples above. No overlapping text (although admittedly there's no reservations to get in the way on my example), but, more importantly, I believe the font is clear and legible, even with my arm outstretched a la my long-sighted mum. It doesn't look messy at all.

I suggest it is the font that is the issue on certain types of TVM, not the design per se (which I think is a vast improvement). I imagine fonts are stored as software on the offending TVMs so it couldn't be too difficult to get it fixed.... could it??

Mainly to do with what type of software is communicating with the Newbury Data printer (these are replacing the Swecoins across the network, the Swecoin character set is more blocky)

 

[crehld]

Apparently they do now

Not the ones I picked up today!

So we're now back to potentially debating over which rule 'trumps' which rule Although in practice passengers are often allowed to take the next train regardless.

Indeed. Whenever I've been delayed on advances and sought to travel on the next available train by a different operator I have always been allowed to do so. (In fact the only place I've come across the TOC specific rule remaining in force when delayed is on this forum)

 

[yorkie]

Not the ones I picked up today!

It probably depends on the operator who set them. I've asked the forum member who experienced this if he can reply to this thread (it wasn't me!)

Also, FGW Advances are not - at least a few of weeks ago - printing at all in the new style format and revert to the old format.

 

[crehld]

It probably depends on the operator who set them. I've asked the forum member who experienced this if he can reply to this thread (it wasn't me!)

Also, FGW Advances are not - at least a few of weeks ago - printing at all in the new style format and revert to the old format.

Does it depend on the operator who sets the ticket? Or the operator which programmes the TVM?

 

[yorkie]

Does it depend on the operator who sets the ticket? Or the operator which programmes the TVM?

If the TVM is one which prints new style tickets, it will print in the new style if the operator who sets the Advance fare has set it up to print in the new style template, I believe. Or maybe it's the other way round and they all default to the new style unless they've opted out.

The only ones I am aware of which do not print in the new style are FGW ones but the situation may have changed since and I'm not sure if all other possibilities have been tried.

 

[JaJaWa]

I do find it amusing that these new tickets no longer mention anything about a specific TOC restriction on advances.

Ones printed by machines other than Parkeons do. I think I saw a FGW one that referred to it as "Unknown TOC", which is potentially why they're blocking new-style tickets at the moment.

 

[Starmill]

There is a lot of confusion and inconsistency. Parkeon machines have printed AP TOC ONLY tickets before in the 'Valid only on the following services and appropriate [TOC] Connecting services' even if the reservation is from your origin to your destination. I've also seen quite a few cases where a non-Parkeon machine has not bothered with any of that and just gone for 'Valid only on the following serivce'.

 

[TEW]

If the TVM is one which prints new style tickets, it will print in the new style if the operator who sets the Advance fare has set it up to print in the new style template, I believe. Or maybe it's the other way round and they all default to the new style unless they've opted out.

The only ones I am aware of which do not print in the new style are FGW ones but the situation may have changed since and I'm not sure if all other possibilities have been tried.

I've seen FGW Advance tickets in the new format recently. Most if not all FGW TVMs have switched to the new format over the last couple of weeks too.

 

[ji459]

Is the new design being used on tickets issued by ticket offices or just on tickets printed by TVMs?

 

[PermitToTravel]

Both. Many London Overground ticket offices (possibly among others) are issuing these

 

[lyesbkz]

There are definitely a few bugs that still need ironing out with the printing of these new style tickets and reservations. Also, there surely could be a more intuitive way of representing where no particular seat reservation is issued (i.e. Arriva Trains Wales).