Travelled UK to Netherlands today with an app based Interrail ticket. The barcode ticket generated by the app wouldn’t open UK station ticket barriers, but was recognised as valid by the EMR conductor’s phone scanner. It did open a Dutch station barrier. Out of curiosity, why don’t our barriers accept the barcode? The barrier staff, to give them credit, didn’t query the ticket, they just took one look and let me through.
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Query: Interrail bar codes and UK ticket barriers
- Thread starter jthjth
- Start date
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RailUK Forums
The barcodes use a completely different (public) encoding standard developed by the International Union of Railways (UIC) to store information compared to UK railway tickets.
Most (all?) ticket barrier suppliers don't see implementing decoding for this standard as worthwhile given the tiny proportion of these types of tickets which the UK will see.
mrlegohead
Member
In December of last year, Mark Smith of Seat61 reported that his pass barcode worked the gates at Kings Cross
bsky.app
The Man in Seat 61 (@seatsixtyone.bsky.social)
Oh, and a first - my @Interrail pass QR code WORKED THE TICKET GATES! I only bothered trying it as the scanner at the lounge entrance successfully read it.
bsky.app
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
My Britrail Aztec code doesn’t work most barriers either! And that is a ticket issued by the British.
One of those things that’s put in the too difficult pile- assuming it isn’t deliberate.
One of those things that’s put in the too difficult pile- assuming it isn’t deliberate.
Flying Snail
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Dec 2006
- Messages
- 2,046
Nothing difficult about it at all, just some extra lines of code. It's clearly in the can't be bothered pile.
jpl
Member
Where exactly? I travelled East Coast with BritRail Pass in 2024 and encountered only problems at Newcastle.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
I did bring this up with S&B recently , it's being looked into.
27000
Member
On my trip last year Newcastle was pretty much the only station in the entire country where my BritRail pass did NOT work at the gateline.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Didn’t work at Cardiff, Oxford, and East Croydon.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
VIX,Cubic or both at Cardiff?
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
I’m not sure of the difference between the ticket gate types, but it was the main gateline.