Railcards - why no phone app?

[infobleep]

They'd have two choices then - chance their phone (at their own risk!), or buy a new ticket.

However some guards do not like passengers using those sockets. They are not for public use. In such cases if an revenue member of staff is there, they might get a penalty fare.

 

[D6975]

Those power sockets have come up before, they are only meant to be used in depots/carriage sidings when the train isn't moving. While on the move they are susceptible to voltage spikes, so anything of a delicate nature that is plugged in is potentially at risk.

 

[island]

However some guards do not like passengers using those sockets. They are not for public use. In such cases if an revenue member of staff is there, they might get a penalty fare.

This isn't correct. A Penalty Fare cannot be issued for the improper use of a power socket.

Perhaps you are misremembering a case from last year where a passenger was spoken to for using a socket on a London Overground train, failed the attitude test and wound up being arrested for abstracting electricity. I am not aware that any charges were brought.

 

[najaB]

This isn't correct. A Penalty Fare cannot be issued for the improper use of a power socket.

I read the post as saying the Penalty Fare would be issued because the passenger wouldn't be allowed to charge their phone.

 

[island]

I see.

 

[infobleep]

This isn't correct. A Penalty Fare cannot be issued for the improper use of a power socket.

Perhaps you are misremembering a case from last year where a passenger was spoken to for using a socket on a London Overground train, failed the attitude test and wound up being arrested for abstracting electricity. I am not aware that any charges were brought.

I'm talking about a penalty fare for not having a railcard with your ticket and not being able to use the electricity to charge your phone as it's not for public use.

 

[Abr2704]

Fellow Passengers,
After being puzzled as to why there is still no RailCard Smartphone App after being promised back in September 2015. I have got a response from the Rail Delivery Group:

Thanks for your email. I was sorry to learn you are unhappy with the delay in releasing the app for the railcard users.

I appreciate your interest in simplifying the process of using railcards and your concern for the railcard users. However, due to essential changes in the final application it was not possible for us to launch the app in April 2016. Currently, a dedicated team is working on the app, and we are aiming to launch it in summer this year. We do realise that this delay is inconvenient; and apologise to our customers for its rescheduling.

I’m sure you can assess that this is a complex project and we would prefer that the Railcard App is fully functional when it goes live. This will obviously reduce the inconvenience for our customers and negate the issues arising due to constant fixes and updates.

Kind regards,
D Jumani
Customer Relations Team

It looks like it's going to take them a year to release just one app. With the combined power of National Rail (the Rail Delivery Group), the train companies see this as a second priority.

 

[infobleep]

Fellow Passengers,
After being puzzled as to why there is still no RailCard Smartphone App after being promised back in September 2015. I have got a response from the Rail Delivery Group:



It looks like it's going to take them a year to release just one app. With the combined power of National Rail (the Rail Delivery Group), the train companies see this as a second priority.

If it really is going to take anothrr year, perhaps the original app was really poor or didn't even do what was asked in the design brief. I've seen that latter happen before for a desktop application.

Ask for one thing and delivers something else.

 

[Haywain]

If it really is going to take anothrr year, perhaps the original app was really poor or didn't even do what was asked in the design brief. I've seen that latter happen before for a desktop application.

Ask for one thing and delivers something else.

Quite. Developing an app can be really quick and straightforward if you get the right developer and they understand the requirements and implement them appropriately. That's probably why you rarely hear businesses announcing what they plan to develop.