Replacement Season Ticket Photocard

[_toommm_]

Posting as I could only find a thread from 2018 on this forum about this topic.

After just a month, my plastic season ticket photocard has faded such that the photo is nearly gone. It was bought through my employer's corporate travel agent (if that matters). Would Leeds be able to replace it if I provided another photo, and would it be a paper photocard which lasts Ionger, or a plastic one again? Thanks

 

[Railguy1]

Greater Anglia say it can be obtained free of charge at any ticket office, so I presume it’s the same for any season ticket (36.3 in the national rail travel conditions seems to imply this too).

Photocard Information

railplus.greateranglia.co.uk

Photocards can be obtained free of charge from any National Rail ticket office, just bring a valid passport size photo with you.

 

[_toommm_]

Greater Anglia say it can be obtained free of charge at any ticket office, so I presume it’s the same for any season ticket (36.3 in the national rail travel conditions seems to imply this too).

Photocard Information

railplus.greateranglia.co.uk

Photocards can be obtained free of charge from any National Rail ticket office, just bring a valid passport size photo with you.

It was more the fact that it's a replacement for an already issued season ticket. I wasn't sure whether they'd be able to change the photocard reference, or if I'd have to get a re-issue of the season with a new photocard reference.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The (existing) season ticket would certainly need re-issuing. Otherwise, the (new) photocard's number wouldn't match any longer. Not sure if there would be a small administration fee for doing this. (Anyone able to advise?)

 

[janb]

I would expect you would have to go back through the corporate travel provider.

If it was a TOC they could charge £5 or £10 (different TOCs have different fees) for replacement of lost/defaced/outdated photocard and reissue of season ticket. In your instance there is a strong argument for that to be waived as its faded, and indeed I would handle it as a free of charge photocard coupled with a free of charge replacement season. However that would only be if my company had issued the original and I could verify you in the season ticket database. In this instance I would refer you back to the issuer.

 

[Haywain]

I have never heard of or seen a plastic photo card. As far as I know all train companies advise getting a paper one free of charge at a station ticket office - they last, seemingly, forever.

 

[PG]

I have never heard of or seen a plastic photo card. As far as I know all train companies advise getting a paper one free of charge at a station ticket office - they last, seemingly, forever.

Are they perhaps like plastic railcards? Do railcards have the holders photo printed on the card - otherwise what's to stop railcards being shared?

While I agree paper photocards seem to just last, (my student railcard is still perfectly legible after a good many decades!) a spin in the washing machine might not be tolerated that well by a paper photocard.

 

[Haywain]

Are they perhaps like plastic railcards?

No idea.

Do railcards have the holders photo printed on the card - otherwise what's to stop railcards being shared?

In many cases (Senior, Disabled, Network), no, not on a physical railcard.

 

[redreni]

It isn't a Smartcard with a season ticket loaded onto it, is it? Some Smartcards have a photo on them, in which case a separate photocard isn't required.

Do railcards have the holders photo printed on the card - otherwise what's to stop railcards being shared?

Nothing, really, it seems effectively to be an honour system in that regard. I suppose a suspicious member of staff could ask the passenger to sign their name on a slip of paper and compare that with the signature on the card?

 

[_toommm_]

I have never heard of or seen a plastic photo card. As far as I know all train companies advise getting a paper one free of charge at a station ticket office - they last, seemingly, forever.

It's definitely a plastic photocard - it caught me off guard when it was delivered.

It isn't a Smartcard with a season ticket loaded onto it, is it? Some Smartcards have a photo on them, in which case a separate photocard isn't required

It's not. It's a paper season ticket (albeit it seems to be plastic coated as it doesn't feel like a regular paper ticket - although I'm not sure if that's regular for season tickets), with a plastic photocard, the same feel as a physical railcard.

I'll try Leeds in the morning and see what they say, but otherwise, I'll have to send my ticket back to the issuer (Fast Rail Ticketing in Crawley).

 

[Haywain]

I'll try Leeds in the morning and see what they say, but otherwise, I'll have to send my ticket back to the issuer (Fast Rail Ticketing in Crawley).

It might be worth checking with your travel provider to see what they say about replacing a (lost) photocard.

 

[lb001]

I have never heard of or seen a plastic photo card. As far as I know all train companies advise getting a paper one free of charge at a station ticket office - they last, seemingly, forever.

https://photocards.lner.co.uk/

never seen/heard of one issued at a station, but lner have been doing them since the back end of 2023 at least. they’re much more durable, and less risk of damage or disintegration. they look identical to the paper ones, just obviously plush as the photo is printed on.

(and they are free through the lner website )

 

[_toommm_]

Me again,

I'm now having an issue with my season ticket not being read by the barriers (code 09). My company have given me an authorisation form for the exchange to be completed at the station, but when I went, they said they couldn't do it as it wasn't issued at the station.

My understanding is that it can be done, I just have to be added manually to the 'system'. Is there anything I can quote or show them if I get rejected again?

 

[Hadders]

They can be done at a station. Trainline used to have a letter you could show giving instructions to staff on how to do it.

 

[Bungle965]

They can be done at a station. Trainline used to have a letter you could show giving instructions to staff on how to do it.

Indeed although it didn’t seem to apply to all TOCs across the board, Avanti/Virgin used to refuse

 

[CyrusWuff]

Got to love it when Ticket Office staff make rules up!

Replacements for tickets sold by third-party retailers (except TfL) can be issued at any station, providing they have the necessary ticket stock (a station in Greater Manchester is unlikely to have Network Gold Card stock, for example.) The only tricky bit is if the print is unreadable and the magnetic strip can't be read, in which case the customer needs to get the details from the original retailer.

It's not a whole lot harder than issuing a replacement for a ticket your own TOC has sold:

• Add the customer to your Season Ticket database if necessary
• Use the Missing/Manual Ticket function to create the ticket
• Issue the Replacement
• Ideally, note down the original issuer details against the customer's record - Should the customer require a Duplicate for a lost or stolen ticket, or a Refund, it needs to be referred back to the original retailer
• Notify the original retailer of the new ticket details, either using the retailer's own form or RSP's "Advice of Replacement of Damaged/Encoding Failed Season Tickets" form (or TOC equivalent)

 

[_toommm_]

Got to love it when Ticket Office staff make rules up!

Replacements for tickets sold by third-party retailers (except TfL) can be issued at any station, providing they have the necessary ticket stock (a station in Greater Manchester is unlikely to have Network Gold Card stock, for example.) The only tricky bit is if the print is unreadable and the magnetic strip can't be read, in which case the customer needs to get the details from the original retailer.

It's not a whole lot harder than issuing a replacement for a ticket your own TOC has sold:

• Add the customer to your Season Ticket database if necessary
• Use the Missing/Manual Ticket function to create the ticket
• Issue the Replacement
• Ideally, note down the original issuer details against the customer's record - Should the customer require a Duplicate for a lost or stolen ticket, or a Refund, it needs to be referred back to the original retailer
• Notify the original retailer of the new ticket details, either using the retailer's own form or RSP's "Advice of Replacement of Damaged/Encoding Failed Season Tickets" form (or TOC equivalent)

Ive got a letter stating pretty much that from Clarity, along with the details of the ticket (which are still in the same condition on the ticket as when I first got it). I'm going to try again in Leeds tonight, but I really do miss the specialised ticket office. It's just a bog-standard A to B season ticket so nothing special.

 

[crablab]

You might suggest the staff member looks up the procedure in the 'Internal Knowledgebase' should they have any queries.

If they still continue to refuse, you might consider making a complaint to the TOC.